The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-09-17
TO GERMAN AMERICANS.
They Should Sunder the Ties Which
Bind Them to Germany.


tBy Gustave olilnger Of The Vigilantes. ]
"To speak German is TO remain Ger
man; TO cause others TO speak German
is TO make them into Germans"
In this way Ludwig Fulda, one of the
most prominent II modern German play,
wrights and journalists, summarized his
observations in the United States. That
he was giving expression TO more than
merely personal opinion is evidenced by
the stern measures adopted by Germany
| for the purpose of establishing the use
of German in the Polish provinces and in
Alsace--by the DEGREES which forbade
French even ON signs and on tombstones
and the orders making it crime to i'm.
| part religious instruction in the Polish
tongue.
The propaganda for the German Ian
gusge has always been well-recognized
phase of imperial Kulturpoltik. It was
| regarded as an important means for es-
tablishing German influence in foreign
lands, for undermining national unity,
and for keeping German immigrants in
solid blocks which could be used as CON
yenient make-weights in favor of Ger.
man policies. As one of the leaders in
the Pan-German movement expressed it
years ago, "the Importance of Germany
in the future viii depend on two things
first, the number of persons who are
politically subject to the empire, and,
second, the number of those throughout
the world who speak the German Ian.
guage."
That the kaiser's sympathizers in the
United States have taken this course to
heart is borne out by the vigorous eff
forts which have been made to establish
the German language in our public
schools ever since the Pan German idea
came to active consciousness here some
20 years ago During this period the
number of high school pupils taking in
strnction in German has risen from S.
900 to $4,000. Even more marked has
been the increase in this direction in the
grade schools.
Now that the events of the last few
months have taught Americans to look
upon this apparently innocent education
al movement in the same light in which |
it has always been held by Germans
both here and in Germany, it is small |
wonder that they viii have none of it. |
German language instruction has been |
abolished in all the grade schools of To |
ledo in Cleveland it has been eliminat-
ed from the first four grades; in Balti-
more from all the grades; in Milwaukee
American children will no longer have
the advantage of a bi-lingual education
IN the first and second grades, and even
lhicago has torn from its spelling books
The nauseous adulation of the kaiser
which the opponents of Pan-German pol
cies had caused to be inserted
That this aversion for everything Ger
nan will be intensified with time is in
,yitabe The danger is that it will at
.ach to much that is admirable and that
sc could adopt with advantage. Our
civilization viii thereby be made the
poorer. One OF the great tragedies Of
he war is that the evil ambition of the
has laid its foul hands
lpon the sacred heritage of the German
,eople AMI impregnated 1t with the poi
on of its contact, SO that for centuries j
win provoke the loathing of the world.
These consequences can in some degree
e averted BY our citizens of German
firth. 1t rests with them to prove to us I
nd to the world that a wide chasm sep 9
rates the Germany of Schiller. Goethe 5
nd LEASING from the monster state ere I
ted by the Hohenzollerns and their j
ervants; that the genius that peopled Il
he woods and dales with the fairies OF
hildhood has nothing in common with
be demon that ravaged Belgium, France
nd Poland; that the German spirit is
ldeed free and not sunk in hopeless SER
ility to unworthy masters. But not BY
lkewarm allegiance to our country, not ,
Y half hearted support Of our cause. not
Y carping criticism of things American.
Of by secret qualification over the Ie 1
erse of our allies. can they bring this =
bout The Turnverein, the Liederkranz =
re Stadtverband, the Nationalbund ard
eutschmtericht must all be forgotten. ]
he story of American liberty, from its