New-York tribune., 1921-01-02


early stages Of the war, was manipu-
lated for unscrupulous purposes, but
she is convinced that foreign-language
press is necessary to accommodate the
Immigrants who cannot reasonably be
expected to learn English as soon as
they arrive in this country, and to sat-
isfy the immigrants natural desire for
intimate and detailed knowledge about
events in his native country. She be-
lieves that a strengthened and I'M
proved foreign-languaee press can be
powerful worker In the cause Of Amer
icanization.
War Opportunities Missed
The war offered an unexampled op-
portunity to bring together native and
foreign-born Americans. The loyalty
Of the vast majority of our aliens is q
remarkable and inspiring fact. Unfor-
tunately, tact and discretion were some-
times lacking in our handling Of the
many difficult problems raised by the
existence of large body Of unnatural
AHCU AOA ACA6ASAo, AoaAJ VA WuOM W0&N
technically enemies. State and national
organizations took opposed and con-
Trajectory action on certain points.
Self-constituted patriotic associations,
whose zeal outran their judgment,
caused grave and needless offense and
injury to large bodies Of perfectly
loyal aliens by indulging in noisy and
generally futile hunts for spies. Miss
Kellor does not flatter our national
complacency, but she states the truth
when she observes:
MANY immigrants have come out Of
the war with sense Of resentment
and, in some instances, Of bitterness.
They have lost much Of their faith in
American justice and fair play because
they have been dealt with by Americans
in a summary way, with little ex-
pressed comprehension Of their own
peculiar difficulties. They have ac-
quired a supercilious and critical at
titude toward Americanization because
its pretensions have not coincided with
their experience. They have remem-
bered their humiliation by self-con-
stituted bodies who took the law into
their own hands; and they are less
sure than they were before the war
that the guarantees Of the American
Constitution will protect them"
In chapter entitled "Principles Of
Assimilation" the author discusses va
rious means of creating a genuine
sense Of comradeship between the ma
tive and the forcign-bcrn American.
She mentions many admirable qualities
which the European peasant brings to
his new country: the instinct for good
craftsmanship, the willingness to work
hard, thrift, frugalty, capacity for
drudgery and self-discipline. These
qualities are often overlooked by the
American employer, just as the finer
traits Of American character are some
zines ignored and misunderstood by
| the foreigner. In this connection the
author says:
How to Assimilate the Alien
"Abstract recognition Of the quail
ties of races and Of the personality of
| their members will not do much for
assimilation, unless q way can be
found to make recognition not only
pparent but mutual by effecting an
exchange of ideas and ideals between
the various races and between them
and the native born. Thus reciproc-
ity becomes the second principle Of
assimilation. Much is now being done
to acquaint Americans with a knowI-
edge Of the history and an interpre-
tatiOn of the races, many of whose
members are now in America. But as
yet we have done little with our inter-
racial problems of bringing, for
instance the ideas and ideals of the
races toge ther or of bringing about an
| exchange of literature and opinion and
of combining them with American
! thought and expression"
Miss Kellor's book is an expert, au-
thoritative study Of the imm igration
problem, based upon wide experience
and knowledge, and free both from
bigoted race prejudice and from SEN
timental preoccupation with any par
ticular class Of immigrants. The sub
ject which she discusses 80 ably is of
great and increasing Importance. For
everything seems to indicate that
America, in the future as in the past,
Will be the worlds greatest immigra-
ton country. And VIC owe it to our
selves and to the foreigners who con-
tinue to arrive among US, that we
should set about the difficult task Of
reconciling and assimilating the many
racial strains that now form a part
of our national body in a spirit of
justice and wisdom and generosity.
A D@-@I1:- ILL.,