The united American : a magazine of good citizenchip., November 01, 1923, Page 6, Image 6

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THE UNITED AMERICAN
been denied them by the America that sprung from
an ancestry so rich in charity and magnanimity, con­
structive virtues essential to a nation’s continuous
growth.
A recent occurrance in Portland, which received
considerable news space, furnished ample proof to
sustain the contention that the American virtue of
magnanimity and the ability to forgive and forget,
undisputed Christian principles woven into the very
fabric of the American fundamentals, have been over­
looked, if not willfully discarded, by certain elements
of the younger American generation.
Americans, particularly those who suffered the loss
of loved ones in the war, should fight out their grief,
dignified and in silence, if they desire eventually to
embrace the redeeming principle, and be able to dis­
pel the clouds of war and hate and seal in their own
hearts the pact of peace, that is conducive to good
will.
There are many disheartening signs about us, in­
dicating that no small proportion of the young Amer­
icans who went across the seas to fight the battles of
the recent war, brought home some undesirable traits
of the European autocracies which they went warring
against, traits which have proven to be the stumbling
blocks to Americanization among the immigrated and
alien people who have made America their home.
Love of autocratic mannerisms, of pomp and supreme
dictatorical power, of regalias of regal state and
splendor, of class and social distinctions—mental dis­
eases that brought a flowering civilization of Europe
to its knees, have made potential gains in America.
If anyone is in doubt, study the present day group
formations which have set in motion a machinery of
sectionalization injecting foreign methods of align­
ments : arraying race against race, class against class,
creed against creed, and color against color.
The American who today is making a scene because
he discovers a commodity labeled “Made in Ger­
many,” forgets that the war is over and that his in­
ability to back up his country’s peace declarations,
with the same spirit he backed up its declaration of
war, displays a spirit of relentlessness, foreign to the
true ideals of America, and his loud proclamations of
patriotic zeal becomes absurdly vainglorious and
chauvinistic in character, much wanting in that spirit
of Americanism that has been heralded as the true
expression of our democracy.
The young American who today upbraids the mer­
chant or the dealer who carries in his stock a “Made
in Germany” commodity, may be an unquestioned
American, imbued with an honest zeal, but if such is
the case he is clearly a victim of that unsavory kind
of propaganda that is still branding a man pro-Ger-
man, if he but whispers a kindly thought for the Ger­
man people and that new republic across the sea,
which we at the time hailed with a hearty welcome
into the sisterhood of states, dedicated to that pre­
eminently acceptable principle that all men are created
equal and entitled to govern themselves as free and
sovereign people of a free and sovereign state.
Our position should be definitely clear to all think­
ing Americans. The war days are over, but we are
making a mighty poor showing, as Americans, unless
NOVEMBER, 1923
we are willing to deal with the people of Germany in
the same spirit we deal with the people of England,
France, Italy, the several states and monarchies of
the former Austrian empire and all other nations
whether they were enemies, allies or neutrals. The
man who is cowed into silence for fear that he will
lose a customer no matter how he resents his intoler­
able views, who sacrifices his principles and his pre­
rogative to speak his mind as a citizen, in the face of
a thoughtlessly or vindictively expressed propaganda,
is the kind of citizen whose convictions have 'become
so dollar tainted that he is for this and that and
everything so long as it brings business and profit.
The man who is partial to domestic goods, even if
it is higher in price, is moved by a principle that isl
acceptable in any country, but when an imported I
article or goods from a foreign country is held objec-j
tionable by anyone because of his hatred for that
people, he is lacking the vision and the true character­
istics of a fair American.
It is easy to discredit America. Our expressions as
individuals and private citizens carry more weight I
than the private views, individually expressed, in any
other country. Millions of alien people within our
land may be assimilated or may remain isolated
because of the opinion we express. Our influence upon
the world at large will be greater or less in propor­
tion to the way we express ourselves. In our speech
we show to what extent we live and practice the
American principles of justice and equality, whether
we tolerate malice or try our best to exemplify the
spirit of charity towards all.
The aching hearts and the tear-dimmed eyes of]
those who are of the hated nationality and race, whose
accent betrays them and who are doubted and made to
feel the sting of the thoughtless and vindictive speach
that flows so readily from the lips of a native upstart,
constitute the basis for the indictments that are en-j
tered against all America and which we can efface
only by checking the untrammeled speech of thej
thoughtless and the vicious alike.
The question is proper. Every citizen should give
an answer:
Are we measuring up?
Economy is a savings hank, into which men drop pennies
and get dollars in return.—H. B. Shaw.
Only those who are poets can make soup of sausage skewers.
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Jobbing Agency for Helvetia Records
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EMIL GEHRING
The Biggest, Busiest and Best East Side
MUSIC HOUSE
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PHONOGRAPH AND PIANO HEADQUARTERS
All kinds of the latest Phonograph models, Columbia,
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ALWAYS THE LATEST RECORDS
SINGER SEWING MACHINE AGENCY
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Corner of Lafayette (formerly Frankfort Street)
The Sellwood car will take you right to our door
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720 MILWAUKIE STREET
gas
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Sellwood 3227
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