Washington Journal., 1916-03-03
Who Hates
The Germans?
Especial Correspondence for this paper
by a prominent Washingtonian).

by a prominent Washingtonian).
What kind Of people are they who
continue to clamor for war with Ger
many, and who. in our domestic affairs,
show bitter and violent hatred Of every
thing German? We do not mean those
who, being Anglo-Saxons by birth and
bringing up. show a general preference
for Anglo-Saxon ways and Anglo
Saxon ideas, just as we who have the
good fortune Of being German by de-
scent and training. emphasize iii pref
crcnec for things German. Such people
have a right to their preference, exactly
in the same degree in which we Of the
German type claim t have the privilege
Of maintaining ours. They are good
Americans, as we are, and do not hate
their German fellow-citizens any more
than we hate them. Fortunately, the
overwhelming majority Of our Anglo
Saxon n~eighbors are Of this kind; else
the future Of the United States would
be gloomy indeed.
There is, however. TO the sorrow of
ali good Americans, a very different
class. a class SO noisy and pushing that
a careless observer may easily get the
notion as if nearly all Americans Of
British descent belonged thereto. They
pit their venom on everything and
everybody even remotely connected with
Germany. They write books and pub
lish newspapers; they circulate carica-
turcs SO scurrilous and obscene that only
the most depraved minds could conceive
them; they insult fellow members Of
thsir own clubs for speaking German
arlsng themselves they write anony-
nous letters to persons known to have
German sympathies, in which they cover
them with the vilest objurgations and
she most vehement threats; they write
10 the superior officers III government
employees, protesting against the least
eShibition of German synpathies. with
4 laughable assumption that only British
~syflpathies are permissible in an Ameri-
can official; they attempt to boycott, in
social and business ways. everybody
who does not forget that he is an Amer
lean citizen rather than a subject Of
King George. For each of these ex-
hibitions of blind and poisoned hatred
Of Germans and German ways, and for
irany others besides, numerous examples
can be found right here in our city
Of Washington.
Who are these creatures? Some are
in high station, politically or otherwise.
Others belong to the lowest dregs of
the floating population. Some are APP
parcntly making a living by these and
inilar indecencies; others are society
people, with a burning ambition to be
invited to those FIVE o'clock teas at a
'orci 4 embassy which have lately be-
come he subject Of 50 much amused
comment. In the newspaper offices quite
z few specimens of this repulsive spe-
les n.ay be found, and almost every
government department has its share.
fhe lowest depth of infamy is reached
Y a few-for the honor Of mankind,
very few-persons who are themselves
# German descent and YET are loud i'll
heir attacks on everything connected
Nth the country from which their par
nts came and openly proclaim their hope
har the United States will openly join
he British in a war in which this coun-
~ is already 4 yelled participant.
Is ii worth while to waste good news
PAPER space with a discussion of these
9eople2 1t is not probable hat a single
ne OF them would be shamed into re-
oentance by being shown the sentiment
which the decent portion of mankind
snteftains Of them. Yet. sometimes, it
'elieves ones feelings to express the
disgust one naturally entertains for
such persons, and especially for the
nastlest Of them all, the British synpa-
hi1cg of German descent.