Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-05
Why I'm an American

for the first time. My emotion, when
sWore allegiance to the country could
only be compared to the emotion with
which / drove the rivets in the rails.
II there were defects in the administra-
ton OF the country had now the right
to see them corrected: the same right
as the others had. Instead of preaching
against them now had the right to
fight the wrongs. No one had the right
70 shout me down, or to tell me to go
wnere belonged when I spoke or wrote
about them.
Road to Happiness.
When applied for citizenship felt
that had contributed enough to my
hosts to entitle me to a voice in the
management of the house lived in.
mad given at least as much as I had
taken. had given more than 20 wears
OF work and will and passion, wholly
and unreservedly, for the bread I had
eaten and the shelter I had had. I did
not OBTAIN citizenship because it was
expedlent, because 1t was a necessity,
have never believed in "ubi bene, ibi
patria where you are we'll of, there is
your fatherland. believed this country
TO be on the road leading to freedom,
to happiness. was on the road myself
as one Of them.
live in Connecticut own a home
and farm there. Like most old Con-
necticut farms my land is squared out
and surrounded by as many gray stone
walls as there are acres. I have al
ways hated walls. I have decided a
hundred times to tear some of them
down. I would have done so had not
friend Of mine, to whom 1 spoke
about it, said:
These lovely old walls are part of
our Connecticut. I love them. Your
walls are beautiful. I look at them
every time I pass by your road. Don't
you dare tear them down."
There Is wide lawn in front of the
mouse. On 1t stand many beautiful
old maple trees that spread their noble
branches until the leaves of one tree
touch the leaves of the other. But the
lawn doesn't do we'll. There is too
much shade. I have tried different
kinds OF seeds and have listened to
the advice of specialists who sold me
chemicals to help the grass grow in the
shade made by the trees. The grass
won't grow. finally decided to cut
a Few trees down In order to get SUI
nclent sunshine on the ground.
Couldn't Cut Trees.
the land belongs to me: can do
as please. But when it came to
"AJ SAIOA4AS OOWu The trees, could
not bring myself to do it. was over
whelmed by the feeling that though
l had contributed enough to entitIe me
TO citizenship Of the country, I had
not contributed enough to entitle me
to destroy what other people had
planted. Had these trees been on INV
1ather's lawn, in Rumania, had they
stood there in the way of beautiful
lawn, I would have cut them down
without hesitation. But 1 could not
cut down the trees neither I nor INV
father had planted. And so they stand
there. Beautiful. Magnificent. Pro-
voking. Daring me- Undermining INV
faith. Robbing my self-aSsllrance
questioning my actions And ELOQUENT
as only trees can be.
While taking down one of the walls
could not bear to look at the men
who were taking the stones apart. 1t
seemed to me I saw reproach in their
eyes. When paid them for their
work had the uneasy feeling of brib-
ing them to do questionable things
for me. ''ss
I suppose that my children, after I