New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-04-04
America Becoming

America Becoming
There can be no such thing as Il
fffy-fffy allegiance.
Hereafter we must see that the
melting pot really does n7cIf.-From
Colonel Rooseuelt's Portland speech.
Americans still hope and pray that
this Is, indeed, war to end war; that
after the German has been beaten a new
causes Of war and make peace more
secure
But they are rapidly abandoning the
theory that such plan and such a peace
can be built upon the sands of any vague
internationalism. They are coming to
the inescapable conclusion that it is only
upon the rock Of new and greater
patriotism, sterner and purer love Of
ones own country, that true federation
of mankind can arise.
Hence the new Americanism-new in
our day and generation, but as old as
Lexington and Bunker Hill.
In that new Americanism there is no
room for the hyphen. 1t is an absurdity.
an anomaly, an insult to all Of u.s. No
other nation can conceive of hyphenates
Who ever heard of Franco Briton, or a
German-Frenchman, or an American
German? Yet before the war most Amer
leans viewed the hyphen complacently, as
"a symbol Of our all-inclusive liberty, and
would have resented an attack upon it as
en effort to limit our hospitality toward
all the world. To-day we know that this
ideaGstic generosity is suicidal-of a
piece with the whole folly Of pacifsm
We must first become America, great and
united, before we can hope to offer any
thing of value to the world at large.
That is what Colonel Roosevelt has
been preaching to deaf ears for many
smonths-all his life, in fact He is the
personifcation Of that sturdy, fighting
nationalism which we now see as our
gravest need.
/ There have been preposterous delay and
leniency toward the enemy within. The
Tribune speaks with knowledge; our
readers are familiar with the record in
our columns. Progress has been won.
But action has always marched, is
marching to-day, pitifully behind the
need. Through our official idealism and
childlike trust we have suffered incalcu-
liable losses in lives and material. --latest
on the record is Senator Overman's testi-
mony. Holes were bored in aeroplane
frames and plugged with lead. Machines
have collapsed in consequence Ameri-
can soldiers have fallen to their death.
The whole output of aeroplanes has been
held up.
And all the while we have been treat
ing most enemy aliens as if they were
sensitive friends whose feelings must net
be hurt
This nonsense must end. The German
is hating" US here quite as effectively as
at the front. We must fight him here
just as sternly as fight our men there.
Intern all enemy aliens 1t is the ONLY
fair, simple and effective course.
Hang spies. 1t is the customary, the
deserved punishment, in fragrant cases.
Any weaker course is a sentimental com
promise, sop to the notion that YOU can
fight war half way or a quarter wav.
without hurting your enemy or your own
sensibilities very much. The sooner this
sort OF squeamishness is knocked on tha
head the better.
\. After these emergency measures comes
the future. We cannot deal with it too
soon. 1t is an appalling menace that we
have innocently permitted German i'm
perialism TO organize among ug.
thereafter we must see that the melt
ing pot really does melt" That sums up
our task. Hitherto we have trusted TO
time, luck and our public schools We
must intensity these old processes as Sec
rotary Lane advocated yesterday before
the Americanization conference. Eas
that In not enough We NUT follow thcgc