Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1918-06-06
Why We Fight
Dsessss Csenaay tsf Yeass Sss1Ae
. Uadseaiae Or 0evseaneae
aad Our ldeals
By CLARENCE L arm

III
By CLARENCE L eH1xD
Union League Club e chicasa
We are fighting Germany IL IL
right to live our own lives % " 80
It We are fighting for saf Lawn, eur
ideals, our homes, our institutions.
''But, how" one may an. swere IN
these things threatened ~ Germany
before the war startsd1 Il q easy -
see how they may b thrsatsaea ~,
for Il we are defeated We are Lot, bit
before the war started did Germany
menace those things We Asld most -
cred9"
Let the Germans themselves answer.
After you haHe read the Evidence cut
of their own mouths. you nay decide
whether or not Germany PLANNED to up |
set our institutions, our ideals, cur vesy
mode Of life.
In 1901 the National Gesman-AmeFl.I
can alliance was formed IN tie United |
States. In 1907 It was incorporated |
by act Of congress-. Its charter 10
now being attacked In that same body. |
One Of the objects Of the alliances, - |
officially announced, was TO check ma
tivistic encroachments." In other |
words. to keep the Germans tom be.
coming Americana. Another object
was ITO awaken and strengthen the
sense Of unity among the people q
German origin in America"
'"This alliance" It's preliminary
statement of aims concludes, Els
pledged to bring its entire organixa.
ton to the support Of any state fed.
Grafton which Is engaged in the strug.
gle for any Of these objects."
1t was pledged, In other words, 70
have its members vote, not as individ-
uals, but as German controlled units,
for or against anthing Of which
they did not approve.
The desire for resisting snativistic
encroachments," was particularly alb.
horrent to American ideals. because
the effort in this country has always
been to keep politics free from racial
or religious influences. Yet here was
body, proclaiming itself German In
origin and thought, seeking to perpetu-
ate this German feeling In the midst
1 Of America.
From its very start the alliance
sought to foment discord with England.
It always spoke Of the American press
as "the Anglo.American'' press, and It
carried out long and well directed
campaign for the Introduction Of the
German language into the schools and
its use in civil life.
1.-THE National Alliance" according
to an issue of It's omcial Bulletin be.
fore this nation entered tho war. 10
waging war against Angio.Saxonism.
against the fanatical enemies Of pei.
sonal liberty and political freedom, II
Is combating narrow-minded. benight.
ed know.nothingism, the influence Of
the British, and the enslaving Puritan-
ism, which had its birth In England"
1.-THE race war which We will DO
compelled to go through with on Amer
lean soil will be our world war" said
the New York Stats Zeitung In fight
ing proposal to amend the New York
constitution to make ability to speak
and write the English language &
requisite Tor Suffrage.
i. Ludwig Fulda wrote book, Amer.
lean Impressions" They were I'M
pressions Of German who had stud.
fed this nation with view to seeing
It ultimately Germanized. German.
ization is synonymous with causing to
, speak German" he said. 'and speak
ing German means to remain German. =
Wherever there were signs Of dis.
content, Of movement which might
tend to disrupt this country, OF any
other which Germany might ind % Z
commercial rival, the German-AmsEi.
can alliance was sure to be On the
job. It gave support to the IrisA'
American societies, because these sod.
cites, before the war. were working fol-
the separation Of Ireland from HnC
I land, matter In which Germany, q
that time, could have no legitimate
interest. But Germany, even then
was preparing for war, and was doinl
, every possible thing to weaken ii
coming enemies. A disoryanized
America, one filed with German 70
servists, would be in no position "a
side with her enemies, Germany Ag
/ ured. On this subject the much-quoted
Bernhard wrote:
measures must be taken at leas|
to the extent of providing that tn
German element is not split up in thu
world, but remains united In compact
: blocks. and thus forms, even in fer
, eign countries, political centers d
gravity In our favor. The isolated
groups Of Germans abroad greatly ben
eft our trade, since BY preference ths1
obtain goods from Germany; but the!
may also be useful to Us politically, q
we discover In America. The German
Americans have termed political q
. lance with the Irish; and. thu
' united, constitute power In the stat
+ with which the American governmsa
q must reckon"
!, With the outbreak Of the war il d
rope the actions Of the German-Ansg
lean alliance became holder. Tho eaA
paign for membership took on M
Mgor.
!, Can we talk Of peace with { 0sg
4 many, that, even IN times Of peaee. 4
d trying to disorganize our country, "a
ment strife, and destroy our unity
simply because strong, united natiol
on the other sids Of the world IL 10
German3 Can We make peace with ,
u ronntrv that Illa oup land with mali