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About The Northman. (Portland, Or.) 1920-192? | View Entire Issue (May 27, 1920)
THE NORTHMAN 4 GETTING ABOARD AT BUFFALO THE SMOKY CITY WAY OF MAKING STRANGERS ACQUAINTED WITH YOUR UNCLE SAMUEL. LET THE BUSINESS PUBLIC TAKE .A CONSIDERATE INTEREST AND IT. . WILL MEEET WITH RESPONSE. . DUFFALO, in the state of New York, the • city of smoke and steel, is doing a good work in making the thousands of people from other lands who have come there to labor and live, acquainted with Uncle Sam. The annual meeting of the organi zation engaged in the work was held some time ago, and the following account of the meeting by Charles Aubrey Eaton, published in Leslie’s, will show that real Americanization work is something dif ferent from “running in radicals” by wholesale and sending them to jail, as many over-zealous and short-sighted seem to think. Everybody should try and get the right idea in this very im portant matter, for which reason this article is published: “The program consisted of music by an excellent Polish orchestra, by an equally good Italian choral club, with solos by an accomplished Lithuanian couple and a talented Slovak singer. In addition there were three-minute addresses by an emi nent Pittsburgh clergyman of Scottish origin, Dr. MacGowan; by a professor in the University, who was born in Russia; by a physician who spoke with extraordi nary ability, and whose native country was Bohemia; by a Serbian clergyman, and by a young Greek-American, who is the official interpreter in one of thé Pitts burgh courts, by name, Theos E. Manos. At the close of the meeting, Dr. David son, the Superintendent of Public Schools, after delivering an address of unusual power to the graduates, presented certifi cates of citizenship to 176 new citizens of the United States, representing no less than 22 nationalities. Of the entire 176, only 14 bore names originating in English- speaking countries. The others ranged from Abraham Aaron, by way of Frank Miklaxzewicz and John Wojciehowski, to Joseph Zambrzycki. That meeting I consider to be one of the great encouraging-social symptoms of the present hour in America. To begin with it represented an awakened sense of obligation towards the millions of unas similated foreigners and uninstructed native-born citizens. And this new sense of obligation is asserting itself in the great agencies through which it must work if it is to function at all. There was the Chamber of Commerce, in the person of the Americanization Committee, re presenting the industrial, commercial and financial resources of that great typical American city. Working in full and en thusiastic co-operation with the Chamber was the Board of Public Education and the great staff of public school teachers under the devoted leadership of the Superintendent of Public Schools. There also, in the person of various pastors, the Church found representation. In the various musical organizations we were brought into contact with the artistic life of the community. The press gave gene rous space in preparation for the meeting and followed it by full and sympathetic reports. But the play would have been like Ham let with Hamlet left out, except for that remarkable group of 176 new citizens. I would like to be able to present to the readers of “Leslis”s a photograph of the group. I did not see a single face that was not illuminated by an eager interest and intelligence. Every one of the 176 had completed a course of free education in English and in American citizenship, either in some one of the 24 evening school centers or in the Grant School for adult immigrants, the School of Citizen ship in the Ralston School, which aims to prepare 90-day petitioners for final naturalization; or in various factory or vestibule classes, which are conducted in industrial centers throughout the city. As the Superintendent of Education and his helpers distributed the certificates to the 176 new citizens, the Judges of the Federal Courts, under whose jurisdiction these men were admitted to the status of citizens, looked on with keen interest and appreciation. There Was only one thing lacking, and that one lack represents the fundamental failure of the American people in the past generation. Americanization has been defined as “the educational process of unifying both the native-born and foreign- born Americans in perfect support of the principles of liberty, union, democracy and brotherhood.” The most conspicuous feature of this meeting, as it is of all similar meetings, was the absense of native-born citizens, whom one would ex pect to be present in larger numbers to encourage their new fellow citizens. The rank and file of our American citizens are still wrapped in the grave-clothes of indifference towards the most vital problem in our nation. Unless these men of vision in our Chambers of Commerce, our School Boards, our pulpits, our press, and in other positions of public trust are able to awaken