South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-10-20
/ German-Americans Tired of
Being Used asG. O.P. Catspaw
To Elect Pro-Ally President


most pronounced anti-German ele-
ment Of America. Of the type OF
Cabot Lodge. Elihu Root and Robert
Bacon. probably already would have
our country driven into an alliance
with England and into var with
/ Germany. What a howl that staunch
Z supporter of republican Candidate
/ Hughes. Mr.. Roosevelt, set up
/! against Pres't Wilson for his failure
4 % take action against Germany on
account Of the invasion of Belgium
and. especially. for not promptly de-
claring war after the Lusitania dis
aster
Hughes Approves Roosevelt.
IF ever anyone made it a point
{ 10 show his contempt for German
Americans and 20 wilfully misin-
/ terpret their stand for impartial
neutrality it certainly was Theodore
| Roosevelt And he takes the stump
| for Mr.. Hughes. and, after he has
made that wild Maine speech de-
nouncing everything German in
Rooseveltian fashion, he is made the
/ recipient of a congratulatory mes
/ sage from the republican candidate.
/ IF after these disclosures of the
real sentiment in the republican
ranks toward the German-Americans
| they still cannot see where TO get off,
/ they never will. In the hands OF
! these men. the United States today
would not be peacefully pursuing
/ her undisturbed course. but would
! be engulfed in the vortex that has
! swallowed almost all of the world
powers. With these men in the gov
/ eminent of the United States the
! hard pressed German nation could
not have arrived at peaceful solu-
: ton of the difficulties arising be-
/ tween Germany and the United
| States out of English aggression.
Owes Wilson Apology.
Il harbor no resentment against
! the president now. / feel that for
many things said and written against
/ him the German-American citizens
owe him an apology. Our criticism
/ OF his actions and motives has at
| times passed all bounds Of discre-
ton. No allowances were made for
| the difficulty Of the international
problems ne had to wrestle with, no
attempt was made TO understand his
I motives He was set down as man
! whose sympathies were all British,
/ rot American.
Now. in the light o. more recent
! developments. i'm view of republican
J activities and official utterances. L
! ask myself. who is American first
/ and last-Wilson, who has steered
the ship Of state through unparal-
/ leled dangers and kept Us out OF
war or these men, who are the lead
| ers of the republican party. and who
| have brought all the immense pres
sure of big capital and infamed
/ public opinion 10 bear upon that
I lone man az the head OF the nation,
! counseling war in sympathy with
! England and. while abusing the Ger
| man-Americans in terms Wilson
never used, playing out the German
! vote against the man who has stood
| like a rock in the way of all eX-
ploiters of truly American interests?
Republicans Pro- Ally.
Il. for one. am not ashamed to
| confess that I have misjudged the
president, and / see clearly that he
/ felt that he had 20 speak out as he
/ did TO awaken the country and by
putting upon congress the pressure
he could bring TO bear, force it to
/ yield agreement TO his way Of hand
/ ling the submarine issue, which we
all now must grant was the right
way.
None of the pro-ally republican
/ Il D. ont hrar
Hughes is just as pro-ally as his
! spokesman, Roosevelt. / wonder
that the German language press
fails to take notice OF these facts
which tell all COMMUNICATIONS in
plain language. as plain as can be,
/ that the republican party intends to
| use the German vote merely as a
! catspaw in this campaign. The blind
! 'anything-tO- Wilson sentiment
| of theirs is a valuable ally in the
! fight Of the enemies of peace against
! Wilson. and the republican cam
| paign leaders play very clever
game in playing the German vote
out against the president If we fail
/ 10 see that now. we shall have to see
! our previous mistake after the cleo
! JOn, Wnen the MASK VIII Idll OIL the
! faces OF false friends if, unfortunate
J ly. the president should be beaten.
81 fear when the game is up, Ger
man voters will regret 10 see that
/ they have been sold In the hands
/ Of Hughes and the republican party
! the issues the German-American
stood for will be handled in rough
\ rider fashion. and. what is more,
/ Americas hitherto wise and peace
full course will be put in the gravest
7 danger"