New-York tribune., 1920-10-17
Six Weeks Of Exploration
Discovers That the Middle West Is Really the
United States

| Spanish in Texas, New Mexico and
Arizona, your French in Louisiana and
the great central body OF Scandina-
vjans and Germans in the Middle
West
Now. az 2 matter Of fact, we Ameri-
cans know there is not any great
central body of Scandinavians and
Germans in the Middle West, and we
think any one who has spent even six
weeks there ought to know that, and
certainly any one who is going to tell
us about ourselves ought not to eay
For, after all, the Middle West is
America, isn't it?' and In tho next
breath talk Of the great central body
Of Scandinavians and Germans In the
Middle West
However, we are grateful to Mr..
George for going to the Middle West,
and if he dad not study the map very
thoroughly before coming over here he
did study history. and it was on his
studies that he based the theory to
explain US that he came prepared with
We have to be explained, you know.
We have learned that much, at least
from the long series Of dissections we
have undergone.
Mr.. Georges theory deals with the
English civilization on the East coast
In stpdsi America" he says, owe
must always remember that long GAP
of two hundred years from the begin
ming Of the seventeenth to the end OF
the eighteenth century. To my mind
everything in America goes back tc
that
The first settlers in America were
tho English Puritans IN the North and
.ho English Cavaliers in the South
They brought over with them the Eng
lish civilization Of the time befors
George III. III my visit to New Eng
land | ran across ali the time the ole
Inglsh names ana the Old Englis'
forms of local government. You st.i
have your Se.ectmcn and your Assen
O.ymen. These Arst settlers were cd,
Gated men an. women whose work ".
to graft their old civilization on t.
wilderness. Two hundred years la,
these people produced ne1e form
gavernment and show cd the world
group Of statesmen OF culture and r.
t.--er@nt and philosopig breadth the
was astonishing And it is to tha
Yrriod Of two hundred years, from tn.
first settlement Of America to tn,
- en1sticn Of the new government {
that il seems to me everything mus
b? referred in u study Of the coun
try. It was the struggle with tn.
wilderness that formed America"
Explained by Our Newness
SO it seems that 1t is our newnese
after all, that explains US, even to tn
friendly eyes of ". L. George. An,
what is it that our newness does t,
us that makes US so different fror
other peoples; what are the strang
marks !. puts upon US to distinguish
US from all the rest Of manHincs |
makes rs hospitable and openminded I'd
Therefore, let US thank the Almight.
for our newness and let US thank M
George for this compliment he ha
paid US. And think he knew he wa
paying us compliment and wante
to DO so.
Says Mr. George:
, ain studying the American people on
, should search for the common trait
that bind them all together The dill
ferences thai separate them are nc
the important things, but the habit
and customs that unite them. You hav
your various civilizations in America
your various types Of civilization
There is the English civilization O
the Sest coast; or, at least, it is ther
4 a people of English extraction. Their
is the Spanish civilization in Texa
New Mexico and Arizona, the Frenc
in Louisiana and the great central bod
Of Scandinavians and Germans in tn
Middle West. They all have their sps
c!al characteristics, the traces OF the
: countries Of origin that they have r,
tained here. What | have sought az
J She characteristics common to all
: them, and think they are hospitalit
and openness Of mind.
n "Your hospitality is quite extraol