The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-08-25
A Word to Our Germans.
(By Charles J. Rosebault of The
Vigilantes.)

Vigilantes.)
Before feeling runs too high for
sober thought let us sit down and
reason quietly. Just now we are en-
joying a moment of calm. The great
majority of Americans are leaving to
Washington the ordering of events.
Their blood courses calmly in their
veins. 1t will not remain so long
When the news of wounds and
death among the loved ones at the
front fills the cables then there will
no longer be apathy in American
homes. People will not smile when
they see unfolded in the street cars
the pages of "Viereck's Weekly" or
the German language papers, decrying
America and praising the Hinden-
burgs. Passion will be in the as
cendant And German will not be
popular on the highways Will it not
be we'll then to arrive at the momen-
tous decision, which must be made
sooner or later, while there is still
time to do so?
The good or i'll will of the American
people for generations to come hangs
in the balance. Prior to the events
of 1914 the sentiments of Americans
towards persons of German birth or
extraction was decidedly friendly. In
fact, none of the nationalities that
nave sought our shores was so well
come as the German. Even the inva-
sion of Belgium, which aroused such
intense feeling among Americans. did
not Immediately affect sentiment to-
wards Germans dOmiciled in the
United States. Had they not left the
fatherland largely because it's control
was in the hands of the military
party. to whom alone could be i'm
puted such disregard for the rights
or a weaker nation? Only when the
German language press and so-called
spokesmen of Germans and German
Americans in this country applauded
the acts Of the Prussian military ma
chine did Americans generally begin
to doubt the assimilation of their
neighbors of Teutonic extraction.
Even now. however, the American
mind is not fully settled. Americans
are by nature sentimental, and SYM
pathy for the mental struggles of
the German here has deferred many
from antagOnism. Their wrath is
only deferred, however, if the attitude
of these Germans continues to be
fairly represented by the Staats-Zei-
tungs and German Herolds, the
Hearsts and the Vierecks.
Again, 1 suggest, let us reason out
the situation in calmness. Why did
Germans come to America? Either
because conditions at home were not
TO their liking or because they expect
ed to find here opportunities denied
them at home. Did they find the re-
suits they had anticipated? The facts
speak for themselves. Millions of
Germans and descendants of Germans
are citizens of these United States.
Even the prosperous ones have not
returned to Germany What then of
the future? Is it to Germany or TO
this country that they will look for
happiness and prosperity?
The insidiOus propaganda of the
German language press has doubtless
clouded the issues. But stop to think
Of these would be
moulders of German opinion. Is it
not patent that they are working only
with selfish purpose? The German
language press of this country WAS
dying of neglect when the war came
to revive it's hopes. We will not dis
cuss the money frankly poured into
the counting rooms from abroad
That alone would have have made
new readers. But the cunning SUE
gestiOn that Germans i'm this countrv
and Americans of German descent |
were unpopular was more successful |
1t was not true then, but the un-
American behavior of these papers
went long way. towards making il
true 1t remains for the Germ,os
and the German Americans to sayl