South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-06-22

W ASHlNGION. June 22.-Natural-
ly the German-Americans do not want
war between Germany and the United
states. IL is quite reasonable TO be-
heve that the German propaganda
carried on in the United states So Wig
orously and in the opinion of many
so objectiOnably. since the war i'm Eu-
rope began, may have had for an
underlying motive the desire of Ger
man Americans to prevent a break
between the United States and Ger
many, and was not solely designed to
assist Germany against the enemies
which beset her on all sides.
There are 12.OQO, 900 so-called Ger
an-Americans-that is. either Ger
man born and naturaliZed citizens, or
citizens of German parents-in the
United States. For many reasons a
war be ween Germany and the United
States would affect them. regardless
of their loyalty, as il would affect no
Othei class of our citizenship.
For sentimental reasons such a con-
flicl Juld be painful TO them 10 an
extent which II would he difficult for
their fellow citizens TO comprehend. IL
is not 20 be overlooked that the citizen
whose native tongue is foreign Ian
guage TO the land of his adoption nee
essarily will preserve attachments TO
his native country which the natural
lied citizen whose native language is
spoken in his adopted country does
not need 10 preserve. To adopt the
ideals and swear allegi re TO the in
stitutions of "A country, ateful as il
may be. is far less diff ult than 10
adopt it's language and habits Of
thought.
As Man Thinks.
When we say 0f = man i'm the pOpu-
lar phrase. he SPEAKS the language
of our tribe what we mean TO convey
is that the person so referred TO is in
entire sympathy with our partialities
and prejudices The word language IS
here used i'm "a symbolic sense and the
phrase might. therefore. be applied
TO a person who spoke our tongue
most indifferently.
1t is the peculiarly and the glory of
the American Tribe that its cohesive
ness depends upon qualities of mind
and heart. upon ideals and aspirations,
rather than upon common language.
With us il is las a man thinks and
not as he speaks, that we judge
whether or not he is a true American.
If he cherishes the ideals of dem
ocracv. if he believes with jefferson
that an jus. powers of government
must he derived through the consent
of the governed. and with Lincoln in
a government "of the people. by the
people and for the people, If he gives
the commanding symbol of those
ideals then he speaks the language OF
the American Tribe. even thousa he
speak i'm broken dialect.
There never has been any reason
able ground for suspicion that any
part of the German American element
did not speak the language or our
tribe" i'm the sense that they can De
relied upon 10 prove their adherence
TO American ideals under any test.
Welded Into american Life.
While il is true that, account OF
the difference i'm language NANNY
they have preserved stronger senti-
mental attachments for the tatherlanu
than any other class of people VINO
make up the citizenship Of the United
states has preserved for the lanu
from which they came. il is also UNI
deniably true that no foreign element
except the Irish. has welded ltset
into American life more strongly than
the German element.
The German element not only mas
been "a great factor in the civil life OF
many Of the states and great munich
nalities Of the Union hut 10 also mas
beeu we'll represented i'm the military
activities OF the United States from
the Revolutionary war down 10. and
Including the Spanish-American war.
II should not be forgotten that the
OF North carolina.
wrote the Necklenberg declaration OF
independence and that there IS good
historical authority for the claim that
the NTecklenburg declaration preceded
the immortal declaration written by
Thornas Jefferson. even II II was not
it's inspiration 49,,
II was the French who gave Amer
ia the greatest aid in the struggle Tor
Hbertv. and il is rightfuHy OF the
F~ench Americans think with most
eratftude when they give thought 10
the Revolution and its mighty mes
sace 10 the world The service ren,
dered the British by large BODIES OF
Tessians for hire has left the lmpIts-
sion on some Americans not thoroneh-
~ informed on the history or me re-
olution chat the only part Germans
took in the revolution was on the sue
OF the enemies OF American lnoe-
pendence.
That IS n very erroneous impress
sion OF the general officers or the
continental army three were Germans
John De Kalb. r. Won Woedke and
r ". a Steuben Herkimer. IN New
York. and Muhlenherg III Pennsyl-
vania-. are names that will sons pre-