The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-09-25
(By Gustavus Ohlinger
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 Of modern German play
wrights ana 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 Polish provinces and in
Alsace-by the DEGREES which forbade
French even on signs and on tombstones
and the orders making It a crime to
impart religious instruction in the Polish
tongue
The propaganda for the German Ian
guage has always been a well recognized
phase of imperial Kulturpolitik. II 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.
venient 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 will 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 ef-
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
twenty years ago. During this period
the number Of high school pupils taking
instruction in German has risen from
$4,000 to $4,000. Even more marked
has been the increase in this direction in
the grade schools.
Now that the events the last few
months have taught Americans TO look
upon this apparently innocent educa.
tiOnal movement i'm the same light in
which it has always been held by Ger
mans both here and in Germany, 1t is
small wonder that they will have none
Of 1t. German language instruction has
been abolished in all the grade schools
Of Toledo; in Cleveland it has been elm
mated from the first four grades: in Bal
timore from all the grades: I'm Milwaukee
American children will no longer have
the advantage Of a bilingual education
in the first and second grades. and even
Chicago has torn from its spelling books
the nauseous adulation Of the kaiser
which the eXponents Of Pan-German pol
icies had cause 10 be- inserted.
That this aversion for everything Ger.
man viii be intensified with time is in
evitable The danger is that it will at
tach 20 much that is admirable and that
we could adopt with advantage Our
civilization will thereby be made the
poorer. One Of the great tragedies Of
the war is that the evil ambition Of
the Hohenzollerns has laid its foul hands
upon the sacred heritage Of the German
people and impregnated Il with the poi
son Of It's contact. so that for centuries
1t will provoke the loathing Of the world.
| These consequences can in some de-
gree be averted by our citizens Of Ger
man birth. 1t rests with them 10 prove
70 US and % the world that a wide chasm
separates the Germany OF Schiller Go
ethe and Lessing from the monster state
created by the Hohenzollerns and their
servants; that the genius that peopled
the woods and dales with the fairies
Of childhood has nothing in common
with the demon that rayaged Belgium
France and Poland; that the German
spirit is indeed free and not sunk in
hopeless servility 20 unworthy masters.
But not by lukewarm allegiance 20 our
country not boy half-hearted support Of
our cause, not by carpng criticism Of