The star-progress. (Opelousas, La.) 1917-1921, 1921-03-23
GENERAL PERSHINC
SCORES FOREIGN
TROUBLE MAKER
Deciding American CUES
tons from European Stand
point Cannot be Done
PATRIOTIC RALLY
IN MADISON SQUARE
American Legion Affair is
Biggest Demonstration Of
Kind Since Armistice


New York, March 1S.-General John
]. Persning, speaking before crowd
that packed Madison Square Garden
tonight at one of the greatest patriotic
demonstrations here since the signing
of the armistice, bitterly denounced
persons of foreign birth who seek free
dom of this country to spread "politi-
cal and warlike propaganda" to weak
en- ties of friendship between the
United States and her allies in the
late war.
The meeting was held under the
auspices of the American Legion and
other patriotic societies as a protest
against recent mass meeting ar
ranged to voice objection to the pres
ence of French colonial troops in oc-
cupied Germany described as 1.-The
horror on the Rhine"
Fifteen minutes before the meeting
was called to order by Colonel Frank
Galbraith, Jr., national commander of
the American Legion, the fire depart
ment officials ordered the doors of
the garden closed to further admis.
sions. More than $4,000 persons were
then packed into the historic struc-
ture while thousands less fortunate
were swarming around the building in
a frantic endeavor to enter.
General Pershing, paying tribute 10
foreign-born citizens who served I'M
der him in the Philippine Islands,
Mexico and France, declared it was
entirely proper that foreigners should
cling to the folklore, literature and
music of the native land, but he as
sailed those who seek to dictate Amer
lean questions and political policies
by the standard of their own coun-
tries.
1--WE have no quarrel with the Amer
lean of oreign BIRTH, he said. I'VE
want them to know that America IS
an inspiration; that is something
spiritual, a goal toward which we
aim. But we do object to the foreign
born citizen who attempts to decide
an American question for a foreign
reason, whether he be of German line
age and proposes to determine an Am
erican policy because of German
prejudice, or whether he be Irish, Ital-
ian, Hungarian or Russian, who seeks
for similar reasons to decide Ameri-
can questions. l bitterly resent the
abuse of American citizenship or res
idence for the purpose of political or
warlike propaganda in foreign coun-
tries.
an America there can be no place
for those, who while claiming equal
citizenship with us and enjoying its
privileges under our flag, yet continue
their allegiance to another country.
There can be no such thing as indi-
vidual citizenship in America. Under
no guise can this country be made the
breeding place of intrigue. We well
come all those who earnestly desire
to become American citizens and adj
opt America as their own, but we alb
hor the intriguer, who at the same
time would plot against our interests.
There we're with me in the Philip
pines, in Mexico and in France, thou
sands Of foreign-born men hardly able
to speak our tongue who had in their
hearts the spirit of Americanism and
the devotion to make the supreme sac
rifice. Indeed, there was often yea,
for all that America means that would
put to blush many older American.
who have fallen below the obligations
of their birthright. For all these Wi
have very warm feeling of comrade
ship.
1.-TWO years have passed and wha
of today? Are we to forget the VOWS o
yesterday? Is the wanton destruction
in France and Belgium and on tn
seas to be condoned? Shall subtl
propaganda again lift its poisonou
head to weaken our friendship? Ar
those who made the supreme sacrific
no longer to be remembered anon
US?
The answer is that the principle
for which America fought are imm1
table and the allies beside whom W
fought, are our friends. America sha
remain steadfast in her attitud
against aggression and insist that GU
law nations be held to full responS
bility and pay the full penalty of the
misdeeds to the end that in the futul
all nations may know the cost of sue
) misdeeds against civilization"