Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-07-31
MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED
nnIrSS
DIsTINCTIvEs OF AMERICA.

Soldiers who have been over
there" return to Gods country CRATE
full for the unique characteristics of
our own land which before the war
they took for granted. Their con-
firmation in Americanism is al
spiritual advantage derived from their
experiences, and for a generation to-
come it will be a great national asset.
Talking with the men who have
come back to New Mexico one gathers
from the observing ones that what
singularly impressed them were the
fatal harreds of continental Europeans
for one another. They found there an
tagonisms Of race, Of nationality, OF
creed. Of neighborhood Just as ram
corous today as they were hundred
years ago.
Here with us they shoulder, tend
ing to die down altogether. The riots
in Washington City, Chicago and other
places between negroes and whites is
an evanescent thing. Since the civil
war such things have burst into brief
flame now and then. in various sec
tions of the country, only to disappear
quickly In New orleans, some
years ago, it was conflict between the
Italians and the Angles. In the Big
Bend country of Texas it is between
Mexicans, who cross the border, and
FTv-- a
sporadic and inconsequential when
we take into consideration the whole
country
And in this country, made up of
peoples from every land under the
sun, we have the example of the lying
down of the lion and the lamb to-
gether In the old world these peoples
hate each other bitterly.
This difference between the old
world and America is the NEST strik-
ing. Europe doubted naturally
whether our armies drafted from so
many stocks end faiths w"2ld exhibit
sacrificial devotion. Europe learned
that Americans did figh: ana die, but
Europe does not understand.
On the other hand our men marvel
at the divisions in Europe and despair
of ever seeing those unhappy pas
sions assuaged.
Men are the creatures of history and
institutions The foundations of Amer
lea, away back in colonial times, were
fortunately laid--even then English,
Irish, Scotch, Swedish, Dutch, German.
Huguenot. Creole associated more or
less amicably together. They were
forced to become fairly friendly for
mutual protection against savage
Indians.
Likewise Catholics, Congregations
alists Baptists, Episcopalians, Quak-
org, French Calvinists, Scotch Pres
byterians and freathinkers lived to-
gether in fairly friendly conditions.
Thus he founders of the republic
deCreed perpetual and complete
separation of church and state and
federation of every creed.
Our whole experience as a people
has been one Of agreement on essen
tial points and agreement to disagree
upon personal ones.
We must keep this tolerance and
preserve this association. Nor must
we admit from Europe the more
recent division of classes. We for.
babe rank from t.:r first; it now be-
hooves us to exclude from our con-
cept any such distinction as between
burgeoisie and proletariat. The dis
tinction does not really correspond
with any permarnn- condition here,
any moe than would Ii nix and ttSle,
state churches and racial dsicrimina-
tons.
Our American life is too fluid, toe
permanent too open to anybody
career, to admit of so artificial dis.
tinction, neither do we want economic
ones.
To permit the millions of Europe
to come here now, is to submit to ar
invasion, such as now we scarcely car
resist, one that will weaken Ameri
canism, encourage infections, change
the United States into something othe
and inferior, and impair the republic
and the republics mission in tn,
world.