The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-07-02
Germans Living
In Canada
From Tuesdays Daily.

in Canada said John j. koehn, as
sistant superintendent of schools o
Blue Earth county. today. MIR. and
Mrs. Koehn and the latter's mother
Mrs. Maria Just, are back from q
three weeks visit among relatives "
Saskatchewan. They were IT SpTi1g'
water, where they visited MIR. kOehn
two half-brothers, George and Abra
ham Wiebe; at Saskatoon, where they
called on friends: at Langhan, where
Mr.. Koehn has half sister. Mrs. Jac-
oh Jansen. and a step brother, Henry
Wiebe; at Osler,' where they called
on his other step-brother, william
Wiebe: at Dundurn, where they Wis
tied Mrs. Koehn's brother. Rudolph
Just. and at Bradwell. where they
called on another brother. Emil Just
Some of the American Germans
have an idea that the Canadian Ger
mans are liable to be drafted Tor
service I'm the war. That is entirely
wrong. The fact is that there is no
drafting and will not be. The service
is entirely voluntary on the part oil
any who go 10 the war. was in
formed by an official OF the province
that legally the British government
cannot cali on Canada for single sol
der or one dollar of aid. Ii is all
what the Canadians wish to give.
Will Not Let Germans Enlist.
In fact the government will not let
the Germans enlist In the British
service. They will not trust them.
The government turns down Germans,
Austrians and Galicians, of whom
there are many i'm western Canada, no
matter how anxious they are To enter
the service | was told Of an instance
of Canadian German. who was so
eager 10 go To war that he enlisted
under an assumed English name. He
drilled with the other soldiers for a
long time at Saskatoon. and then got
as far with them as Winnipeg. Here
IL was discovered that he was a Ger
man and had given false name. The
result was that he was given beat
ing and sent back home.
The Canadian government pro-
teCts the German residents I'm their
rights. ID Is q fact that there have
been some riots. but as a general rule.
the Germans are absolutely safe and
treated with fairness and COnsidera-
ton. They just need to behave them
selves. that is all. There is n big
GaliCian settlement in the neighbor-
hood of Bradwell When Antwerp fell,
these people began celebrating, killed
their steers and had a great feast. and
gave il out that Germany was going
to whip the world Then there were
some arrests. as OF course there
should have been.
Some people here have the idea
that arms are taken away from the
Germans. My wifc's brother, Emil
Just Of Bradwell. is certainly Ger
man and he has two guns. with which
he goes hunting. Nobody interferes
with him.
Allowed to Speak Language.
There have been stories cirCu-
lated to the effect that the Germans
are not allowed TO speak their Ian
guage in public meetings or to have
their language taught i'm the public
schools in Canada. That Is false. North
of Saskatoon there is a great German
farming settlement. about fifty miles
square. This Is a very prosperous
community. The farmers are men OF
means. In the public schools the
children are taught both German and
English. They have nine to ten
months of school in the year. They
have German services in their church
es. There Is no trouble at all over
all of that
Recently i'm this place there was
celebration of what is known as
Childrens day. One of the provincial
officers was there from Saskatoon. lie
was invited to- speak at the gather
ing and he did so. congratulating Ia
people on the good work that they
had done with their schools.
while We were on the train going
into this German settlement, we met
a school inspector from that region
He had been up at Saskatoon, look
ing for a teacher. He got what he
wanted. one who could teach both
German and English. lie said the gov
eminent was pleased to have both
German and English taught I'm the
schools.
Canadians do not dislike their
German neighbors. They like them a
great deal more than they like the
Englishmen. I heard a great deal
about that The trouble is that the
Englishmen who come over from the
old sod think they know so much
more than the Canadians and are
very airy and domineering. The Can
adams will not stand for that and
understand there are some settle
ments where they do all they can L.
keep the Englishmen away altogether
although they are so closely related
to them.
Financial Conditions All Right.
Another mistake that Americans
make Is the impression that the,
have that financial conditions have
gone 10 smash in Western Canada
That is not true. II Is true that many
Of the towns have been over doomed
and there Is a reaction. That is nat
ural. But there is good demand
for farm property. | sold my 100
acre farm near Dalmeny for $500
more than I would have been willing
to take for II just before we started
out on our trip.
The farmers are doing well. The
prices that they get are high ant
their crops this year look very goot
indeed Around Saskatoon they ex
pect a yield of about forty leigh
bushels of wheat to the acre.
There is one war measure taker
by the Saskatchewan government
that Is very interesting. That is tn,
wiping out OF the saloons. Every sa
Icon i'm Saskatchewan goes out o