New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-20

make tHe lOydtly 70 aNoiher land over.
shadow their loyalty 70 this.
Cannot Divide Allegiance.
There has come into ny posses.
sion copy Of letter writ.
ten by Professor Paul Rohrbass
Of Berlin. TO German. Profss,
sor Appelman, Of the University 0,
Vermont. This letter was printed /,
"The New York Times" Of April 5.
have made careful inquiry and fnd
that the letter d. unquestionably gen
uine. II was evidently written in an
swer 10 one from DR.. Rohrbaeh's cor.
respondent in which the question wa,
asked as TO how German-American, in
the United States should vote or the
question OF preparedness.
Evidently neither Of the two Germans
Who were corresponding devoted a
thought 20 the interest Of the United
States; they were considering only
whether IL was or was not Of adyan.
tase to Germany that the United
States should be kept helpless. Pro.
fessor Rohrbach is university lect-
urer in Berlin; he is the author Of
various works on economies and other
subjects. and was for a number o,
years the German Imperial Commits.
sioner in Southwest Africa he has
been one Of the most widely quoted
Of the German professors who in th-
present war have set forth German
claims; and, according 10 the "Vor.
waerts," many OF his utterances caa
be taken as at least semi-oficisl.
Blow Aimed at America.
This semi-offcisl representative OF
the German government writes from
Berlin under the date Of January T.,
1916. as follows. explaining Why Ger
nan-Americans should not favor ore.
paredness (which he calls armament:
1T is perhaps open 20 question
whether genuine German interests
would derive benefit from American
ornaments. In order 20 form an
opinion one would have 20 be able %
foresee what lines German policy
will follow after the conclusion az
peace, and particularly how our rels-
tons with Japan will shape themselves.
at seems 10 me quite conceivable
that In an American-Jspanese war, We
should adopt an attitude Of very
benevolent neutrality toward Japan
and thereby make it easier for her 10
beat America. In that case why
should we help on the American anna
ment policy? ! cannot see,
therefore, that German political aims
would be forwarded ipso fscto by
German Americans lending themselves
20 the schemes for American srns-
ment."
Professor Rohrbach also speculate,
a. 20 who may be "the next President
after Wilson," saying: "If Roosevelt
actually should become President again,
which. after all, is not impossible. the
German-Americans would then be
found to have simply played his game
for him."
Wants Support To BE American.
As regards this statement OF Pro.
fessor Rohrbach, | very freely admit
that no man ought TO back me or sup
port the policies for which ] stand
unless with the clear understanding
that these are straight-out American
policies. not policies in the interest OF
some other nation against my own. and
that our citizens do play my game
precisely TO the extent that they sup
port such straight-out American pol
icies.
This letter from DR.. Rohrbaeh IN.
ouestionably expressed the attitude o.
militaristic Germany in endesvoring
10 use, against the honor and Interest
of the United States. that portion o,
the professional "German-American'
element Of this country which is dis
loyal TO this country, and shows wig
this disloyal element among the pro-
fessional German-American has joined
with the professional paciists in the
movement 10 leave the United States
helpless against possible aggressors- a
movement which is traitOrOus 20 this
Republic.
1t is a deliberate suggestion and in.
vitation to German-Amerieans no,
merely to vote in the interests Of Ger
many, but TO vote so that another for
eign power, Japan, may be enabled 70
beat the United States in, as the letter
states il, the quite conceivable event
that Germany's interest is TO see a war
between Japan and the United States
in which Japan shall be victorious.
| am certain that the German-Amer.
leans who can consciously be reached
by any such suggestion form an utterly
Insignificant proportion of the Amer
leans of German descent. But some
OF their genuinely patriotic fellows
may be influenced unconsciously by
such arguments.
Therefore, 7 ask my fellow citizens
who are in whole or in part OF German
blood TO consider very carefully the
above letter and to ponder what IS
meant for their children and grand
children by the attitude thus set forth.
These descendants of theirs are 10 1--we
here in this land. just as my children
and children's children will live. Their
interests and the interests Of my
children's children will be identical. IN
the end, as the generations so b., they
will all intermarry and become not
merely in interest. but by blood, iden'
teal.
The men of German blood have al
ways played a high and honorable par.
in this country. In the great crisis OF
the Civil War they stood with loyal de-
votion By the Union and agalns,.
slavery; and il is probably true OF
them that at that time more generslly
than those of any other blood they up
held the cause personitied by Aorahsm
Lincoln. | believe that the great mass
of them are at the present day undl-
vided in their loyal devotion 70 THIS
country.
know that our entire national gov,
eminent, from President down, ecould
be manned with men of German oir'n
or descent who would be Americans
and nothing else, who would stand for
the United States first and for no olne,,
nation second. A large proportion o.
my closest friends, OF the men IN whom
most believe, are Americans OF ger.
man origin, but they are Americans
first and last, and only Americans.
Should BE Regulated.
very earnestly wish that some way
- =. Il =. $3.50. 4 a a-r.l. the men