The daily progressive-miner. [volume] (Ketchikan, Alaska) 1915-1919, 1918-10-21
AN APPEAL TO The
GERMAN PEOPLE

Bulgaria's surrender breaks the
line of the Central Powers and con-
verts our unshakable faith in the final
victory for democracy into certainty
of it's early attainment.
At this fateful moment in the his
tory of the German people, I, as an
American citizen of German race, feel
impelled to raise my voice and appeal
to the democratic and liberty-loving
elements of the German people to
make determined effort to rid them
selves of the rulers who have enslav-
ed them, and who are tormenting the
rest of the world.
The masses in Germany should lis
ten eagerly to voice which comes
from among the ranks of German
Americans. In the past we have de-
tended what was good in the German
people at the risk of our reputation for
loyalty to cur own Republic, the I'm
tied States of America. We would
take this risk because by word and
deed we have teen faithful to the
ideals of the American people. We
have always felt sure that the love of
liberty and justice has not died out
of the hearts of Germans and that
when The time comes we can rely up
on this sentiment in their breasts to
exert itself. While particularly con-
demnipg the Hohenzollerns as the au-
thors of the world crime we did not
lose faith in the men of German bloon
nor did our President, however much
the Junker newspapers and states
men have misrepresented him.
We know that the Junker leaders
and press have persistently described
President Wilson as hypocrite. That
false cry has totally deceived many
Germans. Is it not time they should
open their ears to better and wiser
councils? Many of them know in
their hearts that President Wilson has
an irreproachable record in the annals
of democracy He is our voice, the
voice of the common people of our
Republic, including those of German
extraction.
Our people desire just and demo
cratic peace, not compromise with
Prussan militarism. If the German
people will listen to our President
they will be listening to US, if they
trust him, they will be trusting us.
We do not desire the annihiliatiOn of
Germany What we do desire is that
the German masses shall take poll
teal power into their own hands and
establish a government which shall
he responsible only to themselves.
Only with such a German government
can the United States deal, and thus
pave the way for an early, honorable
and lasting peace.
If the Germans do not wish to meet
the fate of an utterly defeated and
discredited people, this is the time
OF tHSm 10 awake anu SEIZE Iuc OppOT-
tunity given to them. This is the
critical hour of German liberty. The
Hohenzollerns and Hapsburgs must
pass into history; they and their Jun
;:ers must have no part in the free
Germany of the future. The days fol-
ewing 1915 and 1916, days of prom
ises uufulfilled and hopes of popular
rec government killed and crushed
under the heel of militarism and
kaiserism must not be repeated.
In appealing to the German people,
we German-Americans act from mot
ives of self-interest as well as out of
sympathy for our racial brothers, for
If the German government remains au-
! tocratic, militari5m and compulsion
will endanger reeinstitutions through
cut the world. The moment the com.
non people rise and seize the reins of
government, they will have laid Sc
cure foundation for peace and rehabil.
iation of their own honor and good
name.