Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-10-20
They Should
Take Hyphens
From Name
Them OF LIST
Of Foes Good Idea
By WESTBROOK PEGLER

BY WESTBROOK PEGLER
ATTORNEY GENERAL BID
"A DIES order removing un-
naturalized Italians from the
suspect status of enemy aliens
is good and graceful war politics
which will drive the Duee nuts,
but from now on those people
and the naturalized Italians
ought to quit calling themselves
Italo-Americans and break away
from the boss rule of their resi-
dent padrones.
Such pompous and self-elected
protectors of the greenhorn have
always exploited the Italian ele-
ment in American cities, and far
from helping them to become
Americans at home in our midst.
have actually segregated them
from the rest of the community.
There have been a few excep-
tons, but even the exceptions
were politicians who appealed
TO the immigrant Italians and
their native American children
for votes with emphasis on the
blood tie.
ITALIANS in this country have
L been so closely segregated by
the padrones that they have
even organized labor unions con-
tanning the word Italian in their
official titles.
In Providence, proving that
sentiment among them was not
entirely hostile to fascism, an
American street was named for
the nasty little blowhard who
disgraced the Italian nation by
knitting PROSTATE France in the
back and Inundated all Italians
by sending unwilling armies into
fights in which they were slapped
around and chased like thieves
by very inferior forces of Greeks,
Britons and Spaniards.
Since it became apparent that
the people of Italy had no belly
for this war, however, and that
Mussolini. that bum of buns,
had stupidity delivered the coun-
try over 10 the Nazis without
firing shot, there has been a
change among those here who
used to think he was quite a
fellow.
Such changeability may not
argue for the steadfastness of
those individuals. but they were
comparatively few and silly
rather than dangerous and prob
ably have learned their lesson.
FASCIST organizatio tons in the
L United States never were as
brutal. dangerous and hateful as
the Nazi bunds with which they
sometimes combined in demon
STATIONS of loyalty to a man
and system that was plainly
hostile TO the United States and
Americanism long before the
war.
The Italians or ex-Italians
were a better breed with better
instincts. and as much as they
and their padrones have per-
mitted Americans TO know them.
they have won the affection and
respect OF our native people.
II is natural that immigrants
10 the United States will con-
tinue 10 think with some longing
OF their homelands and TO love
their people over the sea, but
the American system gives them
so much that was denied them
where they came from that il is
little to ask that they quit think
ing OF themselves as persons OF 4
split nationality and call Them
selves Americans.
Those nations OF Europe
change sides so often in the re-
current wars that "A hyphenated
group such as the Finnish
Americans, for instance. may be
with US in one war but on the
wrong side Of the case when
the old country throws In with
the enemy as Finland and Italy
did in this one.
Most of the padrones OF, the
italian. or ex-Italian people in
the United States are cheap and
selfish frauds who used their
victims for their own purposes
and this is a fine chance TO dis
credit them and wipe out the
hyphen.
Copyrighted by United Features synd, Inc.