Good is made and not born. When we explore the universe to discover and define good and evil, we are confronted with this immutable and infallible natural truth, that good and evil are the result of wisdom or of the want of it. Both good and evil serve the interests of mankind. Individuals, tribes, and nations have their own particular standards of good and evil. No universal standard exists. Many things which in one place are considered to be good are in another place not so considered. The morals, the laws, and many other things in one country may be the extreme opposites of the same things in another country. And the good citizen of one country might not be a good citizen in another country.

Now when to this land of the free and the prosperous, this land of the best civilized of peoples, the Greek immigrant comes to make his living, he may be and is a good citizen in his own environment, and his character to a great degree has already been molded. In the small village where he was reared he was taught not to steal, not to get drunk, to honor and revere family life, to obey the laws of his country, and to work hard at any kind of job in order to make his living. He was taught that work is not a disgrace, but that idleness is. His religion is part of his being. In the very little schooling which he received he was fanatically taught to defend his country and everything Greek. His etiquette and every other constituent element of his life have been made and molded to fit his narrow, limited circle. Living and functioning in his own country and in his own particular environment, he unquestionably is a good citizen.

And when he arrives in America he naturally attempts to function, with certain reservations, in his own accustomed way. Is he to blame for this? By no means! He came here to earn some American dollars at any kind of job because he has had no training and has no vocation.

He resides with other Greeks of his kind because like attracts like, and he begins to learn a few words of English in order to apply for a job. Many unpleasant incidents take place when the poor, ignorant immigrant Greek attempts to use his first acquirements in the language of the land. The rascality of his mischievous compatriots in teaching him ("just for fun," as they say) the wrong words leads the blind bundle of humanity astray. Many improper and indecent words are unconsciously spoken by the ABC pupil in American life and environment.

Where are our societies to educate and look after the newcomer who by his ignorance may cause unpleasant occurrences which reflect upon Greek businessmen, upon the Greek name, and upon the Greek nation? We have to educate the newcomer and adjust him to American life and enlightenment. Why, not very long ago three hundred Greeks, like a flock of sheep, were huddled by their crooked leaders into the packing-houses to break a strike!

Are the ignorant un-Americanized Greeks to blame? They do not know what a strike is, and above all they were not told that this was a strike undertaken by fellow-workers to improve conditions. The crooked agents took advantage of the Greeks' necessity, ignorance, and eagerness to earn money to take care of their poor families in Greece and caused them to be stigmatized as strike-breakers and consequently to become hated by the populace, which does not stop to weigh evidence impartially. The Greek was offered a job, a chance to earn money to feed his needy family. He trusted his compatriots, the agents, who in their greed exploited him, forgetting the high principles of the race. Can any sane and impartial observer blame these three hundred Greeks, who were thrown out of a job when the strike ended? No! But nevertheless all these Greeks were stigmatized, and many unjust and inexcusable expressions of hatred, mockery, and ridicule were printed in the dailies.

The necessity for such a society to Americanize the newcomer is imperative. It is not only beneficial to the individual to be educated in Americanism, but it is beneficial to us all, to our race, to our Mother-Greece, and above all to the American commonwealth. Have we such a society? Unfortunately, no.

It is about time, if the Greeks in America wish to become distinguished, prosperous, and really good citizens and to live in harmony with their American environment, to begin to educate and look after the uninitiated - the Greek newcomers.

The newcomer's first and second year in America under the guiding hand of the proposed society would have a great influence upon his future life.

It is the duty of businessmen, of professional men, and of the Church to form such societies, at first in big cities and in great industrial centers and later everywhere.

The American type, in my opinion, is the best type in political and social life the world over. But in spite of my love for this country and my devotion to it I am not satisfied with the ways and means employed to Americanize immigrants.

Giving correct answers to the naturalization examiner's questions and raising the hand to take an oath are not all that constitutes Americanization. The four-year period is not enough to mold the individuals of the heterogeneous mass of immigrants into a new type of man.

"America the Great" is not a homogeneous mass but a conglomeration, an international melting-pot. The habits, the traditions, the creeds, the national fanaticism, and the standards of life of all this heterogeneous mass cannot be changed and altered into Americanism by the simple acquisition of the first and second papers of naturalization any more than a pagan could become a Christian by simply being baptized and hearing a few words mumbled by the officiating priest. The first and the second, the newly-made American and the newly-made Christian, are so in name only.

In my opinion a man should be honored with the name "American" who truly loves America and American idealism,and who is therefore ready to defend this country with the sacrifice of his life. Anything short of that, in my opinion, is balderdash, mockery, exploitation, forgery, and deception.

