The Washington herald., 1908-03-16
JOHN BULL INVASION
German-Americans Protest
Anglicizing of Children.
SEE MENACE IN MANY PLACES
English HerOism, Customs, PrOnun-
Citations, and Terms Employed In
Public schools and Prejudices of
Cousins Respected Warning Is
Sounded in Circular Letter.

Citizens Of this country of German
birth and extraction profess 10 have
discovered there is a noticeable tendency
TO anslicize the public schools.
In order to prevent this from ever be-
coming reality. the German-American
National Alliance, through It's board OF
directors. has notified its affiliated socie-
ties. scattered throughout every State in
the Union. to keep watch and prevent
the Standardization of the American
public school in favor OF the bold Briton.
Circular Letter Issued.
The German-Ameriean National Al
lance has a membership of nearly 3
000.o00 voters It's branch in this city is
the United German Societies. comprising
twenty-One organizations with member
ship of nearly 1000. DR.. Kurt Voelckner
the president. is employed in the cata-
logue division of the Library Of Con-
gress.
He calls particular attention to this
phase Of our public schools IN a circular
letter from headquarters Of the German
American Alliance
The letter says. in part:
1T seems to be the intention to de-
Americanize our children by slow de-
grees- Certain passages in American
songs which are distasteful 10 the Eng
lish are omitted, and other songs, like
the beautiful national hymn. When
Freedom from Her Mountain Height
Unfurled Her Standard 70 the Air. are
net heard any more
What Books Teach.
The same holds good with the books
used in the schools. Everything that
might cause the Britishers TO feel peevish
is altogether omitted or changed in such
manner that our English cousins can
not find any objection to IL"
1t is also charged in the letter that an
English accent is affected. and that the
word car is pronounced ''cyar." card Ike
'cyard &c.
The assertion is made by the German
defenders Of American education that in
certain localities English readers i'm
ported from England have been intro
duced in the public schools. Attention
Is called 10 the contents OF these hooks
which. il is alleged. are filled with Eng
lish self-praise. as, for an Illustration.
The hero. Tom Black. is an English
boy, serving in the English navy 4
bomb came crashing on the deck during
the battle Tom sees 1t. He quickly takes
the bomb and hUrls IL into the raging
waves. The captain OF the ship. in tina
name Of his crew. whose lives Tom SO
nobly saved. expressed his thanks to
Tom"
Why Not American Heroesf
Have Americans no sea heroes7~
asks the German circular letter. Isn't
there anything heroic about our own sea
fighters. Barry. Decatur, Farragut. and
Dewey?'
Further We read about pastoral life
in England. Such expressions as three
and six. meaning three shiIlings and six
pence. are found everywhere Our Araeri-
can children have to be told what this
means
Referring 10 natural history in our
school books. the German letter COM
plains that there is too much talk about
English walnuts." English sparrows,
English dogs. blowing in England in
former times was done with oxen"
To the Englishmen the whole world
IS England. There are many species Of
big sheep Of the south are quite different
from the small. hardy sheep Of the north.
which climb around the cliffs and feed
on short. nourishing grass"
Found Always in England.
Another passage The noble elk is
king OF all animals which have remained
with US in English forests and on Eng
fish hills. The eagle is TO be found in
many lands. In many OF the British
Isles he is TO be found. He is king OF
the birds
The board Of directors Of the German
American Alliance calls particular atten-
ton 70 the following. which is to be
found in the books in use in many
American public schools:
am in the service OF her majesty |
and have p list containing the highest /
names Their Importance may be Judged /
from the fact that have bsea sent hfther |
and thither three times because nobody
knew whether Thompson Is spelled with 1
or without p ascertained after an /
that the name was not Thompson at all"
The alliance says: 1t seems 10 be the 4
intention 10 educate the American chill |
dren into little Johnny Bulls"
Proper Way Pointed.
In conclusion, the Gsrman-A American |
letter says that a good. common-sense |
system OF education should teach our
children the history of their own eoun- /
try and that the study Of American in
should not be neglected.
1T is the duty OF the parents" con-
unues the letter, Ito watch over the edu-
cation Of the children and to inculcate /
into them the spirit Of love and esteem
for American institutions. The school is.
or should De, the place where love OF /
should be nurtured and taught.
American public schools must ana
shall not fall into the hands and under
the influence of the anti-American ele-
ment- The work OF demonstrating the \
schools should begin at once, and should /
be prosecuted ceaselessly and without
loss of time"