Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1915-01-29

We have been lied to so consist
emily that we nave forgotten that
Germany may triumphantly win, and
that then among us an insulted,
proud united German political party
can with help from Irland lead the
Scandinavian, Polish and Austro-
Hungarian vote in an anti-English
and anti-Japanese movement, whose
outcome no man can forosee; that
vote is at least representative Of
25,0OO,000 and will have much silent
support from the Roman Catholic
Church-and may at any time hold
the balance Of power" says Thomas
G.. Hall, ID. d., in an article in the
New York Sun Of Sunday, january
n. DR.. Hall could have said fur
ther that such a party would also
have the silent support of many
Americans of English origin, who
have not forgotten the treatment
England accorded the Union during
the Civil War.
Has the time of action arrived?
is to materialize this early what DR..
Hall says may come to pass in case
that Germany may triumphantly
win? In Washington tomorrow
conference Of representative citizens
from all parts of the United States
viii be held who are not in SYM
pathy with English domination, but
who want to see the United States
free and Independent and tied to the
tail of the kite of no foreign nation
whatever its name or power. The
conference has been called by Rep
resentative Richard Bartholdt of St.
Louis. Tho invitation TO the con-
ference is accompanied by the follow
ing letter of explanation, signed by
M. Bartholdt:
Tho European War has braught
about o situation in our country
which has set millions of citizens to
thinking. Instead of according fair
and impartial treatment to all bel
ligercnts alike, as was its bounden
duty to do unter the Presidents
proclamation of neutrality, the
American rpess printed in English,
with but rare exceptions, openly ex-
poused the cause Of England and
out-Englishcd even the English press
in denunciations of the two Germanic
nations which in self-defense were
fghting for their existence against
Overwhelming odds. Although Ger
many and Austria-Hungary have
been our consistend friends from the
beginning of American history, no
lie or libel was deemed too base for
publication if they could but serve
the purpose of poisoning the Amer
Jean mind against them, and even
the miserable pretexts with which
Great Britain endeavored to justify
her participation in the war, namely
the alleged violation OF Belgian neu-
trality and so called German Mill
tarism, were accepted at par by tho
press of our Independent and neutral
country and dished up to the public
as reasons why America should sym
pathize with country which in truth
has ever been her arch-enemy.
This propaganda has tended to
create q situation which to at least
thirty million American citizens is
intolerable. Respect for their obli-
cations to neutrality probably would
have prevented any open manifesto
ton OF their sylnDathies for what
they believe to be q just cause in the
war, but this unjust and unneutral
attitude Of the press prompted them
to give expression to their outraged
feelings and to protest not only
against the studied villifcations of
Germany and her ally, and their in
stitutions and culture, but also
against the continued traffic in arms
and amunitions of war which, under
present circumstances, practically
arrays our country on the side OF
England and her allies and moreover
positively prolongs the war to the
great detriment OF the United States
and the rest of the world. They also
wish to protect American prestige
against the charge of duplicity and
insincerity, a charge resulting from
tho fact that We pray for peace and
yet do everything possible to delay
its conclusion By furnishing engines
OF destruction in Unprecedented
quantities.
Because Of these protests against
what is both an intellectual and act
ual warfare against Germany and
Austria-Hungary, more than one
third OF the citizens of this country,
native as we'll as naturanzcd. have
been accused of lack OF patriotism.
Of double-allegiance and disloyalty,
just as if Americanism and Anglic-
ism were identical terms and as il
one could not be q good American
without espousing the cause of Eng
land Against this a new and
emphatic protest should be entered
the same as against every attempted
discrimination against the many
millions Of our citizens who happen
to bear non-English names.
The time for conference and con-
sultation has, therefore, come. We
must emphasize the fact that cili-
zen who is not in sympathy with
English dominationis as good and as
loyal an American as any other and
we all must cooperate for the pur-
poso Of eliminating, by New Dc
claration OF independence, all undue
English influences from our Amer
ican life.
These thoughts were uppermost
in tho minds of those representative
citizens who recently appeared be-
fore the House Committee on For
eign Affairs to protest against our
fra nic in arms A flor dua conc1t1fa-