The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1919-10-03
IDEAS OF ROOSEVELT
ON AMERICANIZATION

Americanization, says contributor,
was the favorite theme of Theodore
Roosevelt; in speeches, writings and
letters he carried on a continuous
campaign, before the war and during
it. in behalf of a sturdy, undivided
Americanism. The man who really
loved his country would make the real
defender of it in time of trouble, and
its best asset in. days of peace, he
realized.
Nations are made, defended and
preserved" he wrote. mot by the il
lusionists, but by the men and women
who practice the homely virtues in
time of peace. and who in time of
righteous war are ready to die, or to
send those they love best to die, for
shining ideal"
He himself was one who "practiced
the homely virtues in time of peace"
Willing to die himself for his coun-
try's, cause, he watched with pride as
his own sons marched to the war.
The Roosevelt family was thoroughly
imbued with Americanism, and their
example was perhaps the best proof
possible that the colonel practicsd
what he preached, when it came to
instructing his offspring.
"Our attitude is necessary and
proper when we insist upon complete
Americanization as a matter of duty
on the part of the immigrant" he
stated, "but it is proper only if we
give to the immigrant who fully per-
forms this duty a full and frank as
surance that in turn he shall be ad-
mitted to an absolute equality of right
with the native-born."
The Roosevelt ideas of American
ization are of renewed interest at this
time, when immigration and indus
trial bodies are discussing the prob
lem. A chief argument he advanced
was that the speaking of English
should be FASTENED among the foreign
born, all facilities for teaching the
Language to be utilized. He described
English as the master-key to Ameri-
lcan opportunity and "the primal sign
of citizenship"
:. To reduce illiteracy he urged that
every immigrant under forty years of
u age should learn to read and write
English, and should read at least one
American newspaper in the language
of his fellow-countrymen. To quote
him:
\ "The man born abroad will natur-
ally and properly read a newspaper
written in the language of his birth
place, but he should also learn to
read another newspaper, one written
: in the language which is the language
: of his adopted country, which will
:, probably be the sole language of his
!. sons and almost certainly the sole
) language of his grandsons."
: Raising the standard of the natural.
{ ization ceremony. SO that it would
/ contain more dignity, he believed
|. l.would impress on the citizen-to-be
Y the Importance of his position in the
. community. He believed that womer
4 should be required to become citizen:
e themselves, not merely by marrying
t a citizen, but by their own act. HI
believed also that the educational in
situations should cooperate with thu
= courts in this Americanization work
4 and that American-born womel
s. should reach out to their incoming
r sisters, and guide them, showing then
: our best standards of living, child
|. care and self-respect.
ell Roosevelt's innate sense of fairness
Ell protested against the habit of refer
: ring to the foreign-born with con
! tempt, or by offensive nicknames
oil Such practice, he said, served to per
e fpetuate hyphenated Americanism il
$ its worst form. He taught the nee,
e OF reciprocity in our treatment of tn
e incoming men and women, believin,
n that we would ask them to go onl,
{ as far as we had demonstrated w
n were able to go. If American-borl
f men and women are proving desirabl
Icitizens, then the naturalized citizen
lhave worthy model by which t
- pattern.
81 Being an American citizen mean
!. more than simply digging bitches, o
q working at other tasks, to the grea
American. 1t repealed him to thinl
q that men came here from other coun
. tiles to make money only; he con
sidered it essential that they shoul
understand something of the eountr,
to which they had come, that the,
should bend their energies to becom
ing useful citizens. A firm believe
in the dignity of all labor, he hoped +
see all workingmen enlightened as t
their important part in the maxim,
of America. There was nothing half
way about his views on the matter
OF course; his perception of the flu
tility of wavering loyalty stimulate
him to demand absolutely unremittin,
loyalty to America.
eve have room in this countr,
fol- but one flag" he said, "the Star
and Stripes. and we should tolerat
no allegiance to and other flag
whether foreign flag or the red fla
or black flag. We have room for bu
one loyalty, LOYALTY to the Unite