The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-12-17
Combating the Hyphenate.

IN THE day of its peaceful alliances, no les
i than in the recent dark times of world strife
America must preserve national unity, says
large section of the American press.
Perhaps shall have to combat the menac
Of the "hyphen," it is intimated, with the changed
conditions of international intercourse attendan
upon the four-power agreement, as we wer
forced to stringent measures during 1917 and 1915
There is much food for thought in an editoria
in the Kansas City Star of recent date, who
goes to say:
With the entrance of the United States into
an Asiatic concert and the probabilities of
further conferences, it becomes ESSENTIAL that the
. American position before the world should be
at all times unemb arrassed by hischievous do
mestic politics. America must enter interna-
tonal conferences as unit undivided by fac
tons sprnsing' from racial or nationalistic diff
ferenccs.
The hyphen has been bad enough when in
jected into American politics. 1t would be in
tolerable if its influence should be brought to
bear in this country's international affairs
America cannot consent to be the free channel
through which nationalistic groups in this
country can carry their narrow and selfish as
pirations to the new world forum. America
ton and people, not for an Irish America,
Herman America or a Scandinavian America.
The bloc, whether of race, section or special
INTEREST," is not an American institution.
1ntefn2tiOnal
it to be~regarded without apprehension for its
effects on national unity, and the hyphen I'M
doubleday is ITS most repugnant form.
Every, foreign power having place in the
proposed concert is entitled to its national view
and to press its national interests. But no for
eign power is entitled to representatives in
America or to seek its ends through manipula-
ton Of American politics. This would be an
evil fatal to the purposes Of the international
conference. 1t would deprive the United
States of all the advantages it would otherwise
enjoy in the conference as power without sell
fish interests in any part of the globe That
position has made it arbiter in the world.
But it is position it cannot hope to maintain
if sclf-seeking groups within its own citadel
are permitted to divide, scatter and make intf-
fective the great national force, moral and po-
litoal.
European hatreds, prejudices and blood
feuds must not be lugged into the international
forum through Americas door. They are not
American, and America can assume no re- .
sponsibility for their perpetuation. If they gain
entranee to the conference they must gain it
through other channels. If they are planted
and nourished in American soil, it is not with
Americas consent or without its protest.
America had enough and too much of the NV
phen in the war, and 1T the kind of Americans
who insist upon dragging this European chain
around prefer II to straight Amefcanism,
bound and entangled with it when it is seeking
its own, and nd more than its own, in the
court of international justice.
Unbound and untfammeled, America has
tons on the basis outlined by the Washington
conference. But it must be free in its own
counsels from all the evil influences that spring
from sthe hyphen. America must speak with its
thatsrefuses to stand with America in the con-
ference has place in America and that under
standing must prscede, any American program
for an uadssseaadinG Nth Eufone and Asa.