The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-10-10
The Three Phases OF u TeutOn.
(By Daniel Louis Hanson of The
Nigilantes)

/
first met Herr Grossenheimer in
Chicago during the Worlds Fair year.
one of that large army of educated
and enterprsing Europeans which the
Dream City on Lake Michigan drew
into the heart of the United States
His specific mission was to study de-
partment store methods at the source
of recognized uthOrity-Marshall
Fields. There he secured a position
and there he made such record for
faithfulness and efficiency that, if he
had remained he would long since
have held a high position in the es-
tabishment. And urged him to re-
main, for apparently--and sincerely
too, believe-he was an enthusiast as
to this country's opportunities and
government alike. He was eloquent
and fervent in his expressed admira-
ton for "Amerika." At this stage
Of his life Herr Grossenheimer was a
son of democracy.
He went back to Germany, however,
and started a department store in one
of it's largest cities. There he practis-
ed so we'll what he had seen and heard
at Marshall Fields, that he became
one of the great merchants of Ger
many.
l met Herr Grossenheimer again in
1905, this time in New York City.
He had taken on smoOthness, as well
as flesh, and had lost some OF his
| earlier love and admiration for the
United States; or rather it had become
part and parcel Of the tolerance, yes
passion, that he now possessed for hu-
manity as a whole. In short, Herr
Grossenheimer saw so much good in
all nationalitics and in their various
forms Of government that he was a
cOsmopOlite-mOre so, more attrac-
lively so, than any other man l ever
met. Nor in fact have 1 since seen
one who has come as near to being q
Citizen Of the World, as did Herr
GrOssenheimer in 1905.
We met again in 1911. Our third
and last-meeting occurred that sum-
mer in Berlin. / was glad to see
him. and still glad that 1 knew this
now burly and somewhat bumptious
business man. He had prospered to
remarkable degree. He had made
Of his department store a marvel O:
attractiveness, which was crowded
continually with buying public Dur
ing those summer weeks / gathered
from him vast deal OF information
concerning European merchandising
methods and results.
But. beyond that. it was q trial to
visit with Herr Grossenheimer. He
was no longer lover Of democratic
institutions or forms of government
no longer an admirer OF the good in
all humanity and of the various regu-
lations and laws that each nation
has seen fit to adopt for itself. Herr
GrOssenheimer was now the inveter-
ate hater Of anything or everything
not German-or really, not Prussian
Many q conversation that began with
business, Grossenheimer before long
swung into an attack on England and
on acknowledgement the United
States, as he believed firmly that in
south America would be the New
Germany" Possibly Herr Grossen-
heimer's world philosophy can best be |
summed up in the last conversation
we had-the one at the close Of
which our friendship was broken off |
We were walking along the shady
pavement Of Inter den Linden tina.
afternoon and Grossenheimer was pr
ticularly offensive. He had been de-
nouncing England as menace to
every solid and respectable form OF
government" when he suddenly veer
ed and made direct attack on tn
United States.
"But after all it is the United State
that is the real World Menace to
stable government" he exploded with
all the force of his $50 pounds avoir
dupois. "Our citizens, when attract.
ed to the so-called democratic form OF
| IIngland's government are pretty az
to see East London and it's squalor
which causes them to understand
that England's much vaunted democ-
! your United States democracy ap-
parently carries with i. three dollar:
day for common labor and twice
that for skilled--thats why your
Tod stok s,fo DO q Quill