Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1924-06-05

Now it would be just as foolish to de-
nounce the photographers as it was for
them to ridicule the speech. Both
these things are signs. The speech is
something like the first robin in
spring, or the first song of the meadow
lark-it is sign that things are on
the turn, that somewhere the spirit of
America is reviving, that the princi-
pies of the fathers are still vital, that
the dream of America is coming true.
We have been so closely caught in the
excitement and strain attending the
rise of our industrial era, and the
downfall of the old European era, that
we forgot the dream for a little.
Our forgetfulness allowed many un-
American ideas to take root among us.
Never were SO many people SO busy in
trying to introduce among us the very
idea which brought old Europe to her
knees in disaster. But are these people
America? Oh no. Their intentions
are of the best. Their own American
ization is so incomplete (notwithstand
ing they trace their citizenship back
for generations) that they have
sought to fill up the empty spaces
with ideas imported from the failure
sown fields abroad. If these very ac-
tive American minds had only been
Americanized, they would have seen
that in our own American foundation
are as yet unrealized principles which
would do infinitely better all that
they are trying to achieve through
alien principles
1t is a, fine thing to understand and
appreciate the spirit of other peoples
and races, but the result is always
certain to be lopsided attitude, de
ficient comparison and an incomplete
action unless first we understand and
appreciate the vital essence and quail
ity of Americanism.
1t is all very well to talk about in
ternationalism, and about the damage
which insistence Of narrow national
ism has done to the world. That kind
of talk was rather fashionable lit
full talk if it had been mixed with
brains and knowledge, but it never
went so far as that. 1t is folly, utter
folly, for people of the same race, or
ganized under separate governments,
to imagine themselves as possible enc
mics. In that sense, nationality has
been something of a hoax. 1t may be
defended on the ground of efficiency
in administration, as are the various
state governments within our own ma
ton, but certainly what every nation
should know is that one great racial
bloc is living under separate govern
ments, and that consciousness of
their racial unity ought forever to pre-
vent international trouble.
But to insist on Americanism is not
to insist on a narrow natlonalism.
The essential principles of American
ism are the goal toward which all
civilization is striving. Nor is this
said in the bombastic national sense,
for these principles were born before
the United States came into existence
the United States was created as
nursery in which these principles
could be brought to full growth, that
all the nations Of the earth might see,
and seeing know, the practical nature
of Liberty in all things. The historic
mission of the United States is to
give demonstration to the world OF
the reality and endurance OF certain
principles toward which the heart of
all humanity reaches in hope and
| longing Americanism is not Ameri-
can in the sense of being our special
nationalistic creation and possession,
but as being our demonstration of
that which the whole world can have.