Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-12-04
HUN PERFIDY
SSHOWN BY
ABLE0RAT0R
u. s. Senator James Hamil
ton Lewis Addresses Big
Demonstration.

Painting a word picture Of the per
fidy and brutality Of Prussianism that
burned itself into the very hearts of
his hearers aud aroused them to
new sense Of their need to rededicate
their lives anew to the cause Of lib
erty and justice, James Hamilton
Lewis, United States senator from mi
nois, addressed one Of the greatest
patriotic demonstrations this COM
munity ever staged at Augustana gym
nasium last evening
The auditorium was filed and
the vast assemhlage seemed peculiar
ly in sympathy with the speaker, who
was able 10 move 81 10 the highest
pitch OF Enthusiasm By the fights Of
matchless .orBtory for which he is
justly famous
Senator Lewis was brought 10 Rock
Island under the auspices Of the Rock
Island county neighborhood commit
tee Of the State Council Of Defense.
Various patriotic organizations at
tended in a body, sections being re-
served on the main floor for the vol
unteer training units Of Rock Island
Island Daughters of Veterans, Wo-
mans Relief corps, Augustana college
students, Rock Island high school stu
dents, United Sunday School band OF
Rock Island, Sons of Veterans of Mo-
line, members Of the Rock Island
chapter Of the Red Cross. and Boy
Scouts Of Rock Island and Moline,
while In the center were seated hun
dreds Of officers and soldiers from
Rock Island arsenal
On the stage, in addition TO the guest
of honor, were members of the Grand
Army Of the Republic from Rock Is
land and Moline; members OF the Rock
Island Maennerchor: Colonel George
W. Burr. commandant at Rock Island
arsenal, and his staff. members of
the county neighborhoOd committee
of the State Council of Defense; the
Augustana band. and members Of the
reception committee.
Preceding the speaking the Angus
tana band played several selections
and the student body gave mighty
cheers for the G. A. r.. the arsenal
soldiers, and every one else. The
United Sunday School band of Rock
Island was given a hand as the young
sters paraded through the hall, while
the playing Of the fife and drum corps
OF Rock Island veterans OF the Civil
war brought down the house.
Maennerchor Gets ovation.
George A. Stephens, Moline, presid-
ed, and announced the first feature
would be the rendition Of THE Star
spangled Banner by the Rock Island
Maennerchor Herman +. Winkler,
speaking for the German singing So
ciety, said the members desired in
this public way 10 show their loyalty
TO the United States and aroused a
great outburst of applause when he
said the organization had dropped
die Yacht Am Rhine" for THE Star
Spangled Banner" The men sang
four verses OF the national anthem
while the audience stood and at the
close the singers were given an oya-
ton. In closing the meeting the men
sang America" in which the audience
Joined
In his Introduction of Senator Lewis
TO the audience, Mr. Stephens,
after describing the purposes of
the organization Of which he is the
head in this community. paid a
tribute TO the G. A. R., which brought
cheers. He referred to the speaker of
the evening as being high in the coun-
ellis of the nation and is in very close
touch With the administration" and
referred TO the fact that it was appro-
PIRATE the gathering should be held on
the 99th birthday of the state Of lii
nois.
Exposes Germany's Hand.
Senator Lewis took as his theme.
why We Are at War and his discus
sion of the entire subject was one of
exceptional interest. He traced the
attempt of Prussia 10 defy the pro-
visions OF the Monroe doctrine in
Chile, Brazil and Venezuela, and
showed through the reading of impor-
tant documents which have long been
in the archives at Washington COM
plete evidence as to Germany's plans
for the conquest of the western hem
isphere. He recounted how a German
admiral at Manila bay had threatened
Admiral Dewey that il the latter fired
on single ship of Spain the Germans
would attack Uncle Sans ships, and
how, on the same occasion, another
German naval officer had said that
although the United States might be
successful at that time, that In Is
years this country would be paying
heavy indemnities TO Germany. show
ing that for years the imperial gov
eminent had been plotting and pre-
pairing for world conquest.
Among other things he said:
"In this western triangle OF our
state there are the representative
scandinavian citizenship OF the west.
As in the Rockford district of the
north. your people in the district DOM
mate politically and numerically over
any other foreign-born nationality [
must inform you Scandinavian citi-