The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-10-05
made that drew this retort from
| Commissioner McGee


Some Residents Favor Germany.
Attorney Pfaender had testified
that he told the commission that he
and the younger generations at New
| Ulm were anxious that the United
| States should win the war against
Germany, but that some of the older
people, many of whom were born in
Germany and whose near kin are
| fighting in the German trenches. were
less in favor of an American triumph
| if it would mean wiping Germany out
of existence. r
| "And then Judge MCGEE said to
you, You're a traitor and ought to be
stood UP against wall and shot,
didn't he?" Mr. Tighe inquired.
Attorney Pfaender denied this ap-
plication and said the charge followed
his statement that he believed man
might petition congress against
sending drafted men to France with
cut being unpatriotic or disloyal.
Pfaender Speech Was Amended. Z.
Mr.. Tighe brought out also that
Attorney Pfaender had interlined his
New Ulm speech after giving out
copies for publication and inserted
predictions that universal military
training in the United States would
be established and would tend to
democratize the military system, which
| is now ariStOcratic, the lines read.
Other inserted matter further urged
compliance with the draft law.
The witness was examined at length
regarding the request of Mr.. Tighe
that he and other promoters of the
cio n
ment declaring the move a mistake
ton for the government policies, all to
"quell the disturbance blamed to the
meeting
He said that Captain A. A. Stein
hauser refused to listen to the read
ing Of the proposed statement and
admitted that the captain FUSED
strong language" when asked wheth-
er the captain said the Public Safety
| Commission could go to hell.
They Want No Part In 1t.
Auditor Vogel and Treasurer Berg,
county officers involved in the
charges, also refused to sign, Berg
decling to be brought into the mat
ter and Vogel denying any connection
| with it, he said.
Others refused to sign any state
ments of any kind. Attorney Fiaen-
der said be has no personal objection
to signing the proposed statement,
but knowing the temperament of the
others he could understand their re-
fusals.
Referring to the New Ulm meeting
the witness said the local effect was
good, in his opinion, but that it was
mistake as far as the rest of the
state was considered.
He testified further that had he
known in advance of the results that
followed he would have had nothing
to do with the meeting.
Protesting his loyalty, he told of
his long service in the Minnesota
National Guard with which he served
on the Mexican border and was ready
for action across the line and added
that since his return he has display
ed the American flag in his home and
done what he could to aid the govern
ment in the prosecution of the war,
having rendered his services to aid
in the Liberty loan campaign, the
home guard organization and toward
executing the draft law.
Was Formerly Pro-Oermah.
Prior to the entrance of America
in the war, his sympathies naturally
were with Germany, he said, but
since then he has been loyal to the
United States and wants this country
to win.
The Gibon meeting was had con-
trary to protests, he said, because he
and others believed that otherwise
violence and charges of dislOyal in
tentions might have resulted and be-
cause it was desired to demonstrate
that the meeting could be made or
derby and not become an unlawful
assembly"
The remainder of the testimony by
Attorney Pfaender was similar to
that given previously by DR.. Fritsche.
At no time, he insisted, did he have
any idea of creating antagonism
against the United States of it's pol