the americanization of edward bok-第83章

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　not　so　evident；　they　may　even　seem　not　so　very　important。　But　to　the　foreign…born　they　seem　distinct　lacks；　they　loom　large；　they　form　serious　handicaps　which；　in　many　cases；　are　never　surmounted；　they　are　a　menace　to　that　Americanization　which　is；　to…day；　more　than　ever　our　fondest　dream；　and　which　we　now　realize　more　keenly　than　before　is　our　most　vital　need。

It　is　for　this　reason　that　I　have　put　them　down　here　as　a　concrete　instance　of　where　and　how　America　fell　short　in　my　own　Americanization；　and；　what　is　far　more　serious　to　me；　where　she　is　falling　short　in　her　Americanization　of　thousands　of　other　foreign…born。

〃Yet　you　succeeded；〃　it　will　be　argued。

That　may　be；　but　you；　on　the　other　hand；　must　admit　that　I　did　not　succeed　by　reason　of　these　shortcomings：　it　was　in　spite　of　them；　by　overcoming　thema　result　that　all　might　not　achieve。



XXXIX。　What　I　Owe　to　America

Whatever　shortcomings　I　may　have　found　during　my　fifty…year　period　of　Americanization；　however　America　may　have　failed　to　help　my　transition　from　a　foreigner　into　an　American；　I　owe　to　her　the　most　priceless　gift　that　any　nation　can　offer；　and　that　is　opportunity。

As　the　world　stands　to…day；　no　nation　offers　opportunity　in　the　degree　that　America　does　to　the　foreign…born。　Russia　may；　in　the　future；　as　I　like　to　believe　she　will；　prove　a　second　United　States　of　America　in　this　respect。　She　has　the　same　limitless　area；　her　people　the　same　potentialities。　But；　as　things　are　to…day；　the　United　States　offers；　as　does　no　other　nation；　a　limitless　opportunity：　here　a　man　can　go　as　far　as　his　abilities　will　carry　him。　It　may　be　that　the　foreign…born；　as　in　my　own　case；　must　hold　on　to　some　of　the　ideals　and　ideas　of　the　land　of　his　birth；　it　may　be　that　he　must　develop　and　mould　his　character　by　overcoming　the　habits　resulting　from　national　shortcomings。　But　into　the　best　that　the　foreign…born　can　retain；　America　can　graft　such　a　wealth　of　inspiration；　so　high　a　national　idealism；　so　great　an　opportunity　for　the　highest　endeavor；　as　to　make　him　the　fortunate　man　of　the　earth　to…day。

He　can　go　where　he　will：　no　traditions　hamper　him；　no　limitations　are　set　except　those　within　himself。　The　larger　the　area　he　chooses　in　which　to　work；　the　larger　the　vision　he　demonstrates；　the　more　eager　the　people　are　to　give　support　to　his　undertakings　if　they　are　convinced　that　he　has　their　best　welfare　as　his　goal。　There　is　no　public　confidence　equal　to　that　of　the　American　public；　once　it　is　obtained。　It　is　fickle；　of　course；　as　are　all　publics；　but　fickle　only　toward　the　man　who　cannot　maintain　an　achieved　success。

A　man　in　America　cannot　complacently　lean　back　upon　victories　won；　as　he　can　in　the　older　European　countries；　and　depend　upon　the　glamour　of　the　past　to　sustain　him　or　the　momentum　of　success　to　carry　him。　Probably　the　most　alert　public　in　the　world；　it　requires　of　its　leaders　that　they　be　alert。　Its　appetite　for　variety　is　insatiable；　but　its　appreciation；　when　given；　is　fullhanded　and　whole…hearted。　The　American　public　never　holds　back　from　the　man　to　whom　it　gives；　it　never　bestows　in　a　niggardly　way；　it　gives　all　or　nothing。

What　is　not　generally　understood　of　the　American　people　is　their　wonderful　idealism。　Nothing　so　completely　surprises　the　foreign…born　as　the　discovery　of　this　trait　in　the　American　character。　The　impression　is　current　in　European　countries…perhaps　less　generally　since　the　warthat　America　is　given　over　solely　to　a　worship　of　the　American　dollar。　While　between　nations　as　between　individuals；　comparisons　are　valueless；　it　may　not　be　amiss　to　say；　from　personal　knowledge；　that　the　Dutch　worship　the　gulden　infinitely　more　than　do　the　Americans　the　dollar。

I　do　not　claim　that　the　American　is　always　conscious　of　this　idealism；　often　he　is　not。　But　let　a　great　convulsion　touching　moral　questions　occur；　and　the　result　always　shows　how　close　to　the　surface　is　his　idealism。　And　the　fact　that　so　frequently　he　puts　over　it　a　thick　veneer　of　materialism　does　not　affect　its　quality。　The　truest　approach；　the　only　approach　in　fact；　to　the　American　character　is；　as　Viscount　Bryce　has　so　well　said；　through　its　idealism。

