The St. Joseph observer., 1919-05-03
DRAWING AMERICANIsM DOWN
FINE


No doubt but that the president
general OF the d. \. r. is a real Amer
ican-but she would be a trifle too
real were she to have her own sweet
way for she has declared that no man
can be a good American who patron
ICES a London tailor, eats Liberty cab
bage, or has breath smelling Of
garlic-and a variety Of other abom-
nations. She is also dead sure that
nothing but strictly American food
and American modes will make good
blown in the he-bottle-Americans -- and
she writes this all down ns a part Of
the Amcricanization programme nee
essary to save the republic.
The New York World is the first
paper to exhibit signs Of alarm and
flippantly asks if the London taIlors
must go. must the Paris modlstes go
also? If patriots diet must be
limited TO American food products.
prepared American style, must we
forswear the table d'hote meal. and
do without French sauces and dress
ings? The ideal OF a perfect Ameri-
canization is laudable." comments the
World. but it il possible to make it
too pure for human natures daily
food"
But the World only skins the top
# does not go deep enough 1t should
have asked what shall we do with oat-
meal and Scotch mutton broth, not
to mention Scotch whiskey? What
about chop suey and chilli con carne?
And then there is the English mutton
chop and the roast beef Of Old Eng
land" What Of Brussels sprouts.
olive OIL Wrench fried potatoes Span
ish mackoreL caviar, figs, dates, ba-
nanas, cumquots Spanish stew and
rice; More important still must We.
for patriotic reasons and to be wholly
Americanized. and not merely for our
hellth's sake, give up our coffee and
our tea?
Tho rule that would apply to our
foods aud clothes would apply for
equally valid reasons. OF course. to
other .h.nss.
What of foreign authors, compos-
cr,. drmat.st-. sculptors, painters.
mu-.r.anse alusr we give up Harry
Lauder and the vaudeville perform
er- from the London music halls .
Shall $500 bid patriotic American
farewell forever 20 Dickens. Thack-
cry George Eliot Thomas Hardy.
Stevenson, Eipl!ng Anatole France.
Inuhcrt Maupassaut, Daudet? And
Shakespeare, too-shau we send him
packing with the other exotics. such
as Milton, Tenuyson, Browning, Burns.
Byron, Moore, Goethe and Schiller ?
Must We dissever eterually our good
American souls from the souls Of
Kant, Adam Smith. John stuart MIL,
M'ntesguiou, the Deoameron. the BIZ
bic, Plato, Aristouee
II We should observe a citizen wear
ing Swiss watch, with shamrock
!" ms hu''"nho.e' whistl!ng tho Mar
s'.iIa'7e as he walked TO work in the
morning, should We patriotlcally stone
h'm {" death'
II % is necessary for our country's
cake. and ro preserve u- as true and
loyal Americans from foreign con-
t'mn7toos, we can Do il all There
VIII sl.I Doe someth.ng left 10 make
'"4 H''aoIe and even enjoyable.
We can make out a hearty meal of
potatoes corn, possum, cold storage
turkey hn.io." steak, tomatoes and
Joe cream soda. We can follow Il ur
win ''''soHrs -togie OR a Connects
GU, wrapper cigar
we can cultivate our minds on
wait whitman, Mark Twain. Emsr.
son. F'e' E.7ert Hubbard and Branr
'"e '''"''.'si.
lucal o.onomy p,'I ,,on pn,''1,pny g.n, and @s po