Semi-weekly herald., 1916-06-05

any American in recent years was
the work done by General Goethals
IN the Panama Canal Zone. His par
ents were born in Holland. But he
is no more Dutch-American than
| am. He is an American. Among
the other army men who have been
closely associated with me, Major
General Barry is of Irish parentage,
whereas Major General Leonard
Woods forbears came over in the
Mayflower three centuries ago. But
General Barry is not an Irish-Ameri-
can. Nor is General Wood an Eng
lish- American. They are Americans
When the battle fleet went around
the world, two of the best men aboard
it were Admirals wainwright and
Schroeder wainwright was of old Co
lonial English descent, and Schro-
der's parents were born in Germany.
But the one was not an English
American or the other a German
American. They We're Americans
and incidentally, both of them were
rs gallant and accomplished officers
and as thoro seamen as ever COM
mander squadron under the Ameri-
can flag. I&Ha
l believe that the men thus acting
not only do not represent but scan
dalously misrepresent the great ma
iority of real Americans of German
| ltrin I ho1ioxo hot
of Americans of German origin are
now, as they always have been,
among the most patriotic citizens in
this country.
Here in this city l could repeat
lame after name of men of German
birth who as American citizens have
had distinguished records of intense
oyalty to the union, and of eminent
national service as soldiers and states
nen and above all as patriots.
1t would be possible to man our en-
tire administration, from president
lown with men of German blood, and
Of such uncompromising American
SIN that every good American could
-ollow them with whole-hearted 10y
llty. ] would vote to seat in the
presidents chair any American of
ierman, Irish, Scandinavian or other
1arentage of whatever creed as
lgainst 4 man whose ancestors came
'ver on the Mayfower, or settled on
The banks of the James three cen
-uries ago, if / thought the first
nan was better fitted for the position
han the second man. | bold it an
utrage and violation of every prin-
lple of true Americanism to dis
riminate against such a man because
If the land from which he or his
parents came, or because of his
reed. But l hold it no less an out
age for him to act in our domestic
>olitics not as an American, but as
an American with a qualification;
IS an American who has some un-
American interest to serve, some
foreign country to serve, because of
his ancestry. The man who thus
Icts is the hyphenated American.
In my own regiment in Cuba,
among the most gallant men who
ierved under me, We're men of Ger
nan birth or parentage. They serv-
I'd side by side with men OF Irish
birth or parentage, and with men of
Did native American stock; and they
Ill served with equal gallantry and
with equal devotion to the flag. Two
IF my captains were killed at the
Jery outset. One wac of old Ameri-
,an stock, a man whose forbears
from father to son had served in the
United States army for five gen
crations. The other was the son of
an Irish immigrant who had himself
fought in Meagher's brigade in the
Civil war. Another of my captains
was born in Germany. Yet another
who fought under me against Spain
was of almost pure Spanish descent
My orderly was the grandson of
German "forty-eighter. One of my
best first sergeants was born in Nor
way. Another was born in Italy; and
yet another was of Polish descent
But each of these men was an Ameri-
can and nothing else. They all acted
together as Americans. would have
driven from the regiment any man
who tried to discriminate among them
because OF difference in creed, or
because of the different lands in whicn
they or their forefathers were born.
Their honor was my honor. We had
one country. We bore proud alleg-
lance to one flag.
The other day in Detroit when /
spoke for universal service based up
on universal training, woman in the
gallery called out to me, while she
waved an American flag: 81 have
two snpc / offar tba,,, &c tbo ,anI