Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1916-02-02
THE "TRATIORS" ARE IN GOOD
COMPANY.


The Americans of German blood
and millions of their fellow citizens
who do not trace their ancestry back
to soil of Central Europe, but who,
like them, have declared their con-
viction that the kind of neutrality
which our present government is
maintaining in the great European
war is very one-sided one, are be-
ing called traitors by that part of
their brethren of Anglo-Saxon origin
which deems it the duty of the
United States to assist the Mother
Country" If they are traitors"
they certainly are in good company;
quite q number of these traitors"
are occupying seats in the halls OF
the Congress of the Unites States by
the suffrage of the people, and they
come from all parts of this waste
republic. The anglicized newspapers
try to explain this 'phenomina"
with the opinion that these Con-
gressmen and Senators are afraid
of the professional German-Ameri-
can vote" whatever that may mean.
We have always thought the socall-
ed German-American to be one OF
the most independent voter in this
country; is independency in voting
professional
But some Of these traitors"
among the Congressman and Sen
ators are from Districts and States
where the so-called German Ameri-
can vote is no factor at all. Con-
gresham Gallivan of Massachusetts,
Tor instance, halls from a State
where the Pilgrims" predominant
probably four to one. Nevertheless
on Thursday of last week this same
Congressman was holding the House
OF Representatives spellbound by the
bitterest rebuke that has been ad-
ministered the Administration at
this session of Congress- 1t Is a
poor American who viii not read the
Following excerpts from Mr.. CALI
wants speech with a thrill of pride:
THE Presidents message on neu-
tralty was received with universal
acclaim. We rejoiced in the fact
that we were citizens of free and
peaceful country. ! want to say now,
Mr.. Speaker, that did we hold the
position to-day which we then oc-
cupied the war would be at close
and the belligerents would be look
ing to neutral and impartial Amer
lea as to the ark of the covenant to
bring about peace. We would to-day
occupy a position of moral grandeur
never yet held by any nation in the
world. We would be the peacemaker
Of the earth. Can any gain in ma
terial prosperity compensate us Tor
the loss OF such a high vantage
ground? DIr. Speaker regret ex-
ceedingly that such an opportunity
was allowed to be lost. 1t may not
return again. l deplore the follow
ing Of mere legality instead of the
higher morality and sensitive inn
partiality and the substitution of
economic advantage for the new
freedom Instead of now standing
on the heights with our faces turned
toward the morning and the dawn OF
q better era, l fear we are cropping
in the lowlands, with the conflicting
passions which have ever separated
men and nations dining in our
ears.
/ can not help thinking-and al
though / say it with all candor. still
utter it with deep regret-that if
the policy of 'watchful waiting had
been used toward the European war
and the one of alert action toward
Mexico, we should to-day occupy in
the world a proud moral eminence,
surrounded by the universal graft
tude and admiration OF the nations.
CApplause.) How could we be so
shortsighted as to lose such q
glorious opportunity? do not
think for a moment it was mere love
OF money, although that has been al
ways one of the most potent causes
of human action. No, Mr.. Speaker,
l think / can here and now place my
finger on what / consider the worst
menace in this country to-day. We
are hearing much of hyphenated
citizens and America first, but the
most violent propaganda working
among us at the present time and
the most dangerous one, to my mind,
is the pro-British, whose protagon-
lists reveal in their every utterance
that the dominant motive power in
their lives Is not America first, but
England first. (Applause).
Il do not know whether it is a
disease or deep-seated prejudice,
but It is mischievous and unpatriotic.
applause II is based on a false
conception of historic facts, yet 1t
steals all the assurance of truth with
the superadded effrontery of hum
bug Modesty it has none. 1t fills
the public press with its clamor, and
really one begins to think after a
while these people are obsessed with
the idea that the one mission Ame-
rica has in the world Is to save Eng
land. And a portion of this press /
am sorry to say, allows it's columns
to be fed by misinformation and
news pervisions supplied from Brit
ish inews' agencies. written by inter
ests antagonistic to American peace
and wellbeing.
II refer only to those newspapers
that aim to poison the American
public mind against the patriotic
interests OF America, and seek by
falsehood, slander. and misrepresen-
tation to set one class of Americans
against others. These are the papers
responsible for the so-called ny
phen' campaign to discredit class
OF American citizens whose loyalty
and fidelity to the Republic have
been proven on a hundred battle
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