The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-04-08

In every training camp in this coun-
try. in every corps in France, there arc
thousands Of men whose parents came
from almost every country In Europe
These men arc all loyal Americans;
they have heard the call Of democracy
and are fighting its battles without
thought Of the flags under which their
fathers were born. Their eager, unset
fish response to- the call Of their country
is the most hopeful sign in American
history, In Europe nothing like n could
ever occur. To this day. even In a coun-
try like Franco, there IS a recognized
difference between Provincial. Breton
and Picard. while in the empires Of Ger
many, Austria and Turkey. men arc
held together under a common ruler
only by the rule of fear and OF force.
National ideals, as we understand
them. were practically unknown on tho
continent OF Europe till the beginning
Of the nineteenth century: even a COM
mon language was not enough to bring
the people Of italy together till the MID
die Of the century: the people OF south
ern Germany entered into federation
with the conquering Prusstan as late as
1870; while the Bohemtans and Poles In
Austria, the Films and Ukrantans IN
Russia have waited for centuries for re-
lease from tho rule Of foreign king.
To the native born American this
deep-seated pride Of race, these violent
antagonisms between peoples. are al
most incomprehenstble. He has never
known the iron heel of an oppressor; he
has never witnessed the effect OF tho
conquest of one people by another. I'm
der our system Of government he has
become accustomed to thinking Of the
descendants Of Establishment. Frenchmcn
and Germans. as Americans only, be-
cause they share equally IN our system
of public education, because they MIN
gle freely In their business and social
relations. because they intermarry at
the end Of one generation, because they
all look forward TO a common future
under the protection Of tho American
flag.
This process Of race amalgamation
began early in the history OF this coun-
try. It goes back to the very begin
nings of many Of tho English colonies
in America. Frenchmen, Germans and
Scotchmen were given opportunities
equal TO those Of the original settlers.
so that by tho beginning Of the Revofu-
ton race distinctions in the colonies had
practically disappeared. George Wash
tngton, Philip Schuyler. Peter Mullen
berg and Henry Laurens were conpan-
ions in arms in the struggle for political
freedom; sons Of Irishmen and OF
Scotchmcn, as we'll as descendants OF
Englishmen, signed the Declaration OF
Independence; and the Constitution was
adoptcd by men Of almost every Euro
pean race.
Tho policy adopted by the people of
the colonies has never been abandoned
The sympathy Of this country has reg
ularly gone out to the opprest races of
EUROPE. We welcomed Kossuth and
Carl Schurz In tho middle nineteenth
century; we sheltered Fentan refugees
from Ireland; we found homes for thou
sands Of Russian Jews who fled from
the fury of pogromS. From one end OF
Europe to the other the United States
has always been heralded as the land OF
opportunity. Immigrants, first by the
thousands, later on by the millions have
landed at the ports Of this country and
taken UP their residence IN oil parts OF
the United States.
The great lido Of Irish immigration
continued for two or three generations.
At the same time thousands Of Germans
crost the ocean and settled in the Mid
die West. 1t was they who saved Mis-
souri, for the Onion when the Older
A1nGEfCAn-DOIu popuAhNlSH NAa SSHsSHSN ~
carry it into the camps OF the Confed-
eracy. OF their loyalty and their devo-
ton to the hand Of their adoption there
never was any question. They remern-
bened the way their efforts 10 establish
free institute had been defeated by
the force OF German autocracy. They
gave Of their lives and their wealth
without question in the struggle for the
preservation Of the Union. They and
their descendants are among the most
loyal citizens Of the United States,
After the Germans J; and the irish
came the sturdy. freedom loving, land
hungry men Of Scandinavia. The farms
~ wisconsin and the Dakotas are the
visual evidences Of what they contribu-
ted to the welfare Of this country. They
too, are among tho most loyal citizens
Of the United States.
Last Of ALL in the past generation
Russian Jews and Italians. and the men
from southeastern Europe have poured
into thu. country. These men. like the