The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-02-25
PLOT TO MAKE
US. ALLY OF
THE KAISER
A Senate Witness Arraigns
5000, Men in German
American Alliance
CHIEF AIM WAS
DISLOYALTY
Financed by Secret Teutonic
Means-Sought to Destroy
Our National Spirit

Washington, Feb. 25.--The German
American alliance, claiming membership
of 100000 or more persons in the Unit
ed States, thousands OF whom are natur-
allied American citizens and consider
: able percentage native born Americans
Saturday was denounced before the King
subcommittee of the Senate committee
on the Judiciary as the core of the kultur
canker in the American body polite
Gustavus Ohlinger, a Toledo attorney,
uttered the indictment, and senators OF
the subcommittee were astounded at the
frankncss with which he described the
plottings and treachery of these self
constituted agents OF kaiserism.
The allegations pronounced by Mr..
Ohlinger in his opening statement con
WINGED senators that the time had ar
rived for the most searching inyestiga-
ton. Senator King of Utah, chairman
OF the subcommittee, has bill pending
in Congress looking to the forcible dis
ruption of the German American alliance.
Its favorable report as result of the
investigation only thus far pursued is
freely predicted.
Six purposes were set down by Mr..
Ohlinger as the fundamental reasons for
the existence of this inimical organiza
ton in war time. They are:
To consolidate all Germans in the
United States into one economic, politi
cal and social bloc
To arouse antagonism of race and
thereby insure closer unity of Germans
in America.
To scatter propaganda inspired by the
imperial German government broadcast
throughout the American republic.
tn .Y,npGiti m ha pnliatpS of
the United States government.
TO further the aims and plots of dis
loyal persons, parties and organizations
in this country.
To agitate resistance to the prohibi |
ton of the use of alcoholic stimulants
throughout the United States.
The climax of Mr.. Ohlingers arraign
ment was reached when he charged that
through secret and unknown channels /
the funds necessary to the upkeep of the
organization were obtained.
is it your inference that the German
American alliance obtains money from
dsloyal sources here?" demanded Sena- ,
tor King.
THAT is exactly what | do mean to
infer" replied Ohlinger. Their funds
come to them from persons and parties
whose interests are actively against the ,
United States If the committee will [,
pursue this investigation ] am sure it
will develop much enlightenment on this /,
subject"
c. J. Hexsmer, who was president of -,
the German American alliance, so the
witness testified, had been ''honored' in ,
1904 by Kaiser Wilhelm ii. with the
Prussian Red Eagle of the fourth class d
for "the spreading of German kultur" in
the United States.
Citations from the official bulletins of {
the alliance. circulated only among its
loyal adherents, were read by Mr.. Oil 0
niger in which German Americans were u
urged to vote "only for the friends of c
Germanism." 1t was shown that when a
the issues of the presidential campaign Y
of 1916 were in the formative period the
American alliance had undertake IL
Ell to line up its membership against a
American statesmen supposedly of en- t
tente ally sympathies. Theodore Roose- Il
velt had been the central objective of
this movement, but President Wilson
whose utteranees up to that time had
not taken the shape of such definite de-
of the German policies as had N
Jolonel Roosevelts, also was included in n
he list OF Americans to be opposed. Y
The German American alliance had NJ
sought middle ground in American do r
nestle politics between the Republican c,
md Democratic parties. 1t had been n
ealized that neither of the great parties p
vas in sympathy with such performances O
II the imperial government as the ravish- II
ng of Belgium, the sinking of the Iusi- n
ANA, the shooting of Captain Frvatt M
md Edith Cavell and the then suspected n
,ut later proved efforts of Count Won \,
3ernstorff's agents in burning American u 7,
ammunition plants. The leaders had y,
warned German American Democrats ~ ~
gainst shifting from their own to the :,
republican party, saying that it was -
stepping from the rain into the show n
r." n
III