New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-13
American or Nothing
Son of Gcrman-Born Parents UPholds
His President and Country


10 tho Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: So much Is being said and written in
these days Of increasing cruel warfare about
"German-Amercan7," that ], too, am Inspired
20 write briefly IN vindication Of those VINO,
ike myself, happen TO he born i'm our glorious
land Of the Pilgrim Fathers-but Of German
rarcntagc
Ny parents came TO this country from Ger
many iu their early teens. mother beng "
mere girl Of fourteen. They had been neigh
hors in Germany as children. and afterwards,
quite by chance. they met and were married 30
this country.
Some twelve years ago IT was my privilege
20 visit the home Of my grandparents IN Ger
many, and while there ! took pains to ascer-
tain the reason for my parents leaving their
native land while they were get mere children.
The reason, in short meter, given me by the
honest old souls in the community was that
those children, with many and many others OF
that period had either TO ny rs best they
might 10 America or starvc 20 death I'D
Germany.
!, is pertinent to ask wight here whether
Germans generally have come across the once
wide ocean TO this "homc Of the brave flying
the flag Of true freedom for all, for any better
reason than the one my parents had for
coming.
n seems a pity 20 nc that a few Germans
or Gcrman-born in America, should have
rroycd themselves go un-Amcrlcan as to
obligc our government 10 have added con-
Germ on account of the possible dlsIoyalty OF
single resident or citizen. And also J am
IN these trying times so often reminded that
my parents were German that J find myself
almost apologizing for the misfortune Of my
birth.
And vet. TO nc. "Gcrman-Amcrlcan' is an
,mpossibilitv. As far back rs | can rcmem-
Der hear my father arguing for and de
Tending his new home TO which hunger had
driven him. and wherein it was possible Tor
every honest citizen to prove himself king
10 mo. citizen or native Of our free nation
is either an American or he IS nothing.
good citizen can never be a blood-qualihed
American.
As our nation is founded upon principle
and is governed as a democracy according TO
principlc. so. to me, citizen Of princlpl"
knows no .elf-centred nationality Inc
selfish emigrant's love Of nationality pre-
served at the expense Of our equitable Amer
lean government may be likened to the 10y
atty of the bee, that secretly carries a pol
sonous sting for the hand that planted the
carden Of flowers from which II extracts It's
honey.
Citizens of foreign or native birth whose
hearts are divided, whose bodies fatten upon
the clover of the land in which they i've
while their sympathies are more or less with
the Fatherand, whose autocratlc government
is clearly Americas enemy, are, to say the
least OF doubtful citizenship.
Every true American and friend of America
will. in the present hour, hold up the hands
Of the President Of these United States OF
America: and every true man and woman the
world over must feel grateful to our PresI-
dent. as | do. for the manhood, wisdom and
courage set forth in his war message to Con-
eress. in which he pleads the cause OF the
people of the entire world; draws the line Of
demarcaton between the German people and
the present German government; exposes the
unreliabiity of autocracy, and the mpossl-
biity of friendship between an arrogant gov
eminent based on the personal will of a few
and the democratic government or a govern
men: in which a sense Of basic principle gov
crns through the majority, if not by the
unanimous voice of the people.
God grant that the moral effect OF our
greet nations inevitable necessity may not
prove the least of our contribution toward
the victory for which the people Of the ma
tons of the world are praying and lighting
victory which shall demonstrate forever the
triumph OF principle over the arrogant per-
sonal. that nations. as individuals may dwell
together and progress for their common veal
in peace. JOSEPH G.. MANN.
Now Britain. Conn. April II, 1917.