Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-12-07
THE BLuNDER ore AMERICANS
OF GERMAN DESCENT.

One of Germany's colossal blunders
was her estimate of the sentiments
and principles of German thorn peo
pie who have made their homes in
America, and the American sons and
daughters of Germantown parents
German statesmen whose criminal
wishes shaped their thoughts sincere
ly believed that the admiration and
love of the kaiser's despotism, includ-
ing even the military iron heel, was so
great that the influence of American
liberty, open hearted hospitality and
vast opportunity would count for
nauRht when the kaiser cracked his
whip.
The Simple Simons Of Wilhemstrasse
actually believed that in any struggle
with America, all Americans of Ger
man ancestry necessarily would be
traitors to their own hearthstones, and
would rise en- masse. fully armed, CO.
bra like, to strike the government of
the United States. Being themselves
ruthlessly devoted to the idea Of might
and conquest, and the merciless subju-
cation of small and weak nations, they
Judged their kindred in America by
their own rotten standards.
They foolishly assumed that Ger
man 40 years in America would will
ingly become black hearted traitor
to the land that for years had sheltered
him, and made much of him-simply
because the ruthless builders of mod
ern Germany had endeavored to keep
a grip on him land had willed that he
should obey their orders.
| But the people Of America made no
| mistakes of that kind. They recog-
nized that so long as the United States
was not ut war with Germany, the
sympathy of all Americans of German
descent would be against the allies.
That was as natural as it is for water
to run down hill. But when war with
Germany was declared. after q multi
tude of insults and injuries and too
many efforts at avoidance. the native
| American felt no serious misgiving
regarding the great body Of Ameri-
cans of German ancestry. All that
they did fear was the crazy POSSIBLE
tiles of individual hot-heads; and 1t
was pointed out to German Americans
| that the insane and reasonable acts
of such irresponsibles might easily In
volve great masses Of perfectly inno-
cent people. The Americans Of Ger
man descent sternly forbade all such
folly by their people. and 1t will be q
pleasure for the historians Of these
times to record the fact that the Ger
man borg Americans have. as . mass.
elected to be Americans first. and the
others have wisely feared to be openly
hostile to the United States.
Except the anarchists. Socialists and
I, w. WIS, American ideals have made
lasting impressions upon many Of our
people whose veins contain foreign
blood, though not upon all. Young
Ernest and Heinrich are in the ma
tional guard, and lads August and
Herman are in the boy scouts, busy
sAluting the flag; and all are quite
ready to fight for the only home coun-
try that they know. They are not In
the ranks Of the alien malcontents VINO
are organized to fight all American eff
forts at national defense. But we viii
deal with that element
The brutal German government,
and the odious Junkers. now franti-
cally lying to the people of Germany
and ruthlessly concealing the truth
from them, have few allies in the
4 United States save the spies and trait
ors planted here for spy purposes.
There will be no uprising Of Ger