Deutscher herold. [volume] (Sioux Falls, SuÌˆd-Dakota) 1907-1918, 1916-08-17

Behind the Scenes
in Washington.

| Washington, D. c., August 12. -- In
the language of one observant Republi-
can, " the Democrats are striking the
back trail'. They are sorry they ever
mentioned the word "hyphen".
What he meant was that the Presi-
! dents friends are trying to make it
appear that he didn t mean the German
Americans when he said: "There are
citizens Of the United States, L blush
to admit, born under other flags but
welcomed under our generous naturali-
cation laws to the full freedom and
opportunity of America, who have
poured the poison of dsloyalty into the
very arteries of our national life.''
The first sign that the Administration
is seriously distressed by the general
detection of the German element came
in the shape of a speech made in the
House, August 4th, by Representative
konop. Il Democrat from Wisconsin,
serving his third term and owing his
election in the first instance to the de-
feat of Representative Kuestermann by
five votes. Here is what Mr. Konop has
to say in defense of the President y
utterances on the hyphens.
3 " In the present campaign every effort
is being made to line up the German
American vote against the President.
a Everything is done to misconstrue the
President 8 attitude and his utteranees.
. There is much idle talk about the
hyphen. Charges are made that the
I President has accused German Ameri-
cans of disloyalty. / deny that charge.
, No act or no utterance that the Presi-
T dent has made can be SO construed.''
This is a remarkable statement COM
ing from an Administration spokesman.
D Six or seven months ago just as credible
8 spokesmen for the Administration an
nounced that the President intended to
: render the German Americans so un-
I popular that the Republicans would be
= compelled to repudiate them. German
8 Americans were not wanted. The Ad-
G ,mlnistration was convinced that they
4 were lost to the Democrats and it must
: be made impossible for any Republican
!, candidate to enlist them. The German
:. Americans We're SO unpopular with the
Il Administration that official steps were
t taken to dig up some law by which the
2 German language press could be sup
Il pressed, together with any newspaper
G that dared to find justification for the
b sinking of the "Lusitania Orders
r were issued to find wholesale indict-
t ments against everybody remotely con-
Il Inected with the conspiracy' to fur
Inish German warships with supplies,
!. while the charges of the same import
= made in the New York papers by Col
lector of the port Malone that British
t Iwarships were being supplied from New
I York City were promptly hushed up.
II BY official administrative direction
t. a group of men, including members Of
l. Congress, were indicted on charges Of
l. conspiracy for taking steps to preserve
l. the peace, and the indictment is still
C hanging over their heads, although
}. officials of the Department of Justice
b declared they had no proof on which to
Il obtain conviction. No matter. The
l. Iedict went forth to institute proceed
; Iings in order to strike terror into the
n hearts of those who opposed the Ad-
g ministration s policies. Every naturallz-
,S ed German, as well as native-born
1T German sympathizers, faced ccncen-
,r tration camp.
o. And now friends of the Administra-
~ tion are "striking the back trailn.
e. Neither Mr.. Wilson nor Mr.. Hughes can
i, be elected without the support of the
10 element that but af few months ago
was passing through the furnace test Of
er its faith, against whom the hands OF
m their fellow citizens are even now di-
n. rected, who are being quietly boycotted
IL Iby their fellow citizens, who were re-
b. moved from public office because of the
Il. faith that was in them, and dismissed
o. as suspicious characters from docks and
EFT factories supplying the Allies with their
lie needs.
Il. An Administration spokesman now
Re, declares that it was all mistake; that
IL the President had no intention of re.
IL hecting on the loyalty of the German
III Americans. He was referring to some
br other element, presumably J, p. Morgan
by consent of the administration the
"a. American munition agent and fnancier
es Of the Allies, to George Haven Putnam
in Joseph H. Choate, drinking good old
Ell loyal toast to the king, or to Root and
n. Roosevelt, all of them Republicans and
es Of no use 10 the Administration or
ell election day, but cordially of ONE mind
no with it that Germany must be destroy
on Cd and all German sympathizers sem
en- to the Atlanta penitentiary.
be The shift comes rather late, and Mr.
en konop will probably get the answer il
IRE the November election. 1t was to b.
N, expected that efforts would be made t,
,nt buy up number of German newspapers
en but the pathetic failure of establishing