The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1917-12-27
w. S. Bryan Again Tells
Why We Are At War
Unable to Locate the Disloyal Propa
ganda He Knows Exists.
To the Chattanooga Times.

not quite cover the case regarding
the incidents mentioned in my letter
which you published on Tuesday
There were two Incidents in two diff
ferent restaurants, having no connec-
ton with each others, but both occur
ring the same day. The two men
told the same story with only such va
riations as witnesses will give on
the stand, showing that they had re-
ceived their lesson from the same
source. l heard the the same story
repeated by a young man in the
northern part of the state, two weeks
ago. He had been drafted and sent
to the camp at Atlanta, but was ex-
empted because of deformed hand.
These three men, on three different
occasions, told identically the same
story, namely, that we had no busi-
ness in the war; and that army Off
GERS were insplent and abusive to
the men; that the stories of German
atrocities were newspaper lies;"
that our soldiers were as bad as the
Germans; that all soldiers we're
alike, etc. Your lady correspondent
in Georgia, whose letter you print this
morning, shows that the same propa-
ganda is being spread in her commu-
nifty, and l ooubt not that it. is the
case all over the country. My own
sister writes me from a distant state
that she cannot see the justice of
sending our fine young American
manhood across the seas to die in a
foreign war. 1t is precisely the
same propaganda that was employed
in Russia with such dire results, and
its insidious character makes it all
the more dangerous. People are de-
ceived by it without knowing it's
cause or source. But there Is no
trouble in deciding where it originat-
ed. 1t is plainly marked "Made in
Germany" The first, and about the
only question of any Importance that
was asked our boys captured in
France recently was, "Why are you
fighting Germany" This same
question is now being asked all over
this country.
The propaganda is not being con-
Quoted by Germans or German Am
ericans, but by renegade NATIVES.
This adds to it's effectiveness, though
it stamps with deeper damnation the
scoundrels who betray their country
for German money. believe the
great majority of our German-Amer-
lean citizens are loyal and true. I
believe they are represented by the
utterances of Carl Schurz, published
in your paper today. And why
should they not be, when we remem-
ber that their immediate ancestors
voluntarily banished themselves from
their fatherland to escape the very
tyranny that the civilized world is
now fighting? But what shall we
say of those disloyal, sneaking, cow
ardy native Americans who are do
ing their best to weaken the efforts
of the government and to stab their
own people in the back for the dirty
gold of treason?
1 am receiving letters in response
to your publication not only from res
idents of Chattanooga, but also from
other places, all approving my course
and offering such assistance as they
can render in putting down the hate
full propaganda. The people are
ready and willing but they need or
ganization. If each loyal man-and
woman, too, for that matter-were
authorized to wear a badge, to be
shown as occasion required, they
could then make arrests in a legal
way; but as it is, in our unorganized
state, no one cares to make a scene
in a public place by attempting to
arrest spy or propagandist with the
probability of failure and being
laughed at for his pains.
That the propaganda is working
its evil purpose is shown in various
ways. There is no better or more
loyal and intelligent woman than my
sister. to whom I have referred, and
yet the virus has gone to her heart.
A friend Of mine, who is thoroughly
loyal and most eXcellen: man in
every respect, said to Inc few days
ago that. there were "many people
al over the country whc did not ap-
prove the sending IF our armies to
Europe" His mind, too, had been
tainted by the insidious poison with,
out his realizing whence it had come
/ asked him whether it were better