He who is "American" and does not salute the Stars and Stripes because of religious scruples is not truly an American. He who is not willing to fight for America because of religious scruples or for any other reason is not a true American. He has become naturalized not for love of America and of the great American idealism but with some other motive.

Why should America shed her blood to protect him if he does not stand ready to defend America when there is need? If America were invaded and enslaved by an oppressor, would he continue to be an "American?" No! By the name of Zeus, no! He will change color, nationality, and religion as quickly as he changes his shirt.

This type of person, in my opinion, is not included in the glorious register of Americans. He is "American" (qualified by his naturalization papers) in name only, not in body and soul. Americanism is composed of noble and lofty ideals and principles. It is not an empty appellation without life, vitality, and force but on the contrary the living substance of the best and the loftiest thoughts of mankind.

We have thousands upon thousands of citizens - naturalized citizens - who are opposed, and very much opposed, to patriotism, advocating in colleges and universities "cosmopolitanism." This philosophic doctrine may be right, and it is right in the last analysis, but the world in general is not yet ripe for cosmopolitanism. And since this delicious fruit of Utopia is not yet developed and ripe, it is not wise nor safe nor beneficial to the world to pluck it for consumption. Therefore patriotism at all costs must be maintained as the fundamental base, pillar, and structure of a nation. In the present stage of our evolution, while my next-door neighbor has the manners of a Turk, it would be folly and treason to disarm the patriotic citizen. And those in America to-day who do not advocate and encourage patriotism are, in my opinion, Americans in name only.

Those uninformed three hundred Greeks who recently accepted jobs as strikebreakers may be and are greenhorns, very, very far from measuring up to the standard of American life, political and social, but they are imbued body and soul with patriotism; and time will show, when America calls them 9to protect her, that in spite of all their shortcomings they will be in the country's first line of defense. The integrity, prestige, honor, and safety of the country depend absolutely on citizens who are patriots.

Fortunately for America, the mother of a new race under the sun, and fortunately for the world in general, we have many true American patriots who will guide this country in attaining the heights of its destiny.

One blemish still remains to mar the perfection of American progress, civilization, and justice, and that is the lynch law.

In my opinion this is an outworn and out-of-date tradition. Lynching, in the past, was absolutely necessary. Established authority and courts, in the times when lynching originated, were far apart, and naturally it was necessary to administer justice where the culprit committed his crime. The spirited and law-loving citizens of those districts where lynching prevailed, since there were many impediments to legal procedure, took 10the trouble to administer justice by applying the lynch law; and indeed it was the quickest and the most effective way to punish the perpetrator of a crime against society. In those times they did not hang an innocent person; they hanged those who defied society and its established laws. All very well; the South was rid of law-breakers. But the necessity which existed at that time exists no longer. The country is developed; in all parts of it there are courts and authority legally established, and such law enforcement is not necessary to-day. The legalized justice of the courts must be supreme in the United States. Any other justice is contrary to the dignity and integrity of the courts and the people of the Republic.

Every nation on earth has had a lynch law and still has one, but only in time of war; and the law is executed not by the populace but by the military authorities. These facts are familiar to us all.

I doubt very much that real and true Americans to-day take part in lynchings. In the South I must admit that lynchings are performed by genuine Americans, for tradition is still very strong among those law-abiding, 11law-respecting, honest-to-goodness Southerners; but in the North it seems to me that it is a different story. Some would-be Americans abuse the Southern tradition and incite riots which are very detrimental to the nation's good name. For instance, not very long ago a Greek immigrant on the West Side was almost lynched by an infuriated mob of what appeared to be American people. Our correspondent, who was present at the scene of the outrage, emphatically stated that the majority of the would-be lynchers were unable to speak English. For the sake of decency I refrain from mentioning of what races they were who took part in the attack on the Greek. Are these Americans? If they have their naturalization papers, to be sure, they are Americans, but, in my opinion, Americans in name only.

Let us hope that this stain upon the brightness of American civilization will be wiped away, and that due respect and honor will be accorded to American jurisprudence and to the American people in general. Very many distinguished Americans all over the country share the same opinion, and I am certain that the time is near at hand when the whole country will agree with these great and far-sighted American patriots.

The melting-pot of America the Great, which receives, holds, transforms, and molds the heterogeneous masses of mankind, will continue to do its God-given duty for the benefit of humanity, and in the years to come the Greek, the Jew, and many other peoples with deep-rooted traditions, racial and religious, will face one another with souls reborn. And out of this ever-active America God has predestined that a new type of mankind shall be produced, a type that will enlighten all the world.

Greece, in the past, civilized the barbarians. America, the daughter of ancient Greece, to-day is civilizing the civilized people, and the America of to-morrow will lead all the world to unimagined heights of civilization and enlightenment.