East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1918-09-20
TRUE AMERICANlSM is COINS
TO Be PROBLEM OF FUTURE

Just before our entrance in the
war there was tendency on the part
~ some Americans to challenge the
patriotism OF all the foreign born
among us These people Doubted
whether. in the event Of war, our for
cign born population would be will
ing to give the fun measure of their
support te the United states rather
than 10 the countries of their birth.
Thu were not convinced shv the fact
that the foreigners whom they mis-
trusted had deliberately chosen the
United States as :he home OF their
children, and had invested Ia this
country their little campital and
their very life itself. This skeptical
feeling was entertained BY CERTAIN
Americans who knew the foreign born
only through their preiudices; many
French and English honestly feared
IT; with many more Germa rs the
wish was father to the same thought
Fortunately. after one year OF war,
the answer to Germany's expectations
and our own fears has been giVen.
The names of the volunteers. The
rames on the lengthening casualty
l.sts--Siavic. Greek. Italian. Gsrman.
Scandinavian. Irish, along with Eng
lish-are the answer to the undesers-
ed charge thai ahe foreign born am
ong MS were unwilling to accept their
share of responsibility for our natioh-
al decisions.
But as the foreign horn have gath
cred from the Industrial centers Of
ments. there has been new evidences
of our past indifference TO the prob
lens which com with a complex pop
ulation. The most conspicuous OF
these has been the inability Of a cons
siderable manner TO speak English.
Shocked 60 find that many who were
TO carry the colors to France couiu
not speak our language some Ameri-
cans are ready To demand IAN ag-
gTSessive campaign Of Amerlcaniza
ton" They would Ike TO fummar-
/ ily force all foreign born citizens to
use the English language. B.t sub
nit that compulsion by law or social
pressure would fail here just as II
has failed in Poland, IN Bob smia and
in fithuania. Americanization means
much more than learning - speak
the English language under eompnl'
sorry school attendance Law Whine
the barrier Of language must be re-
moved. Il can never be successfully
done by autocratic and cuerclye meth
ods
The nom English speaking immi-
grant lives isolated and remote from
the main current ~ American HE.
Bui a most important elemeui in his
isolation o. the Ignorance of the Am
erioan who lives on Riverside Drive
~ the history and struggle 81 the
slavic steel worker Ia Bethlehem or
the italian garment worker Ia Ne"
York The duty and the opp9rtunii}
~ the national government ana ~ the
local community 10 the admitted Inn
migrant were and stiil are ca 20 pro-
tect hlm against fraud and eapioiia'
tion so thai such traditions AH he
cherished With regard 60 Amefica
might not De lost 10 his firsi con
tacta with usi fgl - give him an "p'
portuuliy 20 learn the English Ian
guage as would enable him - Join ~
h. the work ~ making the United
states q really effective democracy
(s3 a. make such adjustments ~ oni
political and social machinery ns ihs
peculiar needs ~ the various eis'
mepis ln our complex popui alton rem
der neceHsaFy oF desirable.
The peculiar potency ~ ihn opin'
toms ~ our foreign born eitlAenH 81
dis time should nat ha overlooked
They have played nn Imprint i'Hfl
iu the politics ~ Europe in ihe past
Every movement boxing toward more
aomoerailc organization in the 'Dia
eaunlgy has counted upon ihe emit
grants ln fhe United states for moral
ahd financial air and more ihnh "u'
European government hiss been f"n'
ginroa during the past rms years thai
except for American Fnpl4"iA ihf
tr8uDlaua demands ~ thr Impressed
nstlanainies could have heen easily
allencsa. nuf the Americans haFs
theuaslsou known liiiie or nothing
afaut iha efforts - ihe fao"h ~ the
Cfafiau miner 30 heip iibefHie thf rel
afIsaH and friends "a home.
f. be- nut necessary ~ ~ 90 Europe
y, neaulff . first hand knohiadEs -
fhn questions that che oppressed -
Europe arn asking ~ have settled
frhflt uoM. Dor here among us. be-
cause Yf that very oppression afs fbH
humble men and Nomen bbo haFt
fhrmsaigas suffered from afnial ~
iis freedom which they ere asking
tba world ~ give 10 their i'e9pio-
here are nlao "lnieiieetuaiH' who have
faa tbeir part iu beading fhe move.
meuiN
"AmeueaniHiu" A. much more
matter II fhn long future ihni q
ahead ~ us fhsn 81 ia ~ fbs past I'm
lsHa Ne shall plan ~ utilize e. she
fnilesi aztsnf fbe contribution Nhich
eaeh ~ us cen make Ws she'll fali 10
enr OBLIGATIONS % that fHtHfe.