Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-07-28
What Is One Hundred
Per Cent Americanism

and sinners who believe that the
world and not to any particular race,
nationality or creed. They recite
ceaselessly their psalmodies that their
ears may be deadened by the sound
|lof their W voices to the call of an
to lift another people from the mire
for fear; its own garments might be
spotted. z . =
! One hundred per cent. American
ism-the real thing-is the American.
ism that goes to the full limit of
Americas. potentialities, possibilities
and responsibilities for the safety, and
pFogrMtD f modern civilization. 1t Is
not narrow, 1t Is not provincial. 1t
buildsssnos spite fences. Its outlook in
the planet. 1t fears no contamination
from Contact with other peoples. 1t
agrees with Lyman Abbott that life is
not what n gets out of 1t, but what
one puts into it..
The very term. ~Americanism, is the
negation of the meaning which those
who have been aptly called little
Americans" attempt to attach tofit.
The A~mericanism which they profess
ie something in the nature OF the shell
of the turtle, beneath which they seek
to retire, limiting their horizon to Its
rim, defending themselves in the
dark, oblivious to all without And
they would o o have the country.
like the turtle. valuable only as a food
with broader visions and more recep-
tive intellects.
AnnericanisIn is a term which was
coined when the progressive thinkers
in the United States came to realize
that u country must tax cognizance
of the world outside our own borders.
1t came into use after the Monroe
! 4 41tNi~rrNh al ~~1os,y~l ru~~11 90
ton. Americanism was the wider
vision that embraced the whole Of the
western hemisphere. 1t marked the
assumption of responsibilities for the
development of peoples. not citizens
of our own country. 1t marked the
extension of the league of the, United
States to q league of all the countries
in the two tAmericas. 4
There, have been little Americans
as long as the nation itself has exist
ed. The. Reeds, Borahs, Johnsons and
Sherfnans are the lineal. descendants
Of the senators who opposed the
Louisiana purchase. who called the
Hartford convention, who protested
against the ratification Of the treaty
with Mexico under which an empire
on this western coast was added to
the territory Of the republic. They
are Americans who continually look
through the wrong end of the tele-
scope.
It is q fixed law Of nature hat every
living thing that ceases to increase
passes into ~decadence. Narrowing
visions resemble improving nails. The
present power Of our country is q
shining example Of the historical
truth that the future belongs to the
people who dare The 100 per cent
Americanism,'' which these assertive
little partisans profess is q restrictive
Americanism: it fears for our country
to 70 whore destiny beckons. They
would have the American spirit, not q
mighty river emptying its tide into
the ocean of humanity. but a body Of
water without an outlet. a Dead Sea.
Benjamin Franklin was 100 per
cent American. He realized that the
independence Of the colonies could
be won only by an appeal to the other
nations OF the world: u liberties
were won through n international al
lance. Thomas Jefferson and James
Monroe were 100 per cen Americans.
They possessed the broader vision
that made for the progress and devel-
opment of the spirit of independence
to which our constitution gave birth.
The A~mericanism of the little
Americans" is the name brand that
has caused China to h~oldsaloof for
centuries, to fence herself about with
a great wall and to teach her. popI.
latiops that China had nc need OF In
tercourse with other countries. The
result IL only too apparent. To be-
como . Ch1namang IL to cease to be
. citizen. Of the world.
Such would be the effect on THU
country 6f the parochial sort OF lin.
lied AIn6f1rAnihm which Reed, John.
SON and Borah are preaching. me,
would tncloss boundaries with I