Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1919-03-04
PREPARING FOR BIG
INSTRUMENTATION MEETING


At meeting OF the executive COM
mittee of the Americanization organ
ization held in the Chamber of Com
| nerce rooms, Mayor J J. Desmond
presiding, a report OF the arrange
| ments for the Americanization meet
ing to be held III the town hall tomor-
row wednesday, night was made by
Secretary Thomas II. Beckley.
I This event promises TO be one Of the
most interesting and important pub
| lie meetings that has been held i'll
| Norwich in many a day. II is the
| keynote meeting in the local plan OF
| campaign to place Norwich in its
proper position in the great Ameri,
I canization movement that is spreading
: throughout the country and in the
| minds of many no other question that
! has arisen ont Of the yorld war is OF
such vital importance TO the future
progress and prosperity OF the coun-
| try.
THE question is frequently asked"
said His Honor Mayor Desmond.
| chairman of the local organization,
| what is Americanization and how
| does it interest the American people,
and what part must native born
| Americans take In this great public
| movement" AmericaniZation has been
| defined as the process of making a
J iItILcu <tiIltilCSi IL Is the SEOIullOH
| Of native and foreign born residents
| of all races and nationalities toward
| a higher and fuller realization of ma
/ tional consciousness. 1t calls for con-
| tributions from every racial and ma
/ tional group to the common citizen
| ship Of this, their adopted country. It
necessitates the absorption Of these
| contributions into our national life
and the development of finer apprecia-
/ tl,1 ~ =.
| the art, literature, music, enterprise,
| inventiveness, labor, commercial abil-
| ity and particular genius of the for
! eign-born. 1t means that the native
/ born American must lead in the inter-
| probation and exempiitication Of Amer
lean ideals before he can require the
| foreign born to live up 10 those ideals
| and standards.
characterization is more than
teaching an immigrant the English
! language. It is the reconstruction of
| juStment of all mis- attitudes of mind
of his ideas, habits of thinking, tradi-
tions, customs and ideals to Ameri-
can standards. It is the elimination
Of all in him that is anti American
and the preservation and stimulation
of all that is capable of becoming
American. It is the appropriation of
every element which can contribute
to the upbuilding of a greater Aneri-
can civilization.
''But characterization demands a
greater effort from the native born
American. From him must come lead
ership. He must be the first to live
American ideals. He must be the first
to realize and appropriate the contri-
button of the foreign born. We ex-
pect him to be imbued with an in
structive consciousness Of the Ameri-
can type of civilization, while the for
eign- born must acquire it. From him
must emanate the inspiration that in
stills in the foreign born the desire to
become every inch an American.
; characterization will be fully &C
complished only when each resident Of
America, speaking from out the full
ness of his realization of American
consciousness and participation in
American life, exclaims with. every
other living American: Thank God, I
i, too am an Americana "
Mayor j. J. Desmond will preside at
the meeting and the other speakers
will be DR.. H. H. Wheaton, state di-
rector of AmericaniZation and chair
man of the AnericaniZation union, and
DR.. Benjamin T. Marshall, president of
the Connecticut college.
State Director Wheaton will set
forth clearly and definitely the aim of
the Americanization movement as
planned for Connecticut and the part
that every patriotic citizen must play
in arousing stronger American SEN
timent in his particular community.
DR.. Marshall will answer the ques-
ton so otter proposed. What is Amer
icanization?" The committee that ar
ranged the meeting feels that it is
very fortunate in having secured DR..
Marshall as the principal speaker on
this occasion. In all probability there
is no public speaker in Connecticut
today better qualified to explain the
new psychology that is abroad i'll the
land, seeking to create higher ideals
of citizenship and a greater RESPONSE
bility for those whose duty it Is to