The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-05-31

leans of German origin are now, as
they have always been. among the
most patriotic and loyal citizens in
this country.
Foreign Born Patriots.
Here in this city l could repeat
name after name of men of German
birth who as American citizens have
had distinguished records of intense
loyalty to the Union. and of eminent
national service soldiers and states
men and above all as patriots. In the
Civil war a much larger proportion of
the citizens of immediate German orr
gin, than of the citizens of old Colo
NAL native stock. were loyal to the
Union This state of Missouri. ike 4
Maryland and Kentucky, owes the fact
that it stayed in the Union primarily l
to the German element in its citizen
ship: and across the river in Illinois,
the debt owed by lovers of the Union |
to the German element was almost as
great. These men knew no divided.
no half-hearted loyalty. Carl SchurZ |
was a major general in the army,
United States senator, and MEMBER
of the presidents cabinet. He was no |
more fervently devoted to the cause of |
the Union and freedom in the Clvll
war, than to the fight against pohtlcal
corruption and against the spoils sys-
| tenn in our political lie Wnen peace
succeeded war.
BY statue at Forest Park you of
this city have commemorated the ser
vices of Major General Franz SlSei, |
who here entered the United states
service So did the after time Major
General Osterhaus, whose son served
under me as admiral while was
president, and whose grandson, as
| gallant and efficient a young naval OF
| ficer as there was in the service
served at one time as my aide From
| st. Louis there marched into the
Union army no less than nine regi-
ments, all of which had colonies born
| in Germany. This is great record,
and it is typical of the record made
throughout the Union by the men or
German birth or parentage. But it is
not a matter of pride merely to
Americans of German descent. Every
American worth calling such thrills at
the thought of it 1t is a record of
honor and glory for my children s
children just as much as for yours. 1t
is part of the common heritage of
pride bequeathed to all who dwell in
this great land of ours, to all whose
single-hearted loyalty is given to its
flag that floats over all of US.
Many Stocks, One Purpose.
In my own regiment in Cuba, among
the most gallant men who served I'M
der me, were men of German birth or
parentage. They served side by side
with men of Irish birth or parentage,
and with men of old native American
stock; and they all served with equal
the flag. Two of my captains were
killed at the very outset. One was of
old American stock, a man whose for
bears from father to son had served in
the United States army for five gener-
atoms. 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, VINO
fought under me against Spain, was
tel. "
orderly was the grandson of Ger
man '.forty-e Fighter" One of my best
first sergeants was born in Norway.
Another was born in Italy; and yet
another was of Polish parentage. But
each of these men was an American
; and nothing else. They all acted to-
gether as Americans. 1 would have
driven from the regiment any man
who tried to discriminate among
them because of a difference in creed,
or because of the different lands In
. which they or their forefathers were
born Their honor was my. honor We
had one country. We bore proud al
legiance to one flag.
A Real American Family.
The other day in Detroit, when 1
spoke for universal service based on
universal training. woman in the
gallery called out to me, while she
. waved an American flag: Il have
two sons. I offer them if the need
comes I answered her, IF every
mother in our country would make the
, same offer, there would be no need
! for any mother to send her sons to
+ war; Now. from the press of the fol-
lowing day I saw that her name was
+ Mrs Anna Neuer, wife of Mr.. D. M.
! Neuer. Her husband, judging from
the name, must of course be of Ger
man ancestry. Her father fought on
the Union side in the Civil war. Her
, two sons are not German-Americans
. any more than they are English
Americans or any other type OF
a hyphenated American. They are
= Americans. That is an American
: family. Mrs. Neuer represents the
, type of woman that we like to think
:. of as typically American. All / am
!, asking of our people is that they shall
be American exactly in the sense that
the Neuer family is American
America for Americans.
4 The salvation of our people lies in
q having a nationalized and unified
! America, ready for the tremendous
4 tasks of both war and peace 1 appeal
= to all our citizens no matter from
what land their forefathers came to
keep this ever in mind, and to shun
with scorn and contempt the sinister
q intriguers and mischief makers who
u WOULD seek to divide them along lines
: of creed, of birthplace, or of national
: origin, I ask them to remember that
q there is but one safe motto. for all
e Americans, no matter whether they
: were born here or abroad, no matter
y from what land their ancestors came;
I and that is the simple and loyal motto,
i AMERICA FOR AMERICANS.