The Washington herald., 1921-05-31
The Foreign Born
THE LITERARY DIGEST does really ad

THE LITERARY DIGEST does a really ad-
mrable service in collating the opinions of
the foreign press of this country the new, re-
strctive immigration law. These give the viewpoint
of those of foreign birth who already here.
They are, the whole, temperate and tell much
which should make native-born Americans wiser in
their attitude toward all immigrants.
The law, fact has double aspect. 1t is
in effect, a labor tariff to keep out additional
workers until the present labor liquidation is at
least complete, and there is a reasonable demand
for workers, and not surplus. But the real pur-
pose goes further and deeper 1t is this side which
these opinions from foreign born, should inn
press, remembering that what is between the lines
demands much consideration as what is more or
less controlled expression
The United States has gone long ways since
the time within the memory Of present-day adults,
when naturalization papers cost s. and political
funds paid for them by the thousands before each
election. Then the foreign born had only to pay
the price and make his mark to become voter, and
he seldom paid the price from his funds. He
quite invariably paid it with his vote.
The problem today is wholly different and the
solution is fast developing wise methods of making
the foreign born American before endowing them
with the vote That there is such a multitude OF
foregn-language papers is in itself significant That
in itself tells that comparatively few foreign born
vited them to be of and left them wholly sep
arate from us in every single essential factor
/ Another like fact is both good and bad: The
foreign born, foreign speaking and foreign thinking
quite naturally group themselves as nationals. They
do this in cities and they have been regularly in
duced to do so in rural and farming districts In
sections of all large cities, and in numberless town
ships, or even whole counties language is
spoken by the people and that language is not Eng
lish
In large industrial plants and mining regions,
all notices. orders and directions, have be issued
in several languages, with English, frequently the
least important. So far population is concerned,
small or considerable chunks of every foreign
country under the sun are scattered all over the
United States This is not amalgamated country,
but a conglomerate.
There is no question to the labor value these
millions have brought here. AS to this they have
"cashed in They have brought much other value
in temperament, in their arts, in music in science
and in their attitude toward life, all in all, on the
spiritual side Here we could have gained more had
we taken full advantage of what they have had to
offer The frequently "despised' foreigners, have
simply not been mined to develop their riches on
this side.
Grouped as nationals, they have persisted, when
left alone in their national customs, characteristics,
temperament and viewpoint. They remain just as
in their own native lands and think in those terms.
This was shown when thousands upon thousands OF
them responded to the needs of their own people,
returning there to join battle in the great war 1t
was an admirable spirit, but in no sense Ameri-
can They did not think of the United States, but
only of their home land
On the other hand, grouped as nationals, ap-
preached alphabetically and with understanding.
these nationals can be the more easily Ameri-
canized it wholesale. At the same time
Americans gain from them the best they have
to give They can be shown the economic advan-
tage to them of knowing our language. They can
be shown the value of citizenship with Its oolga-
tions. To gain this they should and, in many COM
munities and whole states, now have to complete a
regular night school course, not alone IN language,
but in history, geography and civics, while voca-
tionaI work is offered to increase their earning
power.
They are guided not alone to adopt our
language but to think in terms Of the United States
This does not mean they must at once become
american and nothing else" This is an exsggera-
ton; it is impossible. 1t only means that they
must put this country first and all other countries
that of their nativity, second. They must not
even hate another country bitterly, as to forget
they are first of all Americans. Love of the United
States must take precedence of hatred of some other
flag.
The Literary Digest's collation. from the foreign
press of this country, shows quite without excep-
tion that these foreign born of America are ready
for this. 1t shows almost yearning for 1t. They
want to be American and recognized. They
want to be integral, amalgamated part OF this
total of citizenship 1t is part to go to then,
understandingy, with all the necessary agencies OF
give and take, man to man, woman to woman, for
equal benefit. When all of us-we ourselves as
well they-are wholly American then and not
until them, it will be safe to open the door little
wider. but never again to take off the hinges.