New Britain herald., 1925-03-03
COMMUNICATED
Italian Lodge Addresses Give safety League

To the Civic Safety League,
 City.
 Gentlemen:
 A letter, communication CT pro- test, should always be addressed to the president of the body addressed, but in this case we are sorry that we are unable to do so.
 A communication signed by A. W. Upson as your president appeared in the papers, but in the same issue we saw that, although admitting that he had penned 1t, he disclaimed responsibility.
 When the papers published your statement regarding law enforce ment, many members of the Victor Emanuel Lodge of New Britain, Of the Sons of Italy in America, that have the honor to represent as their president, first thought that 1t would have been too much of an honor for any of them to reply. Irpon second thought, when the matter of your publication was of- flcially brought to their attention at their regular meeting yesterday IL was considered that silence would lead the public to believe that you were right and I was instructed 10 write to you, and in the name and behalf of said lodge to protest against the charge you made, es- pecially against tho Poles ana Italians. | Your communication h " d clearly and unequivocally that your minds are very narrow and hlghiy proiudiced against some classes Of people simply because their fore fathers did not have the luck of coming here with the Pilgrims.
 In all nationalities you will find good and bad people, but that does not imply that everyone should De chased as & law-breaker as your communication would lead the peo- pie at large to believe.
 You must have forgotten thai there is so much good in the wors' of us and so much bad in the bes' of us that it Is not really worth tt say anything about the rest Of us'' You have shown lack of fair pla! to the Poles and Italian in no un certain way. Think of the numbe of law-breakers in all other nation , alitics, compare the statistics an' ' yon will see that the comparison l - in their favor. Ask any police or , ficer how many Italian drunks' n
 has arrested since the Volstcad laH - went into effect, and how man S other "drunks" he has arrested dur Q ing the same period and you will b y surprised. n About the short-coming of tn e Poles and Italians compare the goo = that they have accomplished for ou country of adoption, and think s the arduous and dangerous wor 0 performed by great many Of then II Think of the great help they hay
 given to develop our country Ill IT
 construction of our roads, ol
 tracks, our buildings, our sewer ,s ctc Most of them came here Ill U
 nrjme of life between the ages or s, and 30, and the most useful yea is of their existence have been spent
 toll so that this country or ou IS. could lead the world.
 Did you ever stop to think Of u
 great number of Poles and Italia as that voluntarily joined our gIorlo 10 army during the World War; nc
 many of them gave their lives d. that "the world could be made sa at for democracy"
 Did you not know that the gref ed est majority of them could, if tn as wanted to. claim and obtain exem or tion, by law? But they went, tn id fought and died.
 Why treat them all as crlmmal
 As most Poles and Italians land
 in the L. s. without knowing ne single word of our language, ,a- should have surprised you at oh progress they havo made with'
 any assistance; but instead they
 insulted.
 op, If you have at heart the good res the land and especially Of our e ion there is much that you can or sho .er, do instead of insulting.
 Your league never did anything art, help the foreigners. the Poles Der Italians in particular, and inst , it of criticizing them you should sp' ond your efforts in showing them g fild will and helpfulness.
 You have done nothing but she
 contempt, and your sincerity IS
 doubtful. and at the bottom of
 this trouble it seems that the IS a permost prejudice in your mll
 or at least in the minds of son' low YOU is the religious question, you all fair minded citizens should
 ways keep clear of in thls nell. where freedom is supreme '
 The lodge in whose name nrotest is written has requested
 10 publicly praise our mayor
 Hon. A. NJ. Paonessa for the s' he has taken in this matter. an - doing so the fact that he was
 in Italy was not factor eS nrobably in showing you that D of the two nationalities menti' not by you was honored by his fe
 citizens by being elected. twie
 their first magistrate oblitsratin ould procedents of political history. uses. I close in repeating to you ge calls men what have said before al |. stead of criticism. do somct n 10 really serious aud we all will
 frankful. and if you cannot d