The Mankato free press., 1918-07-05
COURSE IN LOYALTY !.
NEEDED IN SCHOOLS
View Taken BY Victor L.
Johnson, Center City
REFERS TO LATE VOTE
Feels Like ApoIogizing to Judge
J. F. MCGEE For Criticizing
Statement
FROM MINNEAPoLIs JoIJRNAL

From Saturdays Daily.
"My first impulse after seeing the
results of the late primary election
in Minnesota was to publicly apollo
gize to Judge McGee, and admit that
he was right" said Victor L. John
son of Center City, former state SEN
ator, today. Mr.. Johnson was author
of letter to The Journal published
just after Judge McGee's appearance
before the senate military affairs
committee in Washington, protesting
against Judge McGee's alleged state
ments about disloyal sentiment among
citizens of German and Swedish par
entage
"It is impossible" Mr.. Johnson con-
tinued, "to feel anything but the deep
est modification and humiliation at
the astounding returns from some
of the Swedish counties like, for in
stance, Isanti. The spelling of this
county's name should be changed to
'Insanti' A county which will give
such large vote to a convicted dis
loyalist, as against grand cid Knute
Nelson, who at eighteen years of age
LIS IluohSI, IOuShL
lied for his country, and ever since
has stood like a beacon light of true
blue Americanism, should be bodily
lifted out Of Minnesota and transfer
red to Prussia.
But l still hold the fault is not
wholly with the people themselves; (;
and l still hold that we of Swedish
blood are the most susceptible of all
peoples to the wiles of the agitator,
advantage of which weakness is al
ways taken by the professional dema-
gogue.
"The thing to do is not to bemoan
the past, but to earnestly endeavor to
see where the trouble is, and to cure
the conditions now existing.
Public Schools Lax in Past.
Our public school system has been
at fault in the past. There are scores
of schools where not word of the
English language is spoken outside
the schoolroom or in talking with the
teacher. During the ten years 1 spent
in the public school as a child, / do
not recollect ever seeing an Ameri-
can flag in the schoolroom Such a
thing as saluting the flag, or singing
America or The Star Spangled
Banner was unheard of. In these
communities even today, you could
travel miles and miles of thickly pop
ulated sections and not hear a word
of the American language spoken. Is
there any wonder then, that in crisis
like the present there is lack of a
real national American spirit? Can
run hn xJhn hou
Eeen allowed to grow uD that way?
Danish Foreign Languages.
"Let us for our country's sake begin
to remedy these things. America cam
not continue to exist unless spirit OF
nationality is fostered and nurtured:
The soldier boys on their return will
be a potent influence for good. They
will take care of the copperheads. But
real earnest. thoughtful attention must
be siven along many lines of our Old
"Could there be any objection to lhak-
ing every Sunday school in Minnesota
a strictly American language institn-
ton? Should not every church denomi-
of IT'S religious training, be asked s,.d
required to instruct such classes wholly
in English? How lcng do we want to
perpetuate foreign language in Ameri-
ca? Minnesota is now over fifty years
old. and there is no excuse for a single
child being unable to understand and
speak our national language. God un-
derstands English as well as He does
German and other foreign languages.
Crisis Demands Unity.
81 know / am touching a very tender
spot among good old Christian people
when say this. but now is the time
to boldly bring these things out. The
present crisis in our country demands
it. 1t is written in letters Of blood
on the horizon that america mus cnl-
tivate stronger bond of unity, of love
of country, of devotion to our land and
its language and it's institutions than
is now shown in many localities. such
as New Ulm and Isanti county. English
happens to be our national language.
1t is the language of the Declaration
of Independence and of Lincoln's Get
tysburg speech.
the utmost seriousness. Economic prob
lens are less important. If America
is to disintegrate for lack of unity and
adhesion. what matters an economic
prOblem 2"