The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-06-15
FOREIGN BORN
TRY BLACKMAIL
WILSON CLAIMS
Majority of Alien Birth Are
Loyal to America.
Few Try to Weld Foreign lntlu-
ence by Vote Club.
SUPREME TEST NOW At HAND
SUPREME TEST NOW At HAND
Safety of Nation, Sacredness OF
Flag Are at Stake.
DisIoyaI Activity in United
States Must Be Crushed.

Washington. June 15.-Out of the
flood of messages reaching the White
House today from the Democratic
national convention at st. Louis, those
of special interest to President Wilson
told of the reception of his proposed
plank condemning citizens of foreign
birth for political activity in behalf of
their native land.
The president yesterday sent to
convention leaders a request that the
plank on Americanism inclued an I'M
equivocal challenge to socalled ny
phenates who seek to embarrass the
national government in its dealings
with foreign nations. He came out
strongly for such an attitude in his
flag day address yesterday, when he
charged that a small bunch of foreign
born citizens are seeking to levy po-
litical blackmail to accomplish their
purpose.
The presidents wish is to pledge the
Democratic party against any change
IN policy on account of activity of
those propagandistS and thus virtually
to challenge the Republican nominee
10 take a similar stand.
The president was expected to send
to st. Louis today word of his choice
Of a national committee chairman.
speaks at Washington Monument.
Washington, June 15.-A charge
that foreign born citizens of the Unit
ed States are trying to levy political
blackmau and to undermine the in
fluence of the national governme nt
was made by President Wilson in his
Flag day speech here. His assertion
sounded like the keynote of one of the
foremost issues on which he will go
before the country for reelection and
touched upon a platform declaration
which will be submitted by the ad-
ministration to St. Louis convention.
The president spoke before crowd
of thousands gathered al the foot of
the Washington monument, after he
had reviewed for five hours, great
preparedness parade at the head of
which he himself had marched down
Pennsylvania avenue. He declared
that not since the Civil war had it
been tested as it now is being tested
whether the stars and stripes stood for
any one united purpose
Civil War Last Test.
The president said in part:
Il have not come here with the pur-
pose of delivering to you any elaborate
address 1t seems to me that the day
is sufficiently eloquent already with
the meaning which it should convey to
US The spectacle of the morning had
been very moving spectacle indeed
an almost unprecedented outpouring
of thousands of sober citizens to mani
fest their interest in the safety of the
country and the sacredness of the flag
which is its emblem.
Apparently this nation is again
and again, and again, to be tested. and
always tested in the same wav The
last supreme test this nation went
through was the test of the Civil war,
You know how deep that cut You
know what exigent issues of life were
at issue in that great struggle.
GU know how two sections of thie
union seemed to be moving in oDnosite
directions and for a long time it was
questionable whether that flag repre-