Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-07-05
ROOSEVELT
Continued from Page One)

as against the cause for which we are
fighting. This is a mortal treason to
the Republic, and all who engage in IT
are in fact, although not in law, trait
ors who have no right longer to be
treated as American citizens. The
time has come to insist that they drop
their dual allegiance. and in good faith
become outright Germans or outright
Americans. They cannot be both, and
those who pretend to be both are
merly Germans who hypOCritically pre-
tend to be Americans in order to serve
Germany and damage America. At
this moment the vital thing to remem-
Der about these half-hiddcn traitors is
that to attack Americas allies, while
we arc at death grips with peculiarly
ruthless and brutal foe, or to champion
that foe as against our allies, or to
apologize for that foes infamous
wrongdoing, is to be false to the cause
Of liberty and to the United States.
There can be no half and half at
titude in this war, and no honorable
man can afford to take such an atti-
tude. We are bound by every con-
sideration of loyalty and good faith to
our allies, and any opposition to them,
or any aid given to their and our
enemy, is basely dishonorable as re
CARDS our allies, and reasonable as re-
CARDS our own country"
Colonel Roosevelt said that the
claim that it was natural for American
citizens of German origin to favor Ger
many was nonsense. and criminal
nonsense to boot" and added. either a
;c al
or he is not an American at all. We
are akin By blood and descent to most
of the nations of Europe, but we are
separate from all of them. We are a
Few and distinct nation. and we are
bound always to give our whole he art :
Cd and undivided loyalty to our flag,
and in any international crisis to treat
every foreign nation purely according
TO it's conduct in that crisis. 1t is both
weak and wicked to permit any of our
citizens to hold dual or divided al
lcgiance, and it is just as mischievous,
just as un-American. to discriminate
against any good American because of
his birthplace, creed or parentage"
Celebrating on that point and pro-
testing against the plan to exclude
from American Red Cross units Ameri
cans of German or Austrian parentage
or descent, Colonel Roosevelt said that
if he had been permitted to raise a
military force for service in France
many of his officers would have been
chosen from among men Of German
parentage who were undoubted Ameri-
cans.
Colonel Roosevelt severely arraigncd
~
Germany tour embittered and en-
venomed foe" by saying I'VE would
behave in like manner if we had the
opportunity" and reviewed the history
of the Civil War in support of his con-
tcnti~l that the utterance was in
famous falsity."
Contrast the brutality shown
towards women and children on the
Lusitana, and scores Of other ships, by
the officially directed German sub
marines, with the Alabama's action so
years ago. he continued. "Semmes
never destroyed a vessel without pro-
viding for the safety of the passengers
and crew. He turned his own officers
out of their cabins to put in them the
women and children of his foes, and
once when he had 700 prisoners and a
prize he allowed them to so in freedom
on the vessel rather than send them to
a nearby port where there was yellow
fever. Compare these actions with the
mcthodical and organized brutality Of
the German military authorities in this
war, and then brand with shame the
American traitors who seek to aid Ger
many by asserting that we, if given
the chance, would be guilty of atroci-
ties like those she has committed"
Touching on the matter of language.
Colonel Roosevelt declared that 1--WE
must have in this country but one flag,
and for the speech of the people but
one language, the English language.
During the present war all newspapers
published in German, or in the speech
of any Of our foes, should be required
to publish, side by side with the for
eisn text, columns in English contain
ing the exact translation of everything
said in the foreign language Ulti-
mately this should be done with
ell newspapers published in foreign
tongues in this country
Universal suffrage should he based
on universal service in peace as well as
war" said Colonel Roosevelt in con
GLIDING his address. Those who re-
fuse to render the one should have no
title to the enjoyment of the other. We
stand for the democracy Of service: we
are against privilege, therefore against
the privilege which would escape serv-
ice in war.
I'VE must fight with steadfast en-
DURANGO, until we win the peace of
overwhelming victory for righteous
ness, and even while thus fighting we
must prepare the way for the peace of
industrial justice. and the peace of in
dustrial democracy. which are to come
after, and to consecrate the war"
Comments on Rioting
The colonel preceded his remarks on
the war situation with an allusion to
the race riots in East st. Louis, saw
ing that the causes should be ascer-
tanned and the remedy found.
Before l make the speech l have
prepared, l wish to say one word on
the instant need of today, July 4th, In
dependence Day, the day on which the
nation was born and was dedicated to
the cause of orderly liberty and equal
rights for ALL he said
There has just occurred in a north
ern city most lamentab1e tragedy. We
who live elsewhere will do well not
to feel seffrighteous about it, for it
was produced by causes which might
at any time produce just such results
in any of the communities in which