The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-10-29
FORE|Gh|SM A MENACE
TO Be GRAPPLtO WITH

The task of roofing out foreign
ism, not foreigners but foreignism,
from American industrial. political
ard social life could never be &C
complished with the open saloon.
This is true because the saloon has
fostered fore gnism as a basis OF
trade. The saloon is rapidly being
abolished but there still remain the
uncitizened masses which are a men
ace to the best interes of our ma
ton.
Part of the program as announced
by the dry leaders for the accom-
pIishment Of world wide prohibition
Include a campaign TO reach the IL
literate and un-Americanized peo-
pies of our own land with literature
and by means of personal contact.
Their old ideas of so-called person
al liberty acquired under the tute-
lace Of barroom politicians must he
eradtcated A wh olesome respect
for the constitution OF the United
States must be instilled in,o these
PEOPLE. II is great task sut the
league gladly takes the frs, 80 to-
ward sober nation al : ga
world.
Just how stupendous is the task =
indicated by facts brought OFT in aa
editorial in the New York Tribune Of
September 2a.. The Tribune. under
the caption, characterization,
says:
There is emotion In Mr. Herbert
kaufman's plea for Secretary Lanes
Americanization bill which was
printed yesterday in the Tribune's
magazine. 1t is an emotional sub
feet. 1t touches the life blood of the
country. The bare facts indeed,
which he quotes arouse and excite
and alarm beyond any Gays grist OF
news out Of Pittsburgh
''One sees al glance the source of
alb that aEnADo*Ss, crowd. al, n.sin7
formed misled. discontents which
hangs upon our horizon waiting for
some untoward wind TO blow II
across our land into a wasting tor
nado
For example,
Three million are deaf IN the
English tongue,
Five and a half million more are
blind TO the printed word.
only S per cent of the Russians
are naturalized within tive-to~
nine year period
OF Bulgarians 96.4 Ter cent. OF
Konmauians 95 per cent, OF Greeks
90 per cent. of Croatians a5 per cent.
Of Armenians rs per cent, Of Aus
TRANS Z per cent, employed ny VIZ
employers Of labor, arc not ciAyAns
Non English speaking races~ in
the coal mine regions are much
more liable to death and injury
than the English speaking races
"Of our farm folks 100000, or
10 per cent cannot read or write
How can We hope for 4 united na
ton amid such conditions? We
have no way of communicating cf-
fectively either our theories or our
social life 10 these vast mass OF
our population. They are not Amer
lea, They are not becoming Amer
lea. They are great islands Of
alenisn utterly beyond our reach
TO persuade or advise or protect SO
long as the deep gulf OF an alien
tongue separates them from our ma
tional life"
The New York issue, commenting
upon the above editorial. says:
Here in New York these
alien masses have even upset
political equiay. Their mere
presence in New York city has
under tthe constitution OF the
state given the 81 per cent OF
the registered voters who 1--we
among them--and who cater ,
all too largely 10 them in view
point---equal Representation IN
the state legislature with the
IS per cent of the states
voters who live upstate and are
more truly American in view
point and character.
The New York issue merely points
a situation in New York state that
prevails In every state containing
large centere Of population. Con-
the New York Issue says
Nothing can avail to meet tho
menace of this alienism pollti-
cally but solidarity on tho part
OF all those who revere Ameri-
can institutions and are for
the UNFOLDING and enforcement
of law.
This IL true, and therefore those /
effort to nulIify a part OF tho oonsti-
tuition OF tho Omitted Etctos are in
fact encouraging 'foroiEnism." In
truth. their appeal for assistance In
their attacks seem to get reader re-
sponses from the un-Ancricaniaed
than from any other class In tho
country. The Enioon Is undoubtedly
closed forever, but there Is much
work ye4 to b Conc nullifying and
overccuni1x - eut1s = hAs la4& r. ~
sssA s s5aR y !.N
aSs WI MI S SS