The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1909-02-24
A REAL GERMAN NEEDED.

In Mr.. q. r. kuehnle the Germans
of Iowa at last have representation
on the board Of regents of the State
University. In no wise can Mr..
Kuehnle better serve the people of
the state and especially the great
German American element, than by
insisting upon the Teutonization of
the chair Of Modern Languages. The
Germans of Iowa, who pay so large
share of the taxes. and who furnish
so large percentage of the students,
are entitled to this recognition. The
chair of Modern Languages should be
filled not by student of German, but
by German student. He should be a
man of German birth and German
training and German instincts. He
should be filled with the lore of Ger
many. and the love of Germany. He
should know it as only the native can
who has drunk it in with his mothers
milk and is German to his finger tips.
Last year we witnessed the patriot
ic enthusiasm aroused by the passage
of German automobile, through the
state. How much greater and better
would be the sustained enthusiasm
for German savant, transplanted to
our university. to become not only a
teacher of German words and German
grammar. but a leader Of German
thought, representative of all that
is best in lie profound scholarship of
Modern Germany.
Wherever German Americans were
gathered together in honor of the
Fatherland there such man would be
in demand. The Germans would feel
that they had a special friend at the
University. man who would have
personal interest in their boys and in
their girls. Such man would soon
an acquaintance throughout
the state that would add scores of
students to the University.
The influence of such a scholar
would be felt throughout Iowa. He
would lend dignity to the language
among English speaking people and
he would pc man about whom the
Germans of the state could rally.
Such man would do much towards
the love of German and in
continuing that language as a living
tongue among our people. With
what pride would the Germans of
Denison. for instance, greet such
man we're he to come here to lecture
on German literature? An American
might deliver the same lecture. but
the feeling of pride and fellowship
would be lost.
We believe that the University of
Berlin, of Leipsig. of Munich, of
Bonn. of Heidelberg or any Of the
other great German schools could
furnish such man, and we believe
the Regents would cheerfully yield if
the German press and people should
make the demand in earnest. Of
course there are many Americans
thoroughly competent to teach the
rudiments of the German language in
high schools and academies, but the
Professor of German Language and
Literature at the State University of
Iowa should be q typical, representa-
tive German. known and beloved and
honored by the Germans of the state
as one of themselves. If this can
not be done the photographic method
might economically be adopted.
For our own part we believe a
chair of Scandinavian languages could
we'll be established also and again the
man in charge should be native who
could teach not only the grammar but
the lore and love of the Northland.
The agitation of this question must
rest very largely with the German
not the English press of the state and
if they think it worth while we have
not a doubt but that they can secure
this recognition for their people.