Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1917-09-25
SENATOR A. L. KREUTZER
Answers Claims Made by Anti-Ameri-
cans in Stirring Address Re-
plete With Patriotism.
Continued from first page)

CHC LISt IAluc tlldtJ III Tie uSlSIS6 OF
the rights and liberties of this coun-
try, men of the same blood have been
called upon to fight against each other.
During the war of the revolution,
when our forefathers were fighting
the battles which resulted in our in
dependence, there were many Amer
leans who left behind them in Eng
land near and dear blood relations.
That did not for moment interfere
with their loyalty and patriotism for
their new and adopted country, and
they fought against each other in
many battles.
Again in 1912, when England was
at war with France, when she seized
our citizens upon the high seas, in
violation of the principles for which
we now fight, our government went
to war and among the soldiers were
many of English birth, who had in
their mother country blood relations.
They stood behind their adopted |
country just as citizens of German
descent are now doing in this war.
In no other way can a people main
tain the right of free people.
In 1860 when this country went to |
war to maintain the union and |
give freedom to millions of slaves, |
there were thousands of blood rela-
tives on either side in that tremen-
dous struggle. They did not fight |
each other. They fought for a great |
principle. So today in this great |
struggle in which this country is en-
gagged, there will be and are |
deep wounds and great sorrows in |
the hearts of many of our people, |
whose sons are going out under the |
stars and stripes to fight against the
people of the country of their birth
and against beloved, close blood-rela- |
lions. But like the men who fought
the battle to maintain the union, they
are not fighting the men of their own
blood but are fighting for the great
est political principle known, the right
OF every people to rule itself and
not be ruled without it's consent. |
These wounds and sorrows will be
compensated for in the thought that
those who came are giving their all
to maintain the thing for which they
came, and which was denied them
in the country they voluntarily left.
German Descent
My fellow citizens, | have been an |
impartial student of events that led |
up to this great war in which we are |
now engaged. (On my grandfather's |
side l am of German descent. On |
my mothers side we are of French |
descent, coming in the early days from |
Alsace-Lorraine and settling in Wis |
consin.
My grandfather Kreutzer, left Ger
in I,
submit to the inequality of oppor-
tun1ty and to the dominating atti-
tude of the so-called upper classes. |
He braved with his little fam
lily of young children, the mighty |
storms of the ocean in a small |
sail boat, and after being tossed about |
upon the waters of the Atlantic for |
nearly three months, finally landed |
on the shores of this glorious coun-
try. My father was then one year
OF age. He came to Milwaukee,
then known as Walkers Point, |
now the south side, the same
year. Wisconsin had then but recent
ly been separated from Michigan terri
tory and all was bowling wilder
ness. His family and his descendants
to the fourth generation have been
residents of the good OLD state since
that time. / make reference 70 this |
only because l said that am an
impartial student of events that led
up to this great war;
War Caused By Crowned Heads
I am convinced that this war was
caused by the crowned heads, in their
own selfish interests, and not by the
free will of the people of Germany
and Austria. l believe if the people
of Germany had had voice, through a
representative body elected by them
selves, there would have been no war
and especially no war with this coun-
try. There would have been no sinking
OF unarmed ships filled with limo
cent men, women and children upon
the high seas, without warning and
without the facilities to help save the
lives of the passengers and crew when |
the ships went down.
We are defending our rights and in
stltutions against the assaults of a
ruthless military autocracy and every
American who believes in the rule of
the people, as against the rule of
emperorS and princes, must stand up
and do everything he can to uphold
this government in this great crisis.
Who is not with us is against us.
There is only one country to which
you and / belong. There can be
no divided allegiance. We must make
our choice now. We must all stand
up and be counted. I
w. 3. Rubin of Milwaukee, speak
ing at a great labor day celebration at I
Dayton, Ohio, put the whole thing in
a nutshell when he said:
Whether we were for or against s
CONSUMPTION, whether we were for or t
against registration, for or against i
fighting on European soil, whether we I
be republican, democrat, socialist, pac- t
fist or militant, this country is now 7
at war, and as practical, sensible and \
patriotic men let us fight and fight a
that this war may be brought to sue {
cessful end S
Peril of Democracy S
Some persons there are who, al
though they have long enjoyed the I
privileges and benefits of our insti- {
still sympathize more strong
ly with the cause of autocracy than :
they do with that of democracy. These
persons claim that we are fight 9
ing for England, which has a king 2
and that we are not, therefore, fight
ng the cause of democracy. Many
honest minded people feel that there
IS more or less merit in this conten-
ion Nothing, however, could be
arther from the truth. The real :
'uler of England today is not King
George the son of King Edward, and .
he grandson of Queen Victoria but II
1Ioyu ooo- -, - 80 - : 80 - a