Deutscher herold. [volume] (Sioux Falls, SuÌˆd-Dakota) 1907-1918, 1916-07-20
American Address at the
Bridgewater Convention
June 2Sth, 1916.
GERMAN in CIVILIZATION
By Attorney JOHN c. MUNDT, Sioux Falls.

lS1lh@chS VI bflu5SWdtCAy LauASS anu
| Gentlemen:
Gathered together as we are as
German Americans - Germans by birth
hut citizens Of this country by choice
and adoption and Americans of German
ieAtraction, it is fitting, right and proper
tt&&&t we pause long enough in our festi-
vitios and deliberations, ~ -"ta the
| part the German has played in civiliza-
| Ition and in the affairs of the world and
| if possible draw some lessons that might
help US all to better discharge our
| bmnden duty and better serve not only
our nation, but also our fellow men aEl
our God. What / shall say will, III
admit be colored somewhat by the fact
that am proud that I belong to the
| German race and that / ana anxious
that the citizens Of our country belong
ing to the German race, contribute their
| just share in common with other races,
to our national life and institutions.
1t was VIM. Jennings Bryan, the
great Commoner and one of the world y
foremost citizens who upon his return
from trip around the world, said in
effect, that the two languages which he
found everywhere were the English and
the German languages. This statement
is significant to us for the reason that
| it indicates how universal is the Ger
man language and how cosmopolitan
are the German people.
| Whence came the German or TeutoBf
History tells us that the home of the
German people or Teutonic race was
along the rivers Rhine and Elbs and
along the shores of the North and Bal
| tie seas a stretch Of country that to-
| day practically lies within the German
Empire thus occupying the central
/ part Of the continent, for the roads OF
Europe from North to South and from
| East to West pass through it. Germany
today is in closer touch with the leading
countries 0f Europe, thsFA any ashl
nation, for bordering it are Russia,
Austria-Hungary, Switzerland, France,
Luxemburg, Belgium, Holland and Den
mark, with only days sail across the
Baltic Sea away from Norway and Swe-
den. From Feast to West Germany is
750 miles long and from North to South
it is 600 miles wide. It's area is 20S,7S0
square miles or only 21a times the size
Of South Dakota. If we were to place
Germany into the state of Texas, we
would have room enough left for the
states of New Hampshire, Vermont,
Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Is
land, Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland
and have $50 square miles left for a
picnic ground. This is Germany - the
home of the German race.
Comparatively small as Germany is
and with d population that is 34 mil
lions less in number than that of the
United States, she has and is doing to-
day things that are of great moment to
the world. What are theyf The answer
to this question win also be the answer
to the question "What part has the
German played in Civilization7' First,
what has Germany done for other ma
tions7 Germany contributed the nucleus
for what is now known as the Anglo
Saxon Race in England. For the Angles
that emigrated to England came from
that region in Germany known as
Schleswig, corner of which is known
to the present day as Angeln. The
Saxons, that emigrated to England,
came from that region in Germany
along the Elbe and Baltic Sea, today
known as Holstein and from the north
ern part Of Hanover and from the
western part of Meeklenburg. The
Jutes that emigrated to England and
blended with the Angles and Saxons,
also were German people and came from
Holstein. The Jutes, the Angles and
the Saxons after taking possession of
England combined and today are known
as the Anglo-Saxon race -- the English
-, the word England being derived
from the word Angle-land. Not only
did Germany start England out with
her people, the Aagles and saxons, but
she also contributed institutions that
are fundamental in England. When
the Angles and the Saxons emigrated to
England they took along with them
the law, art and literature of the Ger
man people and that modified by the
Roman and Norman law, art and lite
rature makes up the law, art and lite
rature Of which the English are so
prosd. He who knows Johnnie Buu
knows how stuck upon himself Johnny
Bull Isl But can You blame hims Why
should mt he bef Think Of the stuff he
is made OIL Think of the inheritance
that is hist Surely we who are of the
same origin and belonging to the same
German race will admit that no race
has better elements in its makeup.
Whether or not the English have taken
care Of thesa clements is not our affair.
1T Is enough to know that the English
are of German stock and that if they
are proud Of their makeup, then they
should be fair and honest enough to
J give credit whore credit La due and re-