The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-04-12
THE LAND OF LOYALTY RIOTS
IS ONE VAST RUM0R FACTORY
And Every Story of Pro-German'
ism Increases the Suspicion
.t.-f
of the Illinois Miners
~ BY H. e. BECHTOL
Daily Tribune Reporter Who
Went to Investigate the. Anti
German Outbreaks In Southern
Illinois.

g, Illinois.
ST. Louis. Mo. April 12.-There are
more outward evidences of patriotism
in the hotbed of anti.German feeling
| the mining towns across the rive,
from here-than in any other place ii
the country.
And as rumor factory, southern
Illinois leads the world. =.
Walk down Collinsville's main street
and look at the names on the store
and Office Observation-Disclosures
ekifer Schlosser. Schroebel, Arms
burger, Hoffman, Goebel, and so on
German nam eafter German name.
It's the same in most Of the towns
of the district. A great percentage
Of the business and professional peO
pie are Of German stock.
But they're loyal Americans
second, third and fourth genera
tions in this country most Of
them. In CotlinsviIIe, town Of
10000, only 80 aliens registered.
The miners know that.
But the constant sight of German
names, one after another, everywhere
has It's psychological effect. It adds
to the "nerves"--the suspicion of the
district-which explains the repeated
flag. kissing episodes. tar-and-feather
ings, rail.ridings, and the lynching OF
Robert Prayer, suspected as prO.Ger
man-first lynching of the war. "
The business people understand how
the miners feel about it, and they 90
out of their way to proclaim their
patriotism. i. ~ r ..'..' ~ -
Flags are everywhere-three OF
four in a. window. - y 49,. .''. ."-r'
Everybody's coat Is decorated with
flag button, Red Cross; and all
three Liberty Loan buttons. W.
Stores and offices are fairly pa
oered with posters.
"r:e a, 100 PER CENT American"
with the 100 PER CENT in huge
'etters is the favorite. },
Passive loyalty isn't enough-you
must work at it out here.
In Prayer room was found a note
in German. I started out to get 1t
tran slated, and I went to seven peo'
pie before found anybody who'd
admit he knew German.
made it point to find out that all
Of them could have translated the
love-letter, as it proved to be.
But did any of them speak German?
NOT LATELY!
The night after the Prayer lynch
ing word spread through Edwards
Vile that a pastor suspected OF pro-
7ern,anism had refused to observe the
change OF time-moving the clocks
forward an hour. He was to be tarred
and feathered, the report said.
That night the evening church bell
-ang an hour earlier. Members OF
the congregation are said to have
warned the pastor. And whatever the
reason. this pastor didn't appear for
he Sunday services.
There's ground for some of the min
ers'' suspicious and their dread OF
Huns who'd blow in shaft
Explosives have been found, stored
away by suspects. Strikes in the coal
fields last summer are laid to German
agitation. A German sympathizer
blew up a bridge over which many
miners went to and from work. 9th
er such cases are history.
But where there's one story with a
foundation. there are SO without.
This district turns out the widest
rumors imaginable-one a minute!
When you go to trace them down
"why, everybody knows about it,
That's as far as you get-everybody
knows about it iLut nobody saw ,it-no-
body heard it,
Just the same. every rumor adds its
quota otO the districts nerves and In
creases the miners feeling against the
prof. German menace-a menace which
they feel is making their already risky
business a flirt with horrible death.