New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-28

n
Z over half n century ago stood toward
/ Abraham Lincoln. Men like Senators
/ La Toilette and Stone and Congressman
/ McIemorc occupy substantially the
position which Vallandigham occupied
in 1863. They denounce this war as
yallandgham denounced the war Tor
the Union. They aid Germany as Val
Iandigham aided the cause of secession.
1 They use the same high-sounding words
that Vallandigham used. They demand
peace as he demanded il. They now
SUR over OF defend the hideous iniquity
of Germany "a he in his day slurred
/ over or defended the inquiry Of siav-
erv. They try to excite class hatred
/ exactly as Vallandigham and his Eel
| lows aroused the New York mob against
! the draft.
| Would Send Them Away
| abraham Lincoln sent Vsllandigham
| into the hostile lines. ] wish that we
could send to Germany the neo-copper-
heads of to-day, and especially all those
| Congressional and editorial copperheads
who have taken the lead in directly or
, indirectly preaching dsloyalty to our
country's cause while at war and giving
aid and comfort in this crisis to the
uublic enemy They are out OF place
among brave and honorable Americans.
They belong in Germany, and 1t IL much
TO be regretted that they cannot be sent
where they belong.
when | speak Of the activities OF
the professional German Americans
here. and especially of the German
American press. ! quote the Cologne
Gazette of June 10. IL brazeniy de-
clares that the German Americans OF
the United States are the best allies
of Germany against the United States,
and rejoices in the fact that these
German Americans 'embarrass and re-
strain us in the war.
The German American Alliance
stands among the foremost OF the or.
PLANTATIONS which have thus WORKED
against the interests OF the united
States; and the most prominent Ter
man newspapers in New York and CHI
cago during the last three years, az
the time of the Lusltania iniamy and
since, have richly deserved the ominous
and sinister praise Of the Cologne Ga
zette' and the other organs OF the
German autocrbcy.
"In Germany no newspaper is al
lowed to be printed in the language of
hostile country during the war. In
this particular respect we should fol-
low the German example. In this coun-
try We should not permit during the
existence Of this war any paper to
be printed in German.
"There are plenty Of papers printed
in English whose utterances are at
least as bad as those of the worst
German-American papers papers edit
H.. rhA 20 nl a
native American demagogues, at heart
diSloyal 10 this land. and papers print
ed by men Of foreign birth or parent
age who hate England or hate Russia
moro than they love the United States.
"OUr government has been recrean:
in not dealing with all necessary Sc
verify with the strongest and most
influential of these papers; it has been
a mistake for the government, on IN"
occa sions when il has struck, to Sc
lect comparatively weak papers-and
sometimes papers which comparatively
have not seriously offended-instead OF
the far more sinister, far more Of
fensivn. and very powerful offenders,
which. seemingly, because OF their
power, are left unmolested.
1.-THE German-Amerlcan press, as has
been conclusively proved. was lavishly
subsidized by the German government
during the early stages of the war.
The immense majority OF the German
American papers were open advocates
Of Germany and ardent defenders OF
her foulest actions against this coun-
try. even defending the sinking OF the
Lusitania. They now dare not be quite
so open, but continue more covertly
their antiAmerican propaganda. at
lacking and vlifying our allies and. at
least indirectly, praising our brutal
enemies.
whether or not they are still sub
sidizcd the effect is equally bad. They
endeavor to keep themselves clear of
legal action for treason. but that is all.
"A German-American paper put the
case i'm nutshell about n month ago
when il said. The problem OF the Ger
man press is to save Germanism in the
United States This last statement
contains the crux Of the situation. II
shows that the man making 1t and all
the men who defend it are not Ameri-
cans and have no business TO remain
longer in America. They are German
and belong in Germany; they are
aliens here. and perilously near trait
ors. The time has come TO make short
shrift Of all men who take such views
THE time has come when We should
insist that any man in this country who
believes in 'Germanism' or any other
national ism except straightout, un--
adulterated Americanism is foe OF
America and should be bundled
straight out of the country to any
other country that is, willing to re-
ceive him. There isn't room any longer
here for a $3.50 allegiance"