The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-05-07
EY I. A. LATTA.


"AmerlCanism" Ia a term which Is
on evcrybody's lips, For the past
three or four years It has been used,
or misused, more frequently than
any other. Organizations have been
set M to enforce It. others 20 teach
II and the proposal IL pending In
congress to create a cabinet depart
ment to supervise instruction in It..
We hear men boast OF their 100
per cent Amerlcanism," while de-
manding that all other men must be
100 per cent American" in order to
enjoy the rights and benefits of
American citizenship. These senti-
ments are right and sound, too:
providing that "Americanlsm" il
something capable OF being attained
and capable of being defined.
II IL only when we get into the
definitions offered by various ones
that IL is discovered what a gro
tesque conflict of ideas there is
among those preaching this super
perfect patriotism.
Happily. however, there Ia a
source from which IL is possible to
derive an unquestioned definition
OF Americanism. Before proceed
ing to that | want to say with full
responsibility for the statement,
that Amerlcanism Is not, as 80 many
people seem to believe, an heredi-
tary thing. Something more than
n mere profession is required to es-
tablish ones right to claim him
| self a genuine American. Ameri-
| Canlsm Is = thing that must be lived
| instead OF merely professed. To be
born in the United States, even OF a
| long line of American ancestrage
| does not necessarily qualify one as
an American In that sense OF the
term as used by its most Jealous adj
voCates.
Birth Docs Not Make an American
Very far from that. Some of the
| most un-American citizens in the
| United States never saw deep water
nor an international frontler-they
| nor their ancestors for three genera
| tions back. Some OF the best Amer.
| leans in the United States never saw
America until they were adults
They were born in other lands, sub.
| iects OF other sovereigns-or II
would be moro accurate to say
serfs of soverelgns since in such q
sense Americans have no sovereign
IL Is rather common but alto.
gether erroneous conception OF thosf
who prate loudest about 400 pei
cent Americanism" that no foreign.
born citizen can qualify for thi,
superlatlve patriotic classification.
| want to invite the attention OF
these good people to historical
| fact, 10 wit: That at the time thi,
government was declared and tn,
qualifications for 100 per cen
Americanism written into the fab
rlc. that noble work was performed
by aliens--every one OF them. They
were subjects OF king of the OLE
world. Some OF them were borr
abroad. not one OF them able I,
qualify to that narrow standard o
American citizenship now invoked
by some or our noolest patriots.
Was Washington Outside the Pale
George Washington, the father o
his country. whose teachings no les
than his example. will ever shet
luster OF the brightest hue upon tn,
pages OF American history, mus
needs stand outside the circle of IN,
elect as set up by the self-appointeJ
guards upon the ramparts of libert!
ani freedom today. The sgners o
the Declaration OF independence
one and all, We're rebelllng subject
OF an old-world despot, called b,
them n tyrant, precisely as hav,
been millions OF iater day citizen
VIM llNu W Nlllst NIt kItdl HdUCNudI,
for the oppressed to escape old
world despots and old-world op
preston.
am writing this article for tn
purpose OF making an appeal 70
genuine Americanism, not the super
100 per cent variety. For myself
am fairly content IL manage TO ba
around 500 az citizen. as a neigh
Dor, as a Christian and as a parent
; However much l may want to b
100 per cent in all undertakings,
have never had the consummat,
gall to set myself up as a model o
perfection In anything. To attail
5000 gives me some satisfaction.
Between flamboyant ignoranc
! and green-visaged prejudice a
! average citizen has quite a time o
II To keep himself Just fairly decent
fairly honest and fairly right o.
most questions OF the moment. s
It Is to those who want TO constant
try and achieve the ideal. yet fee
: that the battle IL worth fighting 1
| thew can write n b0-h0 repOrd that