The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-12-26

has tied the German-Amefc3n TO !
Fatherland which he left for excellent |
reasons and to which he has given no
practical attention since. Like all
sontimentahsts, he wants to have his
cake and eat it, too; he forsWears his !
allegiance to Germany because he
wants to enjoy American equality OF
opportunity, and at the same time he
persuades himself that he is still Elm
gutter Drawer Deutscher. America is
his wife, but he keeps Germany as his
s0ulmate, and is puzzled and offended
when his wife boxes his ears and hale5
him into court.
Sentimentality has kept the Ger
man-American the observation-disclosures
try that he is. America should have
been more o3serYant She should
have seen that the COMMUNICATIONS
needed some friendly attention. Amer
lea did not see, but Germany did Ger
-far-sighted, keen for openings
played on the Cerman-Arn2r1can
sentimentaIity for all she was worth
She sent silver-tongued orators to
thrill him; she sent ponderOus pro
fessOrs to give his beer-dreans q
northumberland basis; she sent Sc
cret agents; she sent organizers; she
bought newspapers, to encourage this
sentimental reaching back, with whisp-
eTs Of anu-Cerman prosecutions, An
glo-SaxOn presumption and similar
'nativist" hobgoblins
It was a long, skilfuI cast; the imi-
tation butterfly beautifully concealed
the hook, and the German-American
bit
The German-American is the victim
Of an illusion. He has allowed him
self to believe. and he has been cruelty
led to believe that he was a most par
tiCular kind of fish, at, home i'll two
elements, the water and the air. lie
| has been led to think that he is eX-
| empt from that law. which is not only
! biblical, that no man can serve two
masters. He has been told that he
must serve two masters.
The German-American has = keen
sense of duty. 1t is inbred in him.
| That sense Of duty viii make him wish
/ faithfully to obey the laws of the Unit
ed States Of which he is a citizen. Bat
| the German-American has likewise an
abnormally developed bump Of senti-
mentality. That fatal quality will
make him turn again and again visit
fully to the draam-Germany which has
long persisted il it ever existed, and
which he himself or his father. cloth
ed and in his right mind, once weighed
ana rejected. In the hearts Of count
less Communications there is IN
Questionably a conflict raging be-
tween that sense Of duty and thot
/ sentimental turing 10 the past. On its
outcome depends the future Of the Ger
! r2an-American in this country. # duty
wins, the German-American, then alt.
! gether an American, will stand in the
forefront Of American citizens. If
sentimentaltty wins, the German
american Will. possibly for genera
tons, be stunned and d!strusted.
An illusion has tied the German
American hand and foot. That illus-
ion is the sentimental notion that
there is such d thing as loyalty Of the
emotions separate and apart from 10y
atty Of the mind, a loyalty which may
safely be given TO Germany without
disturbing TO any degree the loyalty OF
the mind which is due the United
States As long as this illusion per
sists, the Gernan-American viii re
main as he is now, an impotent neu-
tral, who Will doubtless receive the
consideration which neutrals these
days are everywhere receiving. lie
will be j0stled and stepped on durin :
the war and given scant affection after
it, by either side.
The Gospel has a side-piece to the
injunction concerning the difficulties
in the way Of him who seeks to serve
two masters. It is addressed to neu-
trails, and runs something like this:
= would that you were either hot Or
cold, hut, since you are neither hot
nor cold, I spew you out Of my
mouth" There IS another injunction,
in which a certain rich man figures.
Christ, who had endless patience with
sinners. had no patience whatever
with neutrals or with men Of divided
allegiance.