The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1917-12-06

AAesh ALBUMS 0AAA AAVi6AOVAS WIN 40
near relatives on the battle fronts
It is trying position to be in. But
ask, what has brought the millions
Of Germans to this country in the last
half century? It must have been that
we had something they lacked in Ger.
many. If the Fatherland is such 8
paradise as some claim it, why, in
heavens name, didn't they stay there
and help develop its latent POSSIBLE
ties? For this country is no para
disc. Everything we have we have
had to fight for and will likely have
to fight harder than ever to retain.
The German coming to this country
has been treated as brother, which
he really is. He has been given pro-
lection of life and property and in
many instances he has amassed a
great fortune. AS it was done by
thrift, economy and industry am the
last one to begrudge him success. But
when few of you fellows turn your
backs on Uncle Sam and refuse to give
of your time and substance to charit-
able institutions that will help to al
leviate the suffering of the battlefield,
and worse still, apply vile epithets to
those who are conducting the war, it
is time that the government should
step in, cancel your papers, coniscate
your property, intern you for the re-
mainder of the war and then deport
you to your native land, where you
will be accorded all the free speech,
free press and personal liberty that
you are entitled to and in the mean
time be thankful if you are so FORUM
ate as to escape facing a firing squad.
We are at war to the knife with q
foe who has abandoned every principle
of humanity, broken every rule of war
fare and violated every moral obliga-
ton. The Imperial German govern
ment, in their efforts to ram German
kulture methods down the Threats of
unwilling peoples, are fast making the
word "German" stencil and loathing
in the nostrils of nearly the entire
world. Are we going to send our loved
boys over to fight such foe and then
allow pack of ours, and a nest of vip-
ers here at home to snip their heels
and under the guise of their constitu-
tional right of free speech, spew out
their venom, poison and filth on the
boys in general and the government
that sent them in particular? I hard
y think so.
During the Civil war we had every
SIN under the sum to hinder the presi- +
lent from bringing the war to a sue
,essful close. Had the result been
otherwise all would have had to been
ought over again, else the landing of
he Pilgrims would have been in vain. I
Ny father, then in the prime of man. !
lood, went into that war physically :
lmong the best in his company. He
anne out worn and broken down old
nan, unable to stand hard work and
lad it not been for beneficent gov
rnment he. would have died pauper.
Yet / would rather be the son of that
'oor old man than any other man who
yer lived, tho it might have brought
ne riches, fame. and honor. He saw
rs duty and did it, tho. he had to
cave four helpless orphans to the ten
er mercies of strangers and then
'ade thru hell to help uphold the prin-
iple that. God created all men free
nd equal.
l can best honor his sacred memory
y helping to keep the old flag he
wed from trailing in the dust and
so doing harm no nation nor in
ividual, who has the teachings of ,
ne Golden Rule at heart.
j. N. ELY.