Roosevelt at
this time came away deeply affected. To them he recalled the
Samurai, with their noble traditions of utter self-sacrifice.
Throughout his life, but now as never before, he told his
countrymen, there was no place in America for a divided loyalty.
No German-Americans, nor Irish-Americans, nor Scotch-Americans. He
would have no man try to split even, and be a "50-50 American."
Shortly after war had ended, he sent this message to a patriotic
meeting:
There must be no sagging back in the fight for Americanism merely
because the war is over. Any man who says he is an American, but
something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for
but one flag, the American flag, and this excludes the red flag,
which symbolizes all wars against liberty and civilization, just
as much as it excludes any foreign flag of a nation to which we
are hostile. We have room for but one language here, and that is
the English language, for we intended to see that the crucible
turns our people out as Americans, of American nationality, and
not as dwellers in a polyglot boarding-house; and we have room for
but one soul loyalty, and that is loyalty to the American people.
[Footnote: Hagedorn, p. 384.]
It was practically his last word to the country he had loved and
served so well. That was on January 5, 1919.
Years before, when he and his children had played together, he had
told them a story about lions.
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