The Washington herald., 1922-08-19
1t Seems to Me
By Haywood Broun.

Most of the arguments in favor
of our present immigration policy
are based on the contention that
the melting pot doesn't melt the
alien. or at any rate that the proc
ess Is much more slow and difficult
than was once assumed. In par
ticular. doubt is expressed about
the capacity of all peoples from the
south of Europe to become assimi-
lated into our particular brand of
civilization. OF course, we often
forget that it is just our own par
ticular brand and think of 1t simply
as civilization"
AS evidence in support of this con-
tention. We are told of the exist
ence of communities in which even
the second generation still clings
to it's mother tongue and much Is
made of the prevalence of foreign
language newspapers And yet, as
far as We are aware. statesmen and
politicians have overlooked a most
extraordinary and striking proof
that there is still the possibility of
wonder-working in the crucible.
Change may come not slowly like
some process of evolution but with
all the suddenness of a conjurer's
trick.
The other day Gene Sarazen. the
son of an Italian shoemaker. played
a thirty-six hole match with Jock
Hutchison, the descendant of a
long line of golfing. Anglo
Saxons. Now golf is a thing much
more complex than a language. 1t
presents difficulties far more elu-
sive than those contained in any
theory of government. In one of
his short stories. Kipling expressed
the belief that the man who could
come back slowly and keep his
eye on the ball had become for all
practical purposes a Briton, no mat
ter khat his race or birthplace.
Of course, that was before the
emergence of the great Americans
into the golfing world. But even
that seemed to be explicable upon
the ground that we were basically
an Anglo-Saxon people.
The racial traditions behind Jock
Hutchison availed him nothing. All
the accumulated skill of his an
cestors could not bring victory to
his wrist. His grandfather's skill
with an iron meant nothing and
the fair for putting which had
been his great-grandfather' was OF
no avail. Gene SaraZen, the son
of the Italian cobbler, beat Hutchi-
son just as handily as he had won
the American open championship.
In one generation this young man
from a land where niblicks are un-
known. lifted himself to the highest
peak of golfing proficiency. The
T at; did mitigate =
against his cool and calm delibera-
tion.s His play was as dogged as
il he had been a MacGregor. Then.
when the pinch came, he was able
to lift his game still higher and
drew away to a victory in a manner
befitting the best Anglo-Saxon ira
ditions. Only, of course. Gene Sar-
azen isn't an Anglo-Saxon, and
probably most of the things which
we call Anglo-Saxon heritages be-
long to our particular strain mere
ly by right of impudence. If we
cannot hold our supremacy in golf.
all the rest of the things in which
we pretend leadership are likely to
go with it.
1t is our contention that it doesn't
much matter what sort of material
goes into the hopper. We ought
not to be so annoyingly finicky
about just who is admitted at Ellis
Island. The important factor Is
what happens to the immigrant
after we have said Come in"
And IL the rise of Gene Sarazen
does not convince you, go to the
Polo Grounds some day when the
Cincinnati Reds are in town and
watch Pinelli on third base. Here
is another young man from the
south of Europe, and he happens to
be just about the best fielding third
baseman in the business. Watch
him come in for a bunt and you are
likely to discard Immediately the
belief that all things which are
fundamentally American are to be
gained by those foreigners" only
after years and generations Of con-
tact with our civilization.
1t would be a public service for
the Reds to win the pennant, for
the team, more than any other in
the league. shows that potentiality
does not vary much among the ma
tions. Eppa Rixey. the left-ha nded
pitcher. is Virginian, and let's as
sumo for the purposes of the par
able that the first Rixey was one
of the companions of John Smith
At second base Is Fonseca, the
French extraction by way of Can
ada Caveney at short may be
safely set down as Irish, or. IL there
is any doubt about him. Peter DON
ohue may be mentioned. Jake Dau-
bert supplies the Teutonic touch.
Among the favorite themes of
American playwrights is the story
Of the young city person who longs
for the open spaces. the green grass
and the trees. The heroine of
Manhattan" mentions among her
disabilities the fact that she has never
seen a COW. AS far as we can re
member, few playwrights have gone
on to deal with the sequel In any,
thing but a farcical manner. srurn
to the Right is not so long ago that
we have forgotten the power Of peach
jam to reform the wayward city
dweller. That is not quite what we
mean., We wish that the playwrights
would throw away the present ver-
sion Of Manhattan and tell with
all seriousness the adventures of their
young gamins heroine after her