the average American citizen from his stupid selfishness and moral laziness, there is every reason to expect that this element in our popula tion will have a very unpleasant awaken ing from altogether different sources in the not distant future. Americanization of America is the paramount issue, if one may be permitted to adopt the language of statesmanship. I do not mean simply a mechanical Ameri canization of aliens, but I mean a complete awakening of the entire citizenship of the country to a new understanding and ap preciation of our fundamental political and social ideals; of the worth of our public institutions; of the obligations and rights of our citizenship; of the dangers and difficulties which press upon us, and of those agencies which must be em ployed by all if all are to be free. Native-born Americans must give to their citizens of alien birth all that they have inherited from our national past; and we must expect to receive in turn a great gift from those who are born in other lands. While we are moulding them it must never be forgotten that they will mould us. If we give to them only the dark side of our life, its selfishness, ignorance, indifference to duty, its greed and materialism, they will give back to us their inherited prejudice, their class May 27,1920 consciousness, their instinctive rebellion against government under the impression that all government is tyranny, and the result will be that our last state will be come tenfold worse than our first. If, on the other hand, we give to these millions of foreign-born, friendship, leadership, a square deal; if we show them by education and co-operation the meaning of our na tion ; if we teach them by example and precept that we believe in the moral law and practice it; and if we unlock before them the golden door of opportunity for themselves and their children, then we shall evoke from them a gift of idealism, of artistic impulse, of industry and thrift, of the homely virtues that make a nation great, and thus they and we shall become enriched. The home-born American does not even know his - own country, as a rule. The foreign-born does know a considerable amount about his own native land and is eager to learn about the land of his adop tion. As a fine illustration of this I wish to quote a remarkable little address given at the Pittsburgh meeting by Mr. Manos, the young Greek referred to at the begin ning of this article. It would be hard to find a young native-born American with so firm and fundamental a grasp upon the essential ideals and principles underlying our life and the life of the old lands across the sea. The address follows: “WHY I CAME TO AMERICA.” I have been requested, as a ’ foreign-born and naturalized citizen, to say in very few words “Why I Came to America.” It was my choice. There was no alternative. Europe and America. Compare them. The one old and crafty, the other young and virile. Europe, burthened with her past; heavy with the crimes of two thousand years; America, active with her future, clean of conscience. The one relies upon subtle diplomacy, lies and trickeries; the other, upon hearts and hands. Upon one side the privileged classes; upon the other the reward of merit. Europe seething, raging with political strifes; America calm, dispassionate; with a government as strong as Gibraltar. The one frantic for war; the other imperturbable, admirable in both peace and war. Upon one side, despair; upon the other, hope. How unlike the two: Europe persecutes; America tolerates. The one in want and misery; sunken in affliction; the other in plenty, overflowing with wealth and prosperity. Could there be any other choice? The alternative of misery is hap piness; the alternative of Europe is America. In this comparison I mean no offense, no dis respect to the countries in Europe. They are the victims of environment, of hereditary jeal ousies. But, my friends, there is only one life to live. To live it with honor and respect should be the object and purpose of all. America, be yond other countries, offers that opportunity. That is the reason why I came to America. To you who are now to receive your final papers and about to assume the duties of Amer ican citizens, I say, do not forget, but remember why you came to America. Be grateful. Be good Americans. It is an unerring instinct as well as the part of common sense to make education and leadership the foundation of all our Americanization programs. Until the foreign-born can speak, read and write our language, they must remain in an in tellectual and spiritual vacuum so far as American life is concerned. The language is the very incarnation of a people’s na tional genius and personal equation. And therefore we give to these millions our language and, having placed in their hands this instrument, let them use it first in a study of our Constitution, laws and ideals. Thus we have begun at the very beginning. It must be remembered, however, that an enormous mass, such as now consti-