Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1916-07-01
A PATHOLOGICAL VIEW OF THE
HYPHENATED STATES.


Under the above title The New
Age, a London publication, recently
printed series Of articles which
contain a scathing criticism Of Amer
ica's dishonest neutrality.
1t is impossible, however, to en-
tirely agree with the view which the
author takes of the United States.
We do not agree, for instance, with
his theory that America acts only
when it is profitable financially.
Nevertheless, it is undeniable that
the article contains many truths, un-
pleasant as they may sound to the
American.
What is of particular interest at
the present time is his discussion OF
hyphenism" in connection with the
question Of Americas neutrality.
According to the author, this "neu-
trality" on the part of the United
States, or as he calls them, the
Hyphenated States" has fallen in
disfayor both with the Allies, who
dislike our neutrality because it
stands and falls with the profits we
derive from 1t, and with the Central
Powers which feel that they are
judged unjustly, while to the other
neutrals our position has been moth
ing but lesson in cynicism as re-
CARDS neutral rights. Least of all
can we agree to the insinuation of
the author that the schismatic atti-
tude OF the German Americans is a
product of their envy of their pro-
Ally countrymen, whose sympathies
have placed them within exclusive
reach Of the golden boards Of the
Allies, leaving the German Amer
leans out in the cold.
The author thinks and wrongly SO
that this fact is the rock on which
our neutrality foundered and goes on
to say:
"Then started the preposterous
controversy which has found its
loudest echo in the last Message to
Congress of President Wilson, the
controversy as to what constitutes q
hyphenated American. The question
has not officially been formulated so
abruptly, but in practice it has re-
solved itself into q debate on specific
points Of good and bad citizenship.
The President was the first to use
the term "hyphenated" in public
utterance, in order to designate
those who differed from him in their
sympathles towards the belliger-
ents
when official neutrality could not
conceiyably operate to the advantage
OF all, those who suffered materially
or morally by its provisions insisted
that something more tangible was
necessary. Being, for the most part,
Germans, they had perhaps a natural
tendency to emphasize the practical
significance Of ideas, to reconcile by
some means or other theory and
fact.
However, a more subtle and dis
concerting phenomenon confronted
the theorists of neutrality when they
wished to make themselves heard.
They found that. by some devious
process, the doctrine Of neutrality
had come to be identified with the
practice of sympathy to the cause Of
the Allies. Instead of being despised
as pedants they were denounced as
traitorsl Loyalty to the Hyphenated
States had become synonymous with
loyalty to the Allies.
"An orgy OF yellow journalism has
followed the hyphenated minority
with mob fury, spying, denouncing,
distorting and lying, as only the
upef-NOrLnclHeS OF Ine American
press know how. Meanwhile, the
hyphenated majority has been doing
with impunity what official neutral
ity denies to the less fortunate. The
effect of this campaign upon semi
educated public has been to produce
state Of mind so inhuman that ma
tives of the countries at war are
more tolerant of one another than
are the hyphenated citizens Of the
Republic.
The Fatherland's comment to the
above article is as follows
"The author considers the state Of
hyphenation as something essentially
and unconditionally American, some
thing ineradicable and which in the
course Of time viii be accentuated.
We do not believe this. We agree
with him when he says "that the war
has brought America a splendid op-
portunity which she does not appear
capable of grasping to her national,
as distinct from her commercial, adj
vantage" but we do not think that
It seems "as If hyphenism, rather
than dehyphenation, were what the
future has in store" for our coun-
try"
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