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About The united American : a magazine of good citizenchip. (Portland, Or.) 1923-1927 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 1923)
A MAGAZINE OF GOOD CITIZENSHIP .................................................................................................................................................................iiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiuiiiiiitiiiiiiinHiiiiiMiniiiaiii..... mniiimiimife MEDLEY OF DISCORDANT VOICES THAT ARE UNDERMINING AMERICAN UNITY I1THILE THERE is a well-founded reaction throughout our ■country against the Babel of foreign tongues, in speech and writings, which tend to confuse and confound the people of Amer ica, rendering unity of thought and action, through mutual under standing, almost impossible; serious attention should be given the general confusion now common everywhere among the people of America who are speaking the same tongue. Hurling sinister defiance against law and order, inciting the masses, in veiled language, against our well established form of government, against duly elected officials of the people, against institutions of state, of society, of church and creed, against races and national ities, against capital and against labor; this legion of discordant voices of one tongue, seeking to undermine and destroy, is more disheartening than all the tongues, spoken and written among the people of America, could fully express, picture or pen. A veritable flood of propaganda, in tracts, in publications and periodicals is constantly finding its way, through the mails, into the homes of our people where its insidious gospel and poisonous sting invar iably leaves an effect detrimental to happiness, contentment and peace. In this confusion of voices and expressions the currents of thought are constantly crossed and short circuited, rendering unity of action in any field extremely difficult if not altogether impossible. America, the ideal and the hope of the ages, is still sound at the core, but citizenship must come to have a broader meaning among the better type of Americans who have become too con tent to radiate true citizenship virtues in their intimate circle of friends only. Meanwhile the enemies' are abroad destroying and weakening. If the exemplification of citizenship is the key to bring into harmonious contact all the elements composing the American people, a revivification of ideals and citizenship is pertinent. IOVEMBER. 1923 PORTLAND. OREGON