It　is　this　quality　which　gives　the　truest　inspiration　to　the　foreign…born　in　his　endeavor　to　serve　the　people　of　his　adopted　country。　He　is　mentally　sluggish；　indeed；　who　does　not　discover　that　America　will　make　good　with　him　if　he　makes　good　with　her。

But　he　must　play　fair。　It　is　essentially　the　straight　game　that　the　true　American　plays；　and　he　insists　that　you　shall　play　it　too。　Evidence　there　is；　of　course；　to　the　contrary　in　American　life；　experiences　that　seem　to　give　ground　for　the　belief　that　the　man　succeeds　who　is　not　scrupulous　in　playing　his　cards。　But　never　is　this　true　in　the　long　run。　Sooner　or　latersometimes；　unfortunately；　later　than　soonerthe　public　discovers　the　trickery。　In　no　other　country　in　the　world　is　the　moral　conception　so　clear　and　true　as　in　America；　and　no　people　will　give　a　larger　and　more　permanent　reward　to　the　man　whose　effort　for　that　public　has　its　roots　in　honor　and　truth。

〃The　sky　is　the　limit〃　to　the　foreign…born　who　comes　to　America　endowed　with　honest　endeavor；　ceaseless　industry；　and　the　ability　to　carry　through。　In　any　honest　endeavor；　the　way　is　wide　open　to　the　will　to　succeed。　Every　path　beckons；　every　vista　invites；　every　talent　is　called　forth；　and　every　efficient　effort　finds　its　due　reward。　In　no　land　is　the　way　so　clear　and　so　free。

How　good　an　American　has　the　process　of　Americanization　made　me？　That　I　cannot　say。　Who　can　say　that　of　himself？　But　when　I　look　around　me　at　the　American…born　I　have　come　to　know　as　my　close　friends；　I　wonder　whether；　after　all；　the　foreign…born　does　not　make　in　some　sense　a　better　Americanwhether　he　is　not　able　to　get　a　truer　perspective；　whether　his　is　not　the　deeper　desire　to　see　America　greater；　whether　he　is　not　less　content　to　let　its　faulty　institutions　be　as　they　are；　whether　in　seeing　faults　more　clearly　he　does　not　make　a　more　decided　effort　to　have　America　reach　those　ideals　or　those　fundamentals　of　his　own　land　which　he　feels　are　in　his　nature；　and　the　best　of　which　he　is　anxious　to　graft　into　the　character　of　his　adopted　land？

It　is　naturally　with　a　feeling　of　deep　satisfaction　that　I　remember　two　Presidents　of　the　United　States　considered　me　a　sufficiently　typical　American　to　wish　to　send　me　to　my　native　land　as　the　accredited　minister　of　my　adopted　country。　And　yet　when　I　analyze　the　reasons　for　my　choice　in　both　these　instances；　I　derive　a　deeper　satisfaction　from　the　fact　that　my　strong　desire　to　work　in　America　for　America　led　me　to　ask　to　be　permitted　to　remain　here。

It　is　this　strong　impulse　that　my　Americanization　has　made　the　driving　power　of　my　life。　And　I　ask　no　greater　privilege　than　to　be　allowed　to　live　to　see　my　potential　America　become　actual：　the　America　that　I　like　to　think　of　as　the　America　of　Abraham　Lincoln　and　of　Theodore　Rooseveltnot　faultless；　but　less　faulty。　It　is　a　part　in　trying　to　shape　that　America；　and　an　opportunity　to　work　in　that　America　when　it　comes；　that　I　ask　in　return　for　what　I　owe　to　her。　A　greater　privilege　no　man　could　have。



　　Edward　William　Bok：　Biographical　Data

　　1863：　Born；　October　9；　at　Helder；　Netherlands。　　　1870：　September　20：　Arrived　in　the　United　States。　　　1870：　Entered　public　schools　of　Brooklyn；　New　York。　　　1873：　Obtained　first　position　in　Frost's　Bakery；　　　　　　　　　Smith　Street；　Brooklyn；　at　50　cents　per　week。　　　1876：　August　7：　Entered　employ　of　the　Western　　　　　　　　　Union　Telegraph　Company　as　office…boy。　　　1882：　Entered　employ　of　Henry　Holt　&　Company　as　stenographer。　　　1884：　Entered　employ　of　Charles　Scribner's　Sons　as　stenographer。　　　1884：　Became　editor　of　The　Brooklyn　Magazine。　　　1886：　Founded　The　Bok　Syndicate　Press。　　　1887：　Published　Henry　Ward　Beecher　Memorial　（privately　printed）。　　　1889：　October　20：　Became　editor　of　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal。　　　1890：　Published　Successward：　Doubleday；　McClure　&　Company。　　　1894：　Published　Before　He　Is　Twenty：　Fleming　H。　Revell　Company。　　　1896：　October　22：　Married　Mary　Louise　Curtis。　　　1897：　September　7：　Son　born：　William　Curtis　Bok。　　　1900：　Published　The　Young　Man　in　Business：　L。　C。　Page　&　Company。　　　1905：　January　25：