Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-08-04
'GERMAN PRESS IS
BLAMED FOR ROW.
aucTIoN At LoWDEN, IOWA, IN
sTIoArEp sv rEuroNic News
eAPERs, CITIZENS AVER.
TROUBLE THERE BREWING
FOR THREE YEARS
German Pastor breaches unpstriotic
Sermons and Becomes Storm Center
Majority Of Community Of German
Dssesnt- Climax Came When German
Flag Was TraiIsd in Dust.

IN observation-disclosures Came When German
Flag Was TraiIsd in Dust.
Lowden. Aug. 4.-Is the German press
uf the middle west fomenting sedition
In and about Lowden?
Was there q deliberate and concerted
action on the part of several we'll
known citizens to do bodily injury to
= man whom they suspected of inform
ing on the leader of their pro- kaiser
propaganda?
These are questions that are agitat-
ing the loyal citizens Of Lowden today.
The near riot of Thursday, which
caused five prominent citizens of this
place to be placed under $4,000 bonds
and held over to the grand jury, is the
climax Of work that is said to have
been carried on ever since hostilities
started in Europe three years ago
Prominent citizens declare this work
has been abetted by the utterances OF
our German press Of the middle west
Pastor Storm Center.
= i
the German Evangelical church, is
the storm center in this district and it
was his arrest and Incarceration that
! led up to the scene yesterday.
fhe Rev. Mr.. 4Reichardt was arrested
by federal authorities last Tuesday and
taken to Cedar Rapids for further ex-
samination. The news of his arrest
caused great indignation among his
flock and Daniel d. McGillivray was
charged by them with informing the
federal officers. Threats were made
and only the interference Of cooler
headed persons prevented an attack on
him.
Word was sent at once to the depart
ment Of justice and officers were sent
here. After they had investigated the
trouble five arrests of men said to be
German sympathizers were made and
martial law was threatened.
The town Is divided into two factions,
loyal Americans and Germans, with
1.-THE loyal citizens small minority:
While all is calm to outward appear
ances there is d great deal under the
surface. Reichardt and his adherents
deny vehemently all thoughts of trea-
SON and claim that words they never
uttered were put into their mouths.
Trouble Long Brewing.
This trouble is not the outgrowth of
any recent occurrences, but rather the
elimination Of three years of contro-
yersy that may have had its origin in
business rivalry or church squabbles,
or it may be the result of a carefully
thought out propaganda, but that there
is an intolerable state of affairs there
can be no doubt.
Families that have been neighbors
and friends for years are now the bit
terest of enemies. The slightest word
may bring on q quarrel at any time or
may lead to serious results.
Free-born American citizens in their
own native town are afraid of express
ing their opinions on this question for
fear Of being drawn into the bitter
controversy that has been waged here
for the last three years.
To stranger question comes nat
urally, Is this an American town or is
it a German principally?
The dragging of a German flag thru
the streets Of the town did not begin
this trouble, for the friction existed
tong before that.
Majority Of Germans.
Lowden is town of about 700 per-
SONS, and the ratio of those German
born or of German blood is about ten
to one in the town and greater in the
surrounding country. At the outbreak
OF the war in Europe the sympathy of
this community naturally was pro-
German, and so much so that it began
t0 vKyhn
wished to remain neutral.
At first there was an attempt to
tease the German sympathizers. who
took such efforts in real earnest. The
sight of a newspaper printed in Eng
lish usually brought out the retort that
all American newspapers were liars
This finally brought together fac
ton of citizens who had no strong pro-
German sympathies. These got the
name of loyal or patriotic citizens.
About two years ago Reichardt ap-
peared as pastor Of the German Evan
xelical church From reports his ap-
pearance brought trouble from the out
set and divided his flock. The loyal
citizens claim that Reichardt has ac-
lively carried on pro- German propa-
xanda ever since he took the passionate
and that his reparks and actions have
been offensive to those who are pro-
American nrst last and all the time.
Denounced U. s. Press.
It is said that he has spoken openly
from his pulpit and said that all the
American newspapers were antagonis-
tic to Germany and all the news they
printed that was detrimental to Ger
many was Hes, and that England con-
trolled the press of this country.
The loyal citizens claim that the Ger
man sympathizers would seek a con-
troversy on every occasion and that
every argument was met by the short
+ ana ugly word, 'Har."
This was the condition Of affairs un-
I'll the United States entered the war.
The loyal citizens thought they had re-
manned neutral long enough, so on the
q declaration Of severance Of relations be-
tween this country and Germany they
III displayed the American flag.
Upon their condemning Germany's
actions they were told that the papers
they read printed nothing but lies.
The mayor issued proclamation
warming all persons to be careful of
their speech, and declaring that as citi-
i senr OF this country they should do all
49, 4