Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-05-16
WHERE AMERICA COMES FIRST

There ia nollove lost between the clans OF Smith and
Jones, of a locality which shall be nameless The tamt-
lies have been at outs for years. There hare been dis
putes over line fences. stray cattle. and things 81 that
sort. Each generation for many years past has added is
quota to the pile of fuel and II the fires that glow there
in are, not those Of hate. they are certainly not those Of
love. The Smiths and Joneses do not like each. other.
But young Bob Smith and young Tom Jones are
American soldiers just now. They are very human Eel.
inherited, together with some others which he has &c,
.quired. AS a purely personal matter. each would enjoy
punching the others head. But they have o. distinct real
ization that the enterprise in which they are engaged Is
ono Of some Importance. something entirely too. big and
too important to permit any private grouches to stand in
the way. Hence. they have placed their private emotions
under restraint, and for the purposes Of this war they, are
just American soldiers ready to work and to fight side BY
side. each ready, IL necessary, to die in support Of the
others effort, for they are Americans first, and quarrel
some ~neishbors only when more important matters do not
engage their attention.
We have in this contry many thousands Of citizens Of
Irish extraction. Probably most of them have a strong
sentimental regard for the landfin which either they or
their parents were born. A good many. of them have a
|lusty and well-developed dislike for England. Very well.
That is their privilege. But the relations between England
and ireland are not the issues Of this war. England and
the great empire of which she is the leading member are
fighting side by side with tho United States in a war for
the preservation Of civilization and for the destruction Of
that German mihtarisin which stands today as civniza-
TONS greatest menace. We have no right to expect that
the I~rish-American who, until the war. disliked England,
shall now love England because Of the war. But we have
a right to expect that for the duration of the war, and
for the purposes Of tho war. he shall lock up his private
likes and dislikes and accept loyalty and heartily that
which this nation itself has accepted-full partnership
with England in the business Of the war until the war is
won.
We have in this country persons Of Austrian birth
or descent who, because of European conditions with
which most Americans are unfamiliar, do not like the
Italians. They have a right to their own sentiments. We
cannot expect that those sentiments have been changed
by the war. But, If they are in truth Americans. they
will forget for the time being their antipathies and accept
with heartiness the co-partnership with Italy which the
developments of the war have brought to pass, and join
with their former enemies in a mighty effort to bring to
pass the supreme good for which Italy and the United
States alike are striving. US.
After the war, If in tho meantime its fires have not
burned away some Of the old animosities, young Smith
and young Jones may take up again the old family quar-
rels: England and Ireland may resume their former atti-
tude Of anita gonism; Austria and Italy may hurl maledtc-
tons at each other. But for the time being there is no
time for any Of this. The business Of the present is the
winning Of the war.
E go