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Show Kathleen Norris Says: Let independence Be Our Boast Bell Syndicate. WNU Features. JULYI944 Jg IT. are natiiK a fcirlid-jy TupiJuy. Co'igruliifuiionj. America, and many, many, happy returns! By KATHLEEN NORRIS THE Fourth of July; I love those four words. When I come upon them unexpectedly it is as if I found somewhere a picture of my father. I stop short, feeling myself smiling 'way down inside, in-side, and say aloud "I love you." America started something new in the world of nations. Just how she did it must always al-ways remain a mystery, for numerically she was insignificant, insignifi-cant, and of uniforms, training, train-ing, military discipline she knew little. In the heroic days that brought to birth the irst Fourth of July, congress and the armed forces were quarreling; Washington was more than once threatened with demotion. The enlistment enlist-ment of the shabby, poorly armed, hungry soldiers who fought under him was (or a few weeks only, after which time they had to be coaxed to go on starving, shivering and being killed. Instead of returning to their families and farms. England has had her miracles at Aeincourt and Dunkirk. We had ours In 1776. And after that, free and 6trong oh. yes, and mistaken and bigoted sometimes, too, and stupid and divided we went on to the most glorious destiny that any nation na-tion ever has known. We went on ' to moonshining and bootlegging and slavery and the Civil war, yes. But over and above these national measles mea-sles and rashes and broken arms and legs, what a country we built! What magnificent cities, what schools and colleges, what roads and farms and kingdoms of yellow wheat, and principalities of apples! America". Growth Rapid. Other countries had taken centuries cen-turies to grow; we took decades, instead. in-stead. Europe stopped laughing at us. ignoring us, scorning us. Where overseas there was a little painful growth here, and a little more there, we spread into a universal growth, so that everything good and progressive progres-sive that Washington and New York had, was duplicated In Los Angeles and San Francisco. Presently we were helping the world; no famine or flood but came to recognize the signs that meant America to the rescue. The words "Fourth of July" arc wonderful to me because they speak of a country where charity is everywhere, every-where, where childhood is precious, where titanic crusades against disease dis-ease and insanitation go on unheralded, unher-alded, year after year after year. In other countries I have seen children chil-dren brutally beaten in the streets in one so-called Christian country that was an everyday sight a few years ago. Not In my country. In one oriental country, swarming with babies. 1 never saw a baby's head that wasn't shaven and covered cov-ered with frightful sores-nt one. But not in my country. In one European country, noting the undersized unhealthy looking small boys, I lcarr.cd that to win military preferment, they must study 12 hours a day from 8 to 18. They were never out-of-doors. Dut that Isn't true in my country. In another European country 1 saw girls of 12 and 14 spending long days Idle In the fields, tending a doi- Our boy play outdoor! , , , SWEET LAXD OF LIBERTY While our mighty armies battle to conquer tyranny and oppression in Europe and Asia, tie who live in the secu-rity secu-rity and freedom of this great nation may well pause a feiv minutes and count our blessings bless-ings as the United States marks another birthday. For the fourth of July commemorates something that is unique in history; an ideal was launched in 1776 that awed the world. It is still something of a mystery how the 13 weak and quarreling colonies somehow found strength to defy the British empire with success. It is even stranger how the little nation that rose from those colonies was able to establish an orderly government, based upon the principle of individual indi-vidual liberty. Within two generations Europeans quit scoffing and sneering, and began to observe America with admiration and envy. Millions of emigrants poured into our young coun try. Within a century of its founding, the United States was a first-class world power. The riches of our country, the great engineering feats, the mechanical marvels, the high standard of living, all have j won universal acclaim. Hut beyond these is that more precious pre-cious thing freedom. If the United States had remained a bhclitcard frontier country, it would still be one of the noblest wonders of the world. en geese from dawn until dark. Not In my country. And In many European countries and all the oriental countries I found that everyone who had a chance to express himself at all wanted to come to America. We would only have to open our gates to let in the flood. It is my personal belief that our hundred and thirty million people peo-ple would be three hundred million mil-lion within a year. And that can hardly be said of any other country. So that, while gladly yielding to any other person the right to be proud and rejoice in his nationality I rejoice In mine. Our history, I freely confess, is speckled with mistakes, mis-takes, nut it is also strong in an underlying sense of what is right. and a determination to hew to thai i line of rightfulness. When other na-1 tions make demands of us, wc do our best to answer them generously and wholeheartedly. We like our noi;h- j bors and keep the peace with them, and they arc not afraid of our power j any more than we arc of theirs. We j have frequently broken all prece-1 dent by buying from other nations ' what wc uould quite easily have taken by arms. Our wars are not wars of aggression, nor do wc hold any alien people in subjection In the shadow of these terrible days. It Is good to be an American. We will emerge from today's dangers dan-gers stronger and more united. Meanwhile, we are having a birthday birth-day on Tuesday next. Congratulations, Congratula-tions, America, and many, many happier returns! |