Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1915-02-18
WHO no RLANIE2

of The Fatherland, proposes o plat
form for Americans during the
present European war on which
every true American can stand. Mr.
Viereck says in the Fatherland.
"The five resolutions adopted at
the recent conference in Washington
constitute platform on which every
American can stand. In fact, no
man who refuses to stand upon it is
an honest American. With studious
moderation the representatives OF
our German-American population,
meeting with their fellows in Wash
| ington, restrained their natural pre-
iudices and their just indignation.
II the resolutions adopted were to
reflect German-American opinion
they would be ten times more en-
phatic.
There is not a plank in the plat
form that would not receive the in
dorsement of Lincoln or Washington
If Lincoln OF Washington were alive.
Evidently it is the mission OF the
Geunan-Americans to bring their
adopted country, misled and mis-
represented by its newspapers, back
to authentic Americanism.
"The German-American has al
ways stood for the spirit Of righteous
ness in American politics. Indepen-
dent, free of party ties, he has fought
his battles singly. For that reason
he was often defeated by the COM
bined forces of corruption The
COMMUNICATIONS have learned this
lesson. They will henceforth fight
as unit
You may, If you choose, call us
IA, t..I A =, nf
sure that, as American patriots, we
welcome the drawing of ethnic dis
tinctions within the United States.
But who is to blame if the German
American element consolidates, ex-
cept the Tory editors Of obscene
sheets Of the stripe Of Harper's
Weekly and Life and the pro-Ally
daiIies? Their sneers and insults
have at least neutralized the centri-
fugal forces so deeply rooted in the
character of the German.
I'VE are tired Of playing the part
of Cinderella in American politics.
We claim our seat at the banquet
table. If you say that we are not
Americans, then you will have to
change your conception OF American.
We refuse to be strangled by the
dead hand of the past reaching from
tho graves of the Pilgrim Fathers
into the living present. We shall re-
write the word American, to the ex-
| tent Of our power, in terms of our
own ethnic complexion.
THE word American means what
we, all the Americans now living,
choose to make it. All races now
within our borders will make their
contribution They will refuse to
dissolve their racial characteristics
and ideals in solution of colorless
! New England Puritanism. Whatever
may be the action Of others, we Ger
man-Americans shall see to il that
in the equation of the future, our
worth shall be written down in the
proper proportion.
1--WE are better Americans than
DR.. Eliot who attempts to drag our
country into war with Germany. We
have never sought to draw the United
| States into war with England. We
are better Americans than Mr.. Geo.
Haven Putnam, one of England, and
other camp-follower of the British
cause who seek to introduce British
snobbery into American life. We
have suffered much without COM
plant. But our patience is at an
end.
DAY after day our contemporaries
have brutally violated the Presidents
injunction of neutrality. If you had
neither love nor gratitude for Ger
many, you should at least not have
sought to betray the United States
into the hands OF England If your
sympathies were honestly with the
Allies, you should at least have OBJ
! served a decent regard for our feel
ings, the feelings of those whose inn
mediate l1insmen were dying like
flies in battle. slain perhaps by Amer
Jean dum-dum bullets and American
rifles.
"You have called our brothers by
the vilest names blown to you from
the cutters of London. You have
spat upon the memory OF our moth
ers. You have trampled upon the
graves of our fathers. You have
sown the storm, you shall reap the
whirlwind. You have refused to
listen to our reasoning You were
deaf to our pleas.
Now we shall teach you a lesson.
We shall go into the arena Of politics.
We shall try to beat you at your
own game. One hundred and seventy
members Of Congress are of Irish
extraction. There is no reason why
they should not be joined by one
hundred and seventy of German ex-
traction. There is no reason why we
should not labor for the election Of
men of our own blood who are in
accord with our principles, which
are also the principles Of true
Americanism.
1--WE have no interest in the Ger
man Government In fact, the Ger
man Government has often treated
us shabbily. The German Empire as
such is nothing to us. We owe no
more allegiance to it than the Cor
mans Of Switzerland, Austria, Russia,
or the Flemish population OF Bel
GUM With us it is neither "Rule
Brittania" nor "Heil Dir i'm Sieger-
zranz," but "Amerika ueber Allies.
For that very reason we shall not
permit America to be the pawn Of
Great Britain. The men Of Forty