The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1918-02-14
NO PREACHING IN GERMAN.
DIR. Bryan Suggests That all Publ,
Gatherings Use English.

gatherings Use EngllSn.
The following letter, written by DIR.
r. A. Bryan, chairman of the State
Council of Defense, in answer to an in
quiry Of one of our county chairmen,
covers subject which all Idahoans !
should be, interested in:
Replying to yours Of January Both |
relative to the preceding service in
German in your county, / congratulate !
your council and likewise the two con-
gregations that they have consented, |
during the war, to conduct the SER
vice exclusively in the American Ian
guage.
ut is a matter of profound regret
that thus far two other pastors have
not consented to a like arrangement. |
Assuming that these pastors and their
flocks are loyal American citizens, 1t
is regrettable that they do not see not
only the reasOnableness but the ne
essity in the midst of war to avoid any
thing thru which aid and comfort
might be given to the enemy govern
ment or which might be suspected of
being means of doing so.
The American people are sending
their sons to war against an enemy
government, they are giving money and
making Sacrifices to overthrow the
hostile power of the government, and
they are in no mood to tolerate any
thing which is not plain and open, so
that it may be known by all that
there is nothing hostile under cover.
Meetings Of any kind in an unknown
! tongue, whether the meetings are pol
itical or religious, are likely to pro-
yoke suspicion and resentment. The
foreign tongue is a camouflase under
which hostile sentiment and hostile
activities might be carried on, and
when it is the tongue of government
with which, unfortunately we are at
war, 1t will arouse suspicion and re-
sentiment.
I'VE have thousands of citizens OF
German ancestry and German birth
whom we have gladly welcomed and
whom we look upon as our brethren
and fellowcitizens. entitled to the
protection of the laws, TO our economic
and social opportunities and who unite
with us in the support of the same
flag and building up OF the same free
commonwealth.
I'VE do not wish to look upon these
people with suspicion or distrust. We
take it that having discovered in
America ideals and opportunities
which they desired for themselves and
their children. they are willing to
unite wholeheartedly In the task of
building up This commonwealth. To
promote a separatist movement to
keep us apart in speech, customs, sourc-
es OF information, and sympathies, Is
bad In war or peace. But now that
/ we are at war, 1t becomes intOlerable.
! Il admit that there is no law as yet
! forbidding meetings conducted In for
. eign tongue The Bolshoviki and
/ propagandists are yet at liberty to hide
! their work from American people.
Doubtless the President by proclama-
r ton could do this but he has not as
2 yet done so. 1t may and probably
r will be necessary for the Idaho legis-
lature to require that during the per
iod OF the war all public meetings be
conducted in tho American language
:. 1t will be far better, however, for all
I loyal Americans, who commonly or
r sometimes converse in foreign tongue
e to voluntarily conform to what SO
n clearly even for their own protection is
o the part of wisdom.
o "As yet, few OF our sons have fallen
K In battle, but soon the lists will length
n en-, and as the blood sacrifice for what
l. America believes to be the cause OF
e human liberty, begins to press In upOI
our minds and hearts, We will become
less tolerant OF any hiding place where
s an alien enemy or an enemy either
# may Turk and from which he may d.
II his deadly work.