New-York tribune., 1919-06-09

dICLlouC ndQ TO nave.
a result of the war. One of the things
that l think we have already learned
is that we cannot have nation made
up of groups of different nationaltes,
owing secondary allegiance to Amer
lea.
America is a single word of four
syllabes and it does not need any pre-
fixes or affixes. 1t is the duty of every
man and woman who comes to this
free land of ours and expects to par
ticipate in the benefits of our great
democracy to Amercanize themselves
America will never be America to
them in the full sense Of the term un-
less that process is absolutely COM
pleted in every instance.
"Now, l look upon the Boy Scout
movement as one of the most potential
agencies we could employ to American
lze America. We do not hear anything
about hyphens any moro because that
is one of the things that the war shot
away. | think that the hyphen was the
result very largely of an unthnking
and unconscious attitude about Amer
lea and that it was, in part, responsible
for the fact that the national spirit
vas not more highly developed before
the war broke out in 1914.
Think More of America
zone of the good things we have
realized already from this war is an
acquaintance with our national an
them. We also recognize the Stars
and Stripes and take off our hats as
every real American should when that
beautiful banner Of liberty goes by in
the line of march.
ut was not because we did not value
those things before, but because we
simply did not think about them. We
never expected to get into a great war
IN Europe, nor anywhere else, for that
matter, and we thought we were
homogeneous people and that all these
various groups and schisms made no
particular difference. We had not,
therefore, highly developed national
consciousness, but the war brought all
this home to US so thoroughly that we
now realize that what we must do for
the future IS to make that conscious
ness supreme thing and always the
expression of the soul of America
This Boy Scout movement is thor
: oughly democratic movement. If we
can get enough support to extend it so
that it will embrace the largest part of
the eligible boyhood of America, you will
interest the descendants of every ma
tionality represented in America; you
will oblterate the lines and distinctions
which have characterized America here
tofore, and you will bring about the con-
dition l have just referred to-a condi-
tion which will mean that America has
been thoroughly Americanized for all
time. That is one of the aims of the
Boy Scout movement, but it is not the
only one.
Must Develop Character
Individuals, like nations. must have
character, and this movement is essen
tally character building movement.
In addition to the character it de-
veiops, we are teaching the boys prac-
tical things. We are teaching them
self-reliancc and resourcefulness, and
giving them that interest and en-
thusiasm and love of country which
make, after all, for the very finest
and highest quality of American citi-
zenship.
Every Boy Scout takes an oath to
DO his best, to do his duty to his God
ana TO his country; to help other
people at all times; to keep himself
physically strong, mentally awake and
morally straight. They are taught to
practice and to live up to this oath
No man who has had this Bow Scout
training and education could ever be
d" anarchist or ever hurl q bomb. No
greater service can be rendered to
successive generations than to extend
BOY Scout training and education to
the rank and file of American bovhood
everywhere.
Now, this Boy Scout Week, which
has been designated by proclamation
OF the President, beginning June 8 and
ending juno Ia, is for the purpose of
securing million adult supporting
memberships, or associate memberships
for the Boy Scouts.
Membership Costs 81
These memberships arc to be sold
at not less than one dollar apiece, and,
OF course, we would rather not sell
them at the minimum price.
But If any one insists upon paying
only dollar for this great privilege
II Will be gladly received. The pur-
pose is not only to secure the associate
or supporting memberships, so that
mothers and fathers Of American boys
may feel that they have an active and
D-. ticipating interest In this great
movement, but also to provide the
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