The Cordova daily times. [volume] (Cordova, Alaska) 1914-1947, 1919-03-01
SATURDAY, MARCH 1, 1919.
THE OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES PRESS.

y6E
What do the foreigners-aliens,
resident and nonresident, the vast
mass of foreign-speaking people who
have come to America-think of the
United States? Have they adequate
means of expressing their opinions,
voicing their aspirations and airing
their grievances? 1t has been the ex-
perience of many Americans, as well
as foreigners, who have turned their
attention to the problems of reaching
the several millions of aliens residing
in this country, to discover that the
answers to these questions are not
easily found.
For years the foreign language
press has been practically ignored
by the Americans, and it was only
when it became necessary to super
wise all the newspapers in the coun-
try that our attention was directed to
:. them During the war the foreign
language press on the whole enthusi-
-, astically. supported the government
: and the American nation.
. It was only after the signing of the
armistice that the real problems be-
came evident What was to be the
policy of the foreign language press?
Was it to lapse once more, partly be-
cause of lack of interest on the part
of this country and partly because OF
legitimate sympathy on the part OF
that press itself for the European ma
lions whose sons and daughters can
read newspapers only in their native
tongue? Or was it to adopt American
ideas, standards, and ideals, and tend
to become, what in time it inevitably
will become, purely American?
OF course, it is impossible and alto
gether inadvisable to attempt any sort
OF coercion, if for no other reason
than that American ideals constitute
subject on which Americans are
themselves divided, but it is possible
to realize that an appreciate part OF
the foreign language press is now
ready to carry on it's own campaign
for the purpose of bringing its read
ers into closer relation with all things
genuinely American.
That press during the past has re-
lied to too great an extent ON news
and ideas from the home country, just
as MANY groups were forced by cir
cumstances to remain apart from
other groups and from the native pop
ulation. There is nothing reprehens'
ible in maintaining some sort OF con-
tact with the old country, but when
this becomes an absorbing and ex-
elusive interest it cannot fail to him
der that close union of all races and
nations which is surely one plank In
the platform of true "Americaniza.
ton" to which all Americans can sub
scribe.
Under the circumstances, taking In
to account the neglect that has been
the lot of the foreign language papers,
these are to great extent beginning
to realize that they will In the near
future occupy an extremely important
part in the work of "Americanization'
"a term, it must be clearly under
stood, that means increased effort to
bring the foreign-born population into
closer touch with America, and not
an exclusive policy of self1shness.
In mentioning certain foreign
groups and particular papers 1t Is MOI
intended to minimize the work O.
other groups and papers, but merel,
to indicate what is being done at thu
present time. True, number OF pa
pers were not intellectually Ameri
can during the war, and some are no
yet clear OF suspicion, but the follow
ing brief list will at least indicate tn
trend Of progress in this importan
field:
AS might be expected. the Czechc
Slovak press is enthusiastically enter
ing into the work, and many dailte
and weeklies print not only of1cia
documents and news stories, but ar
writing editorials and printing new