Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-04
ROOSEVELT SCORES
MORAL TRAITORS"
Excoriates Americans Who
Champion Germany's Cause
in Forest Hills Speech.
GIVES LOYALTY STANDARD

FOREST HILLS. Long Island. n. Y,
July 4.-Declaring that those In America
who champion Germany's cause against
the cause of America are guilty of
moral treason. and are In fact. although
not in law. moral traitors, Col. Theo-
dore Roosevelt. in Fourth Of July ad-
dress here today. pleaded for a single
standard Of patriotism and loyalty.
We are now at war with Germany,
said Col. Roosevelt. For over two
years Germany has heaped insult upon
insult. injury upon injury. on our peo-
pie. We did not even dare to prepare
30 as to be able effectively to resent
wrong in the future Our supine in
action was partly due to the folly en-
gcndered In our people by the pro-
f.ssional pacifsts. But an even more
important factor was the dread many
os our politicians felt. not merely Of
the German army abroad. but of Ger
man votes at home. The selfishness and
shortsightedness of the American poll
ticians were indefensible, a0l they were
due to the fact that the men who took
the lead in the German American move
ment sought entirely to subordinate the
actions OF the country of which they
were nominally citizens. the United
States, to the needs of the country for
which they cared. Germany.
Now are at war with Germany,
yet many of these persons. supported,
Of course by professional pacifsts, con-
against the cause for which we are
fighting. This is a moral treason to the
republic, and all who engage in 1t are
in fact. although not in law, traitors
as American citizens The time has
come to insist that they drop their dual
allegiance and in good faith become
outright Germans or outright Ameri-
cans. They cannot be both. and those
who pretend to be both are merely Ger
mans who hypocritically pretend to be
Americans in order to serve Germany
and damage America. At this moment
the vital thing to remember about these
half-hidden traitors Is that to attack
Americas allies, while we are at death
grips with peculiarly ruthless and
brutal foe. or to champion that foe as
against our allies. or to apologize Tor
that foes infamous wrongdoing, Is to
be false to the cause Of liberty and to
the United States.
."No Half-and-Half Attitude"
There can be no half-and-half atti-
tude in this war, and no honorable man
can afford to take such an attitude. We
are bound by every consideration of
loyalty and good faith to our allies.
and any opposition to them, or any aid
given to their and our enemy, is basely
dishonorable as regards our allies. and
reasonable as regards our own coun-
try"
that 1t was natural for American citi-
zens of German origin to favor Ger
many was nonsense, and criminal nom
sense to boot" and added, either
man is an American and nothing else,
or he is not an American at all. We are
akin by blood and descent to most of
the nations of Europe. but we are sepa-
rate from all of them. We are a new
always to give our whole hearted and
undivided loyalty to our flag, and in
any international crisis to treat every
foreign nation purely according to its
conduct In that crisis. 1t is both weak
and wicked to permit any of our citi-
zens to hold dual or divided allegiance,
and it is just as mischievous, Just as
american to discriminate against
any good American because of his
birthplace. creed or parentage."
Celebrating on that point and pro-
testing against the plan to exclude
from American Red Cross units Ameri-
or descent. Col. Roosevelt said that il
he had been permitted to raise a mill
tary force for service in France many
of his officers would have been chosen
who were undoubted Americans
Col. Roosevelt severely arraisned
those who seek to excuse the acts OF
Germany. our embittered and en-
behave in like manner il we had the
opportunity" and reviewed the history
Of the civil war in support of his con-
tention that the utterance was in
famous falsity."
Contrast With Alabama Raids.
Contrast the brutality shown toward
women and children on the Lusjtania
and scores of other ships, by the Of
ficially directed German submarines.
with the Alabamas action fifty years
ago" he continued. "Semmes never
destroyed vessel without providing
for the safety of the passengers and
crew. He turned his own officers out
Of their cabins to put, in them the
women and children Of his foes, and