Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1917-09-11
"A. A REJoINDER.

The esteemed Webster City Free
Tribune is perfectly entitled to
it's opinion that German should not
be taught in the schools of this
country, but other folk are equally
entitled to their opinion that the
mere fact that this country is at
war with Germany in itself consti-
tutes no valid reason why the Ger
man language should not be taught
if from scholastic grounds that par
ticular study happens to be desira-
BILE one. And when the Freeman
Tribune assumes to call all who may
differ with that papers opinions on
the matter friends of the kaiser,
it utters a vile lie as well as as
sumes to itself rights in the matter
of saying who is and who is not
loyal. There can be no questioning
of the Freeman-Tribune's loyalty
and patriotism, because that paper
every issue to assure its readers OF
the fact, but it may possibly be true
that there are other folks who do
not make so much noise about 1t
who are just as loyal as is the
Freemen-Tribune, even if they do
not happen to agree with that es-
teemed paper on all questions.
Jewell Record.
The Record is dealing in a lie,
dirty or otherwise, when it says this
paper consumes considerable space
every issue telling it's readers that
it is patriotic. and the Record is
challenged to cite a single instance
in which the Freeman-Tribune has
paraded it's patriotism or questioned
the patriotism of any loyal citizen.
Some of the weakened brethren
who are afraid to talk vigorously in
support of the government and in
denunciation of the outrageous and
indefensible methods of Germany de-
light to accuse those who do with
trying to appropriate all the patriot
ism there is. But there is plenty of
that article-the genuine thing-to
go around, and nobody can claim all
of it. This is the time, however,
TO fight hard and continuously to
overcome the German propaganda to
convert and control the world. The
German government has for years
carried on this propaganda and one
of it's strongest Notifications is the
public schools, where the language
is taught and the glories of Germany
greatly over estimated. After the
pupil graduates in German here he
is sent abroad to finish his studies,
and by the time he is through he
is genuine pro-German. Thou
sands of him are at this very time
defending the German government
in what it is doing. We have them
right here in Webster City, and
that are now in sympathy with the
German nation because of what they
have learned from text books in the
public schools. 1t is time for this
country to stop the teaching of such
things and to become solidly Ameri-
can.
The people who are insisting upon
teaching German in our public
schools are doing just that much for
the kaiser, and if they don't know
it, it is time they were finding it,
out. Moreover, every friend of the
kaiser and every pro-German is very
anxious that the teaching of German
in the schools of the United States
shall be continued, and every moth
er's son of them who reads the Rec
ord will glory in the Records at
tacks upon the Freeman-Tribune. II
the Record would tackle the situa-
ton at Hubbard, right under it's
nose, it would have less time to make
faces at the F'reeman-Tribune and
it might know something about how
it goes to lose patronage for stand
ing up for it's convictions and its
country.
Every pro-German, every traitor
and every enthusiastic friend of the
kaiser in this country is opposed to
the teaching of German
from the public schools, and they
brand those who disagree with them
as narrow-minded bigots and stupid
pessimists. True, some loyal people
stand with them in this matter, and
just to that extent give aid and CON-
fort to the friends of the kaiser.
Here is a line from the Topeka
Capitalf portraying the results of
teaching German in the schools of
the country,
Indications are not lacking that
n cvct o,paf;c effort hoe haen made