The Washington herald., 1911-10-01
FIRST LANDING OF GERMANS ON
OUR SOIL is TO BE CELEBRATED

personal bond for slOO.ONO-a very largo
sum In those dayS-to buy provisions for
the suffering army were nine Germans
And when Mifflir's motion, that money
b" collected TO purchase arms, was mega
lively debated. another German-Amer!-
can patriot. Ludwig. arose. and i'm broken
English thus cut short the flow Of rhet-
"ric and oratOry: Mr.. President I am
only poor gingerbread baker. hut write
me down for two hundred pounds"
MuehIenberR's Share.
In l7\7 tn" most important deliberations
in the nations history-the constitu-
ional cOnventIons-we-e inauguratcd and
a German, /. \. Muehlenberg. the brother
Of the general. was elected president of
the PENNSYLVANIA convention. Later he
was chosen Speaker of the First and
Third Congresses. in which his deciding
Note-thcre being tie-on April q 1856
made Jas treaty operative This was n
characteristic act OF moral courage. for
1T drew down UTOn him the hate Of tho
jinGOes OF his time. Although the
adoption Of the Constitution was n matter
vital IN our further existence as a ma
zion. grave doubt then prevailed whether
~ would finally Tass. The Gcrman-Amer-
leans again demonstrated their sound
common sense by strong appeal for its
speedy adoption.
When in 1872 and again in 1916 reace
was broken. numerous Germans fought
Nailantly for the country OF their adOp-
ton. Against Mexico such able officers
as J. F. Ballier, \ Moore. O. Zirkel, and
\. Kautz enlisted in our armies. And
when the poet on those memorable 18th.
18th. and 18th days Of September, 1914.
anNiously asked a baltimore
on, say can YOU see, by the dawn $
early light
What so proudly We hailed at the twi-
lights last cleaning
II was largely due To the Germans, who
had 50 nObly responded. and who were in
III" front ranks ~ tho defenders. that
III" banner still waved. And Gen. John
Stricker. who commanded the American
forces. and Mai. George Armistead. who
defended Fort McHcnry. were also of
German blood
In the Civil War.
Then came the civil war. and it is not
necessary here TO dwell on the heroic
deeds Of the German-American soldiers
on the hattlcfelds Of the nation.
In every apartment of human industry
the results Of the knowledge and the
patient. assiduous toll of the Germans are
apparent. In the American educational
system German influence has been para
mount from the kindergarten to the uni
verSity. and the German home life has
implanted itself in American homes with
| indclible characteristics.
Notwithstanding the unouestioned
| loyalty 10 the Stars and Stripes of the
nif Of
have not forgotten the fatherland which
gave them birth and which furnished
America with so many brave and brilliant
men. That the Emperor OF Germany
values most highly the good friendship OF
tn" United States and the American peo-
pie was clearly shown when on MAY IL
1902. he sent the following telegram "a
| President Roosevelt:
The EmperOr's Message.
II am still under the strong impression
which the brilliant and cordial reception
of my brother, Prince Henry. by the
citizens of the United States of America
has made on me In the speeches in which
he was welcomed. mention was made
repeatedly OF the fact that my ancestor
Frederick the Great, consistently assumed
friendly attitude toward the young
American republic at the time of its for.
nation. laying thereby the foundation
for these amicablc relations which have
ever since existed between the two coun.
| tries.
The example thus furnished me by the
great king I will follow. I should like
to perpetuate the memory of the visit OF
Prince Henry by a gift to the American
people. which I beg you will accept in
their name. | intend to present the
United States with a bronze statue OF
Frederick the Great. which might be
erected in Washington in a spot which
leave 1t to you to select May this Gift
he looked upon as a permanent token OF
the intimate relations which our two
great nations have so successfully nursed
and developed.
President Roosevelt's reply to the EN-
perOr's telegram was Couched in terms
Of the deepest appreciation, and referring
TO Frederick the Great the American
President said: 1T will certainly give
our people the greatest pleasure to re-
ceive from your hands a statue of the
famous ruler and soldier, one of the
greatest men of all times. Frederick the
Great. and it Is specially appropriate that
his statue is to be erected here in the
citv of Washington, the Capital of the
republic. whose birth he contemplated
with such amicable interest"