p0584_02083
Facsimile
Lake Mills Improvement Ass'n.
OFFICERS
H. L. HILL
President
J. M. TAPAGER
Vice President
A. M. SHEIMO
Treasurer
M. A. AASGAARD
Secretary
DIRECTORS
H. L. HILL
A. M. SHEIMO
J. R. KING
I. L. MOEN
I. A. NELSON
ARCHIE R. NELSON
J. M. TAPAGER
LAKE MILLS, IOWA
July 1, 1921
Prof. O. E. Rolvaag,
Sec'y. Faedrearven,
Northfield, Minn.
Dear Sir:
As directors and officers of the Lake Mills Improvement Association,
our Commercial Club, we welcome to Lake Mills the National Meeting
"Faedrearven" July 3rd.-4-5-.
We appreciate the honor shown us by your selection of Lake Mills as
the place for this great meeting.
This community has but recently finished one of the finest Norwegian
Lutheran Churches in this part of the country and it is a well and
generally known fact that the population of this community is more
than 90% Norwegian.
Now in view of the foregoing conditions, we are all the more desirous
and watchful that no action or proceedure of said meeting be of a
nature that would prove distasteful or out of harmony with our ex-
tensive programme of Americanization. The great majority of the Nor-
wegian people were at heart loyal Americans throughout the great
struggle of the World War, and during this trying time as at all times
previous, they proved themselves some of the most virile and most
valuable citizens of that amalgamation of nationalities which we
call American. Therefore let us perform no careless act now to bring
us in the least sense into disrepute as true and sincere Americans.
We must remember that over a large part of this great Nation all
evidences of foreignism have through long association been lost in
the composite whole and in the mind of that element there is no more
clinging to or promotion of the things of the fatherland, - no simi-
larity to "the house that was devided against itself". Therefore
in this instance let us do nothing to engender unfavorable comment
either verbally or from the press.
We offer this warning in view of the fact that objection has been
raised by local Norwegian people as well as others, to the idea of
holding "Faedrearven on July 4th. which is a holiday for the cele-
bration of our American Independence; the Birthday of the Nation.
And we now learn for the first time as per programme published in the
Lake Mills Graphic that an oration will be delivered in the Norwegian
language by Prof. D. G. Ristal. In courtesy to this Country and an
unadulterated Americanism we in the most friendly and co-operative
spirit suggest and request that nothing be done by any over enthusi-
astic individual during "Faedrearven" which might possibly arouse
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