The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1917-08-22
A Word To Our Germans
by Charles j. Rosebau!t. OF The
Nigilante&.

Before feeling runs too high fol
sober thought let us sit down and
reason quietly. Just now We are en-
joying Il moment OF calm. The great
majority of Americans are leaving 10
Washington the ordering OF events.
Their blood courses calmly in thei-
veins. 1t will not remain so long.
When the news of wounds and
death among the loved ones at the
front fills the cables then there viii
no longer be apathy in American
homes. People will not smile when
they see unfolded in the street cars
the pages of 'Niereck' 5 Weekly" or
the German language papers, decry-
ing America and praising the Hin
denburgs. Passion will be in the as
cendant. And German Will not be
popular on the highways. Will it
not be we'll then to arrive at the mo-
mentous decision, which must be
made sooner or later, while there is
still time to do so?
The good or i'll will of the Ameri-
can people for generations TO come
hangs in the balance. Prior TO the
events of 1914 the sentiments of
Americans towards persons of Ger
man birth or extraction was decided
ly friendly. In fact, none of the ma
tionalities that have sought our
shores was so welcome as the Ger
man. Even the invasion O. Belgium,
which aroused such intense feeling
among Americans. did nos immedi-
ately affect sentiment towards Ger
mans domiciled in the United States.
Had they not left the fatherland lar
SyalN- hncnnSa in
hands of the military party, to whom
alone could be imputed such disre-
gard for the rights of a weaker ma
ton? Only when the German Ian
guage press and so-called spokesman
of Germans and German~Americans
in this country applauded the acts of
the Prussian military machine did
Americans generally begin to doubt
the assimilation of their neighbors of
Teutonic extraction.
Even now, however, the American
mind is not fully settled. Americans
are by nature sentimental. and SYM
pathy for the mental struggles OF the
German here has deferred many
from antagOnism. Their wrath is
only deferred, however, if the atti-
tude of these Germans continues to
be fairly represented by the Stats
Zeitungs and German Herolds, the
Hearsts and the Fierecks.
Again, l suggest, let us reason out
the situation in calmneSs. Why did
Germans come to America? Either
because conditions at home were not
to their liking or because they eXepc-
ted to find here opportunities denied
them at home. Did they find the re-
suits they had anticipated? The
facts speak for themselves. Millions
of Germans and descendants of Ger
mans are citizens of these United
States. Even the prosperous ones
have not returned to Germany. What
then of the future? Is it to Ger
many or to this country that they
will look for happiness and prosperi-
ty? The insidious ganda of
the German language press has
doubtless clouded the issues. But
stop to think dispassionately of these
would be moulders of German opin-
is not patent that they are
working only with selfish purpose?
The German language press of this
country was dying of neglect when
the war came to revive its hopes. We
will not discuss the money frankly
poured into the counting rooms from
abroad. That alone would not have
made ne wreaders. But the cunning
suggestion that Germans in this
country and Americans of German
descent were unpopular was more
successful. 1t was not true then, but
the un-American behavior of these
papers went long way towards max
ing it true. It remains for the Ger
mans and the German-Americans TO
say whether it shall be entirely true.
There is still tim eto revive the
old good will. Not very much time,
however. The whole problem rests
upon their conclusion as to whether
they are for America first or Ger !
many first. Our President has held
out the hand of friendly welcome to |
all who would be loyal Americans. !
Let them not hesitate too fons, lese !
that welcome grow cold.
Let US ponder well the consequent
ces. Are they contemplating be- !
coming subjects of the Kaiser? The |
latter has cunningly tried to make it |
possible, through his law of dual ma !
tionality, to permit them to be both |
Germans and Americans, with the ac- |!
cent of course on the former; but |
America will have none of that. A !
choice must be made.
For those who are resolved to con- !
tinue in this country there can be on !
ly one conclusion. They will have TO |
face their neighbors through many |
tomorrows. And the sentiments of !
those neighbors, as they will be eyo,-
we'd from the bloody events that Will
soon be upon us, will be the Senti- |
ments of the children of those neigh !
bors towards their children. Aye, |
and of those children's children thru
the long years to come.
Shall there be ostracism of the |
German blood in this land? Shall |
we witness the boycott of German
business and German workers thru
many generations? Heaven forbid !
that we be thus divided, one against !
the other
This awful war should not be |
made more terrible by internecine |
strife. 1t can be made the means of |
together the many diver
gent elements into one great nation.
Never was there an equal opportuni-
ty for operating the Melting Pot to
good purpose. A real American ma
ton is struggling in the throes of
birth. 1t depends largely upon our
German citizens whether they be
represented in the result. Will they
be guided by tn eHearsts. the Were
cks and the Riders, who thrive up
on unrest, or by their own STURDY
sense?