Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-02-04
LETTER OF DAVENPORT MAN ASSAILING
KAISER AS READ AT FOUNDING OF IOWA
CERMAN-AMERICAN PATRIOTIC SOCIETY

in France and Belgium 60 to prove
beyond question how he has turned
them into beasts. Most OF this was
done deliberately and by order-done
as a part OF plan of frightfulness-
done to brighten with its awful hor-
ror a people who would not scare,
but died rather than yield.
I want our German-Americans to
know the truth. To know that these
things were not British lies. but that
they were actually done l want them
to know that the public thinkers of
Germany, the writers Of her books,
the editors Of her papers, the preach
ers in her pulpits. the teachers in
their schools and colleges. the men,
beers Of her legislative bodies. all of
them writing, speaking and working
under the lash of the kaiser and his
military gang, have filled the souls
of a great majority of the German
people with an unholy lust for world
conquest and world power.
1t is because we do not want this
curse to blight America that we must
continue to fight kaiserism with a
vim and will, with eyes that never
sleep and feet that never tire, fight
out faithfully to the bitter end this
great war for human liberty and hap
piness.
The trouble with our German peo-
pie is that they can't be brought to
believe these awful things. They
don't want to believe them, they fight
against believing them. But there
is no use in our shutting our eyes to
the facts, sooner or later We shall be
forced to know and accept the truth,
and the sooner we know it and get
our lives adjusted in harmony with it,
! the better for all Of US.
There ought to be no question as
to the absolute loyalty Of every Ger
man-American to the stars and stripes.
We came from a land where We had
no chance at all and because we had
no chance, to this fair land of promise
that i1sures to every hard working,
! saving, earnest man, real chances in
life. In spite Of all our hard work
and self sacrifice we never could have
succeeded unless great, good freedom
! loving America had given us chance
/ to do so.
! In return for this chance which she
gave us we owe our last dollar and
I last drop of life's blood in her great
war against the system of govern
ment that fcrbids, instead of giving
its people privileges and opportunities.
/ Here in America man has a chance
! to work out in freedom the best there
is in him. In Germany he has no such
chance but must do simply as he is
] told.
/ 1t seems to me that the effort of
our organization should be two-fold !;
; first, to help our German-Americans
VINO are inclined to be disloyal, to
see the truth, TO know the facts and
TO convince them by reason md per-
suasiOn of the error of their ways
and second, 10 make this country sim
ply too hot to hold those who stub
bornly stand out against Uncle Sam
and will not be convinced by the logic
of the facts. For the nisinformed
misled and misguided American citi-
zen OF German birth and parentage
we can have nau9ht but pity and SYM
paihy and desire that he should
come out of the darkness into the
light. but for the German-Americar
citizens who wilfully shut their eyes
tc the truth. who persist in believing
in the kaiser's dream Of conquest, and
VINO want the kaiser to win. simply
because they happen to be Germans
we should have no charity orr consid-
Grafton, but should give them clearly
to understand that they are not want
ed here and that if they don't get out
right soon, we will help them to move
in ways that they cannot fail to I'M
derstand.
| believe that the majority of Ger
2nAmericans OF this country are
loyal TO the stars and stripes. Those
who belong to this majority should bt
cheered and comforted and encour.
aged and supported by every means
at our command.
1t is with these sentiments in mi
heart that l wish the new patriotic
organization all possible success an,
prosperity.
Sincerely yours,
(Signed) LOUIS BLOCK.