Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1916-06-01
WILL THE REPUBLICANS OR THE
DEMOCRATS SEE A LIGHT?


The cred or platform ~ whatever
one chooses to call It ~ adopted by
the representatives Of many millions
Of Americans Of German origin, who
were assembled in Chicago on July
20, has tho ring Of the forcfathers
who laid the foundation for the
greatness of the present United
States. 1t is a platform on which
any true American can stand and
win the presidency.
I'VE deplore and condemn" says
the platform, "all attempts to divide
Americans and to insult or stig
Matte any race, creed or color by in
vidious hyphenation. Men from every
country OF the world have found here
a new home, q land of liberty, of
equal opportunity and equal justice
and all have contributed the sweat
Of their brow and their blood to the
upbuilding and defense Of our grand
democracy. They may be hyphen-
ated Americans, but their American
ism is unhyphenated To attempt to
arouse animosity and distrust toward
any class or nationality as some
have done, through shrewd ambition
or ungovernable temper, is a crime.
deaf car should be turned to all
demagogucs that trade upon national
antipathies and seek to eXtol their
own loyalty by impugning that OF
others.
we believe in adequate prepared
ness, based on patriotism and cul-
minating in efficiency, but divorced
from politics and jingoism We dis
approve an overgrown military es-
tablishment that may be used for
purposes OF conquest or the intimida-
tion OF labor.
1--WE believe that an American
merchant marine should be created,
and protected so that American ships
under the stars and stripes shall
carry on our foreign commerce, and
to this end we also believe that the
Panama Canal, built and maintained
by American mon and means, should
be absolutely free to all American
ships, and we hold that all who
would deny or defeat such a policy
are unmindful of American interests
and should be retired from public
life.
we believe in the freedom Of the
seas and the policy of the open door
and frank diplomacy and interna-
tional goodwill as opposed to the
double standard In foreign relations,
which judges with harsh acerbity the
mistakes of one nation and condones
with academic disapproval the of
fenses of another We believe in
maintaining all American rights at
all times against all transgressors,
without undue severity and haste on
the one hand or undue leniency and
delay on the other. We do not be-
lieve that VIC are called to be the
partisan or the eXecutioner Of any
foreign nation engaged in a struggle
tho causes and the objects of which
are to MOST Of us yelled In obscurity,
and we hold that an unimpeachable
neutrality toward all, with persistent
and unrelaxing counsels OF peace,
should be our attitude as Americans,
rather than passionate sympathies,
recrimination. defamation and mer-
cenary trafficking upon their neces-
stiles The wise counsels OF Wash
lngton, the humanitarian statesman
ship OF Jefferson, should be suf-
ficient guide for Americans in these
difficult and devious paths Of foreign
policy"
And the resolutions, passed in ad-
dition to the platform. say:
I've demand a neutrality in
strict accordance with the advice
contained in George Washington's
address to the American people.
"2-We urge foreign policy
which protects American lives and
American interests with equal firm
ness and Justice.
give condemn every official act
and policy that shows passionate at
tachment for one belligerent nation
OF inveterate antlpathy for another.
"4--We deplore those utterances,
voiced by officials, ex-oflicials and
others, designed to create or tending
to create a division along racial lines
among our people
"5z We hope that no party Will
nominate for the presidency a can
didate whose views tend to establish
such division
Give trust that the Republican
convention will unite all the eli
ements in that party upon candi-
date whose views are in harmony
with those herein-before expressed.
I've trust that the Democratic
convention will nominate for the
presidency one who subscribes to the
views expressed herein-before.
give assert that any candidate
for the presidency who is not in ac-
cord with the views expressed herin-
before is unworthy OF the support Of
a free and Independent electorate"
VIII any one OF the two great Ma
tional Conventions, that are to as
semble in the next three weeks, see
light. will one or the other of these