The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-02-05
TWO HUNDRED FACTORIES HERE READY TO BE TURNED OVER ID
 SERVICE OF U. s. GOVERNMENT
U. 5. ''0vER ALL" IS KEYNOTE OF
 ALL SPEECHES

New York, Feb. 5-Americans of intelligent representatives being their spokesmen, stood up yesterday after noon in the Arion club, clicked their heels and enthusiastically resolved" that if the worst comes to the worst if the United States is compelled to go to war with the Fatherland-all their bitter thoughts about England and France and Russia (even against England) will be forgotten; that America is over ali.
 Ostensibly the authorized represen- tatives of more than 500 German American societies of various kinds gathered at the Arion clubhouse at Fifty-ninth street and Park avenue at 3:3O o'clock in the afternoon in response to call issued weeks ago and which at that time, or before an i international crisis was so much as thought of, had been sent out with the sole idea of perfecting arrange ments for 8 great charity bazaar in aid of war sufferers of the Teutonic Powers
 But yesterday the German Ameri- can representatives motored or came by trolley to the Arion clubhouse along streets upon which the Stars and Stripes snapped bravely from the facades and roofs of high buildings. All the length of Fifth avenue, for instance. hotels and apartments and even private houses displayed the flag. And so when the Americans of German birth or descent assembled in the Arion club they had concrete l S11c s,, T, oil about them which caused them al- most. to forget the original reason for calling the meeting.
 Evidence of Their Loyalty. And it is only fair to say that the bright eyed, eager men and women, youths and girls who crowded the as- sembly room on the second floor of the Arion clubhouse soon showed a spirit of loya1ty-by words and deeds which caused the onlooker to ques- tion whether or not they ever had needed the fluttering flags on the avenues and side streets to remind them.
 ] Their plans for the bazaar tenn porarily went by the board. Tn re- sponse to-a call they instantly pledged their absolute loyalty by their rising vote. They sent a telegram to the President of the United States to which the. best native American could not have objected. The gist of the talks delivered in German and Eng fish by their most thoughtful repre- sentatives was that we do not want war with Germany or any other coun- try, we do not believe that Germany will so offend us that we will be com pelled to war with her, but-but!-
 Eff an overt act'' is committed then America is justified in resenting it, and we of fighting age, our sons and brothers, will be loyal.
 It should be said right here that the applause and the response to these loyal sentiments at no time was noisy. Nevertheless, there was no doubt of it's sincerity.
 % Ludwig Nissen's Comment.
 five been f1rebrand in my way" so Ludwig Nissen put it in talking to a reporter after the meeting, land while Germany was fighting with England believed it was my right to say what thought about the rights and wrongs of the war in Europe. But once this country-our country is drawn into differences with another country, with any country on earth, then am interested only in my coun- try. the United States. hope we wiM not enter into war against Germany or any other nation. I do not believe we will. But if war it is, then America comes first last and always"