New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-20
PRESIDENT TO GERMANS.
Praises the German Element an
american Citizenship.

Washington. Nov 19.-President Roosevelt to-day
received in the East Room Of the White House
about one hundred and fifty representatives of the
German societies of Washington The delegates
called formally to announce to him the opening
next Monday evening Of the celebration of the 5Oth
anniversary of the founding of Germantown. Penn,
and to ask him take part in IT. The PRESIDENT
will press button the White House which will
turn ON electric lights at the opening of the celebra
ton After a short address by Mr.. V0cbner, in be-
half Of the societies. the President addressed the
delegates follows:
Mr.. V0lckner and Gentlemen: 1t gives me peculiar
real regret TO me that 1 cannot attend formally
You ARE are quite right. Mr. Chairman. when you
speak of the stand that the German element IN our
national life In the first place, from the beginning
strain has been constantly increasing in Importance
among the many strains that go TO make UP our
mean 10 Won the story of the early German rnigra-
ton TO this Countrywide German immigration that
century. but before that time had been represented
@ bS, ' me 5sIrsi ex1eTence Of mine fhe frst
head OF the New-York City government. who was
1850 He was the representative Of the popular
among the Leislerian aldermen was fOrbear Of
mine named Roosevelt. You are entirely familiar.
to the Formation of Pennsylvania from the begin
ming. That element was equally strong IN the
in Middle and Western Maryland. For instance. in
r by to the canse Of m
dependence was that OF the German Herkfuer
whose fight in the Mohawk Valley represented one
of the turning points in the struggle for indie
pendence; and one of the New-YOrk counties is now
named after HIM.
The other day I went out to the battlefield Of
Antietam. in Maryland There the memorial church
is the German Lutheran Church. which was
founded in 1853 the settlement I'm the neighbor-
hood or Anttetam being originally exclusively a
German settlement. There IS list OF its pastors
and. cur1ously enough, a series OF memorial win
dows OF men with German names-rnen who be-
from that region for the Civil War which Mar,
land regiment was mainly composed Of men OF Ger
man extraction. In the Civil War would he
difficult 10 paint in too strong cOlOrs what NAV
wellngh call the all Importance Of the attitude ~
the American citizens Of German birth and ex-
traction toward the Of union ana liberty
especially In what were then known as the Borfisr
keep Missouri loyal had il not been for the Cern,an
element therein. II the German portion OF
the city or 81. Louis which formed the core ~
the Union cause n Missouri And but lfttIe lpss
important was the part played BY the Cier-ra0S in
Maryland and also IN Louisville and other portions
OF Kentucky. 80 ~
II II were proper in addressing n bo4v ren-a-
lefs should ask you all 90 attend 5, nj e next
SUNDAY az my church. which harurrs fo ho tre
German Reformed church. They hove nor L. dutch
Reformed church here. so 80 TO the 1enrpsf to H.
Each body OF tmmigrants en- n tIcr'snt that has
thus been added To our national strain has con
act"r: ana 70 no element 10 nor a. W.
10 that element rse~fof Wv those WHOM, 7
have the honor this day o. ad1rcss'rg
The President gave cordial personal greeting
to each OF the delegates