Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-02-28
THE ideal AMERICAN
What He Stands for and Why BE
Stands for II.
PRACTICAL LESSON IN PATRIOTISM
Secretary Lane Makes Thought Pro-
voking Speech that Teaches Whole
some Lessons to Both Young and

Secretary Lane Makes Thought-Pr
voking Speech that Teaches Whole
some Lessons to Both Young and
Old.
The following article Is prepared
from a speech delivered by Franklin
K Lane, United States secretary Of
the interior before a cosmopolitan aud
ience in New York city.
l should take 1t that this gathering.
| representing so many sections Of the
country and so many Of its elements,
is itself a community council. Ii We
could have such meetings in all out
cities and in all quarters of our cities
the matter of AmericaniZation would
soon cease to concern us.
1t has never seemed to me that 1t
was difficult to define Americaniza-
tion or Americanism: II appreciate
something, 1 admire something, I love
something. l want you my friends, my
neighbors, to appreciate and admire
and love that thing, too. That some
thing is America"
There is in every one Of us, how
ever educated and polished, secret,
selfish, arrogant ego and there is in
every one of US also a real nobility.
IN this war could see that there came
out Immediately the finer man, anu
.uat better self we must keep alive.
We expect that man to search out
his immigrant neighbor and say,
~ am your friend. Be mine. as well,
Let me snare in the wisaom and in
struct me in the arts and crafts you
have brought from other lands and
l shall help you succeed here"
There Is no difficulty In this, If our
attitude is right. Americanism Is en-
tirely an attitude of mind; it Is the
way we look at things that makes US
Americans.
Some time ago I met a man who is
one of the advisors of the president OF
china and he told me Of novel plan
which he thought might be adopted In
that new republic-that they should
have a qualifying examination. for
members of congress; that every man
who announced himself as candidate
should prove that he knew what his
country was, who its people were,
what resources 1t had, what its PROS
pecsts were and what its relations
with foreign countries had been.
II could have my way I would say
to the man in New York, Come with
me and I will show you America" ano
1 would say to thesrpsH IN San Eran-
cisco, Come with me and I win show
you America
And then I would take him. to the
field of Gettysburg and lead him TO the
spot Where Lincoln delivered his I'M
mortal address and 1 would ask him:
What does that speech mean to you!
Not how beautiful 1t is, but what word
does it speak to your heart? How
much of it do you believer"
And then would take him to Santi-
ago de Cuba and would ask What
does that bay mean to you" And |
would take him over to the Philip
pines, where 10000 native teachers
every day teach 100000 native child
rem the English language. And 1 would
bring him back from the Philippines TO
the Hawaiian Islands.
In Honolulu had procession OF
school children pass before me ano
present me with the flags of their coun-
tries. There were represented every
race, from New Zealand clear along
the whole western side Of the Pacific.
They laid at my feet 26 flags.
went from there to Mauna Loa, to
school, a typical school. in which
there were Filipinos, Javanese, Chi
nese. Japanese, Portuguese, Samoans,
Australians, Americans, Koreans; and
said to the pupils, Can anyone tell
me why we are at WARP" A little girl
IA wears old, half Chinese and half
Hawaiian, rose and said," l think
| ,an sir" We were up on the side OF
the mountain, looking out over the
Pacific, and the only communication
with the civilized world was across
that ocean. I'VE are in this war" the
child said, because we want to keep the
seas free-because we want to help
those who need help" And I have yet
to hear a better answer given.
| And I would show the man no"
these children, whether japanese or
American, no matter what their source
stood every morning before the flag
Of the United States and raised their
hands and pledged themselves to one
language, one country, and one God.
And then I would bring him back
to this country and say, Grasp the
meaning Of what I have shown you'
and YOU will know then what Amer
icanism is. It is not 11O,ooo,ooo people
alone: It is 0,OOO, 900 people who have
lived through struggle, and who nave
won through work. Let US never for
get that"
We have nothing precious that does
not represent struggle. We have noth'
ing of lasting value that does not re-
present determination. We have MOTH
ing admirable which does not repres-
ent self-sacrifice.
I would give to the man whom 1
wish to Americanize (after he mad
L - fc a