Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-05-29
THE GOVERNOR S MANIFESTO.

The governors proclamation against
foreign languages, which $ in effect
proclamation against the German Ian
.guage as an enemy language, lacks
clarity. II is susceptible of wide diff
ferences of interpretation, 1t orders
and it requests, commands and ad-
yises. Just what it mtans and how
far it goes is pretty hard matter to
define.
The governor SHOULD make himself
clear. AS the manifesto stands It IS
likely TO be taken as meaning TOD
much IN one community and too little
in another. II it is state paper with
legal authority behind It then it is
one thing; If it is Simply an advisory
proclamation it il another thing.
We may assume thai in families
such as we would find in dozens up
about Rudd and Parke.so and in
other communities the mother who
should sing ne, child TO sleep with
Hedge Nacht" would not be subject
TO arrest or thet the man who found
himself unable TO express just what
he meant IN a horse trade would be
nailed by an officer if he called
ringbone whatever ricgbone is in
German or Tat If Grossnutter Schultz
were to pray III prayer meeting in the
language she knows best that she
would De halei before defense councils
and loyalty committees. She might
be praying FOR her grandson who went
over the top yesterday and helped
capture 200 of the kaiser's soldiers for
democracy and American safety.
Neither might il be expected that #
some GauI mp about Woodstock broke
out with "Allons, enfans de Ia patrie,
Ie Jour la gloire est arrive, when he
heard the band play the Marseillaise
tAat he would find himself in bad, but
thority or its semblance might mis-
interpret the meaning os the procla-
nation to annoy ndIHJure just the
same.
But back of the governors pracla-
nation or manifesto lies a big and
vital thing. The American citizens
must De American first. There Is no
room for halfereed citizenship in this
country henceforth The American
can not De half American and half
German, half French or Scandinavian
or Bohemian and half American. The
schools must teach United States first
and foreign languages as part of aca-
deric or business curricuH. The
group idea is to be abolished We must
teach that there is no German vote,
no Irish vote. no Italian vote but the
American vote. Politicians have cult
waited the group spirit for their own
purposes. We have cultivated the
Americanism. Now We have turned
short corner and must expect soma
confusion.
We are learning a great lesson from
this war. In the crucib1e Of our melt
ing pot for 100 years the elements Of
various citizenships and languages
have boiled and bubled as elements
seethe in the laoratory retort. And as
another element dropped into the
chemists alenbic precipitates some
thing new and strange yet retaining
much of the original so comes this
war to precipitate a real American
citizenship. Shorn of outland customs,
| taught to speak first, think first and
| feel first as Americans the citizenship
| that survives this war will mark a new
| epoch in the progress of this country
| and solidarity Of thought and custom
ard action that have long been lack
| ing.
/ 1t is plain wisdom for those Of Teu-
ionic birth and blood to assist this
contamination in every possible way
to refrain from any and all things that