Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1916-04-30

error and human achievement.
Where they err, we may err also;
where they have achieved we have
profited Their hearts beat in
rhythm with our own. We are all
human together.
That there should be war among
these peoples, our fellow-men. is
the grand calamity OF the ages, q
catastrophe, a cataclysm. 1t is hu-
manity and civilization that are at
stake, not mere local or national
interest. Because all this is true,
the path of duty IS clear. America
has her grand opportunity as the
real, as hitherto the professed, eX-
ponent Of justice, liberty and the
rights of all humanity.
I'VE, as q nation. cannot afford to
be guided by the passing animosi-
ties of warning nations, while the
whole world of mankind is dying be-
cause too many have forgotten the
eternal principles, upon which our
nation was founded. AS individuals,
we may have our sympathies, for the
one belligent and against the other,
but, il we lose sight of the claims
of humanity at large, lose interest in
the one grand cause, the advance Of
civilisation and the propagation of
right and justice in the world we
have only been false to ourselves,
and to the allegiance which we
swear, when we declare ourselves
Americans.
You. MI Roosevelt, surely in good
faith expressed hatred toward some
peoples and you are not an indi-
yiduali Your election now would
mean that the whole country en-
dorses the things you have said,
when, as a matter OF fact but small
portion does endorse them.
The nations Of the world look to
us to be just, to be generous, to be
neutral on all points that seperate
human beings into hostile camps.
The people OF the world look to us
for the example set by q free peo-
pie, made up Of all nations on earth,
and protesting to be the pioneers
and champion of the greatest and
grandest ideals Of the ages.
The next reason why you should
not be President IS because 10000
600 Germans in Germany O,00O,-
600 Austrians, the Austrian Gov
ernment. Turkey, Bulgaria, and
/
sympathy with the Central Powers.
consider you, rightly or wrongly as
their avowed enemy And we should
not have in the next four years "a
President. who has taken such an at
tiude towards the great Nation OF
Europe, TO which so many OF our citi-
zens are related, and with whom we
have commercial and numerous
other human connections. The other
nations, who believe that you arc
favorable to them, are not entirely
pleased because OF the fact that you
did not go TO greater lengths in
their aid
Am / less an American because |
am lover Of the German peopleg
| was born in Hungary So years
ago. In my school days we hated
Germany in prose and poetry! But
soon The Hungarians learned that
Bismarck was not the German peo-
pie. and Bismarck was OF the same
clay as others and not infallible.
and many OF us Hmgaians thought
Austria was responsible for the war
between two nations now so closely
allies am very glad that my ma
tive land has been charitable TO the
erstwhile enemy. unlike the French
who have hated for forty years after
almost everyone who harmed them or
those that suffered are dead and the
real loss long forgotten
For the last twenty years in this
country / huvo read little bat Eng
ieh / learned from books news
papers and periodicals published in
the United States and England,
vividly, portrayed, the character Of
their civilization. read in book
published only q few weeks before
the war broke out by an English
author who lived eight years in Ger
mary about The simplicity OF tho
great mass OF this God-fe2ring peo-
pie and the beauty OF their home
life" ! read ~ always in the Eng
lish language about the very gem
ius Of the German language adapted
to the expression Of love and tender
ness; read a great deal of the
scholarly analyses, of the painstak-
ing thoroughness OF German meth
ods. OF the world debt to the pa
ticnce OF German thinkers; OF the
debt that our own educational insti-
tutions owe to Germany. Books were
German poets and German compo-
sers Books were published show
ing that Germany was the land not
only OF Virchow and Helmholz and
Haege and Kant, not only the land
Of Goethe. Schiller. Wagner, Beet
hoven, but also Of a great common
people The American people do
not want our Army and Navy to
join those who want TO ovcrun and
lay vast this land.
II is likely, it is plausible story
that this great nation. this great Deo-
pie will turn the world to barbarism
as we arc told they would.
Certainly ! love now the Germans
but that does not mean that ] hate
the other nations at war And as
much as / want to have the right TO
express myself for tho German cause,
others with equal rights can love the
others but should always stick TO
the truth and not declare those
citizens who are NOT OF one opinion
with thom TO be anti-American.
l ad,,.trnt. t1an Ifafeqp