Oxford eagle., 1918-06-20
Why We Fight
Becsuse Germany for Year, Sopsh,
to Undermine Our Government
and Our Ideals
By CLARENCE L. Speed

we are hghuhg germany for fha
right TO live our own lives as wa CO.
fit. We are fighting for our laws on.
ideals, our homes, our institutions
"But, how" one may ask. "wera an
these things threatened by Germsnn
before the war started? 1t is easv -
see how they may be threatened nov,
for If we are defeated we are lost Inn,
before the war started. did Germenr
menace those things we hold most 60,
credT
Let the Germans themselves answo,
After you have read the evidence ON,
Of their own mouths, you NAV dec,ae
whether or not Germany planned "a mn.
set our institutions. our ideals, our very
mode Of life.
In 1901 the National German-Amer,.
can alliance was formed In the rnitas
States. In 1907 IT was incorporstaa
by act Of congress. Its charter IA
now being attacked in that same body
One Of the objects Of the alliance as
officially announced. was ito check M.
tivistic encroachments." In Other
words, to keep the Germans from be.
coming Americans. Another Object
was ito awaken and strengthen the
sense Of unity among the people Of
German origin In America"
This alliance" Its preliminary
statement Of aims concludes. as
pledged to bring its entire organizs.
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, to
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 "natlvistle
encroachments," was particularly alb
horrcnt 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
OF America.
From its very start the alliance
sought to foment discord with England
II always spoke Of the American press
as ''the Anglo-American" press, and II
carried out long and well-directed
campaign for the introduction OF the
German language into the schools and
Its use In civil life.
ssTvha
TO an issue Of its official Bulletin be
fore this nation entered the war, '1s
waging war against Anglo-Saxonism,
against the fanatical enemies Of per
sonal liberty and political freedom, II
is combating narrow-minded. benlghi-
ed know-nothingism. the Influence Of
the British. and the enslaving Puritan
ism. which had its birth in England"
"The race war which we viii be
compelled TO 60 through with on Amer
lean soil will be our world war" said
the New York Stats Zeitung in fght-
ing a proposal to amend the New York
constitution to make ability to speak
and write the English language
requisite for suffrage.
Ludwig Fulda wrote a book. Amer
lean Impressions" They were I'M
pressions of a German who had stud
led this nation with a view 10 seeing
II ultimately Germanized. "German
lzation is Synonymous with causing TO
speak German" he said, land speak
ing German means TO remain German.
Wherever there were signs OF dis
content, OF a movement which mlgh
tend TO disrupt this country, or an!
other which Germany might find as
commercial rival. the German-Amerf
can alliance was sure to be on ths
job. II gave support TO the lrlsF
American societies, because these socf
eties. before the war. were working io'
the separation of Ireland from Eng
land. a matter In which Germany
that time, could have no Legitimate
interest. But Germany, even then
was preparing for war. and was DONG
every possible thing to weaken Us
coming enemies. A disorganlzeO
America. one filled with German re
servists. would be In. no position /"
side with her enemies, Germany ns
ured. On this subject the much-quo'r'
Bernhard wrote:
Measures must be taken at ieaS
to the extent of providing that ln'
German element is not split up in lns
world. but remains united In compa'
blocks. and thus forms. even In II"
eign countries, political centers
gravity In our favor. The isola'eu
groups of Germans abroad greatly pen.
eft our trade. since by preference ui'.
obtain goods from Germany; but Vis'
may also be useful to us politically =
We discover In America. The GerinaS
Americans have formed a politicai =
lance with the Irish; and, mus
united, constitute a power in the s1A..
with which the American governln1"
must reckon"
With the outbreak OF the war IN =.
rope the actions of the German-A Ane.
lean alliance became bolder. The eA-
paign for membership took Oh H''
vigor. 4
Can we talk Of peace with
4t.o& H. ~