New-York tribune., 1918-05-20
War Causes 1000
German Societies
ToDisband in u. S.
Friends of Democracy Re-
port Waning Influence of
Teutons in America

A waning influence Of Germanized
social life in the United States was
reported yesterday in statement
from the Offices Of the Friends OF
German Democracy. Of 10000 Teu-
tonic societies existing at the out
break Of the war nearly 1000 have dis
appeared
This is shown by the returns from
loyalty pledge cards distributed among
German organizations throughout the
nation, demanding absolute support of
the government in the war. About one
half of the cards have come back with
signatures. A few have been remailed
anonymously, with seditious messages
written across the back. More than 10
per cent have been returned by the
postof1ice, with the announcement that
the society addressed has disbanded
The pledge of the Friends of Ger
man Democracy follows:
We, the undersigned citizens of the
United States, do hereby declare our
fervent belief in the great principles
for the defence and victory of which
this Republic has drawn the sword,
and we pledge ourselves to do all in
our power to further a vigorous
prosecution of the war until the just
cause of our country has triumphed.
Though we are of German descent
we yield to none of our fellow citi-
in 6ofoCtoftNn nf hn
man military autocracy, which has
wrought so much ruin and havoc in
tho world, which threatens to per-
petuate and increase the causes of
national animosities, and which is
the chief obstacle to a just and
democratic peace.
We believe, with President Wilson,
the chosen spokesman of our coun-
try. that this is war for democracy
and against autocracy; war for the
universal triumph of the principles
which are the very basis of our
Republic, and which have assured us
liberty and we'll being; war against
the autocracy which dominates the
German people and desires to en-
slave the world.
We assure the people of Germany
that 1t is this profund conviction
"liNi uiiiieO US dS people ana
which gives unyielding strength to
our resolve.
We assure the German people that
our American people, though they
loathe the military autocracy of the
German Empire, do not hate the
German people, that racial hatreds
have no place in the heart of a ma
tion composed Of all the races of the
earth.
We assure the people of Germany
that they hope in vain 20 attain
peace before their military auto
cracy has been destroyed
And we urge the German people to
assert their right as freemen and rid
themselves of their autocrats in
order to establish a democratic Ger
many, the best guarantee Of just
and peaceful world order.
"By our pledge" said William
Randorf, of the Friends of German De-
mocracy, Eve are bringing home the
fact that there are no German-Amer-
cans in the nation. There are ONLY
Americans and only Germans. We in
clude the Americans in our organiza-
ton. The Germans are for the gov
ernment to deal with.
1--WE have made our pledge as strong
as possible. There's no need of mine
ing matters. If man of German ex-
traction is not willing to take an un-
equivocal stand with US, then the pre-
sumption is for the Kaiser. Those who
refuse to come in are open to very
grave suspicion"