New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-04-07

bers of our organization our repre-
sentatives in the legislative bodies
On the other hand the Brooklyn
prophet Of HohenzolerniVn dares, at
the same Buffalo convention. to as
sert page II Of the official report :
at seems plain that these attacks (by
the President against the hyphenates
are levelled especially against this
organization, the Gcrman-American
Alliance, an organization which IN It's
political and other aspirations is con-
Quoting only an educational campaign
and the statutes Of which, on their
very face, preclude every possibility OF
political campaign activities" .,
The statutes Of the Alliance notwith-.
standing, Weismann not only explained
after the November election, 1918, that
the German vote-and Weismann, as
president of the State Alliance, always
claimed to be the leader and mouth
piece Of his landsleute in New YORK
Statc--brought about the defeat OF the
Brooklyn Representative, Fltzgerald.
who ran for Supreme Court judge, but
also explained how it was done:
Two secret meetings were held at
Arion Hall, Brooklyn, headquarters OF
the local German-American Alliance
one on October 81 and one on October
20. Weismann presided over these
conclaves of the Vchmgericht, and II
was decided to work secretly, stealth
lily, but with deathly purpose, to en-
compass the defeat of Fitzgerald
Fitzgerald, Weismann said, is "a hne
man" But it was necessary to defeat
him as rebuke to President Wilson.
During the campaign of 1917 news
papers in this city carried an adver-
r r.; NV, and
others, which read in part:
Judge Hylan was, during the last
winter, the only non-German official in
Brooklyn who had good word for the
German cause"
At the Chicago convention OF the
Friends Of Peace in September, 1915,
Weismann announced that the Friends
Of Peace, this enlarged German -Ameri-
can Alliance, would organize en- the
following day a political party to OPP
pose all present parties, if necessary.
And at the Cooper Union meeting in
this city November Is, 1915, which was
held under the auspices of the Friends
of Peace, Weismann, when asked the
aims and purposes of the Friends OF
Peace, said it was an organization rep
resenting all the combined energies of
the Irish Decentralization societies
IL
propaganda here. He made on that
occasion the further statement that the
meeting was to start real political
protest against preparedness in the
shape of a bigger navy and army.
Denied Ever Championing.
kultur in United States
Finally, on March 10, 1918, Weismann
admitted at meeting of the Brooklyn
German American Alliance: "1n spite
of all that is said, the German-Ameri-
can Alliance is political in its charac-
ter" He also took occasion again to
repudiatc himself by saying. 81 give
the lie to those who contend that we
attempted to transplant to this country
German culture. 1t was never our
purpose to overcome the Anglo-Saxon
influence" For in an article printed in
the "Mitteilungen," official organ Of
the National German American ALI
ance, he wrote:
"The immense cultural work which
is being done in Europe amid the thun-
der of the cannon approaches us (herc
in the United States), too. Shall Amer
lea be opened to the victorious march
of German character? Shall German
honesty, straightforwardncs and pro
fundity, German ideas of liberty and
justice supplant vanishing English in
fuence also in this country? Such
aims will be our great historical duty
to culture.
"This great epoch must not be al
lowed to pass without seeing
that American democracy is fortified
by adopting German customs, German
ideas of duty and Justice"
And Weismann, honest Weismann,
gave the lie to those "who contend that
we attempted to transplant German
culture to this country!"
While the German-Am erican Alliance
maintained an expensive lobby at
Washington to force the passage OF
the Gore and McLemorc resolutions to
refuse passports to Americans travel
ling on ships Of belligerents, placing
an embargo on contraband Of war and
prohibiting Federal Reserve banks
from subscribing to foreign war loans,
Weismann sent out circular headed
"Pro Bono Publico" ("For the Public
Welfarew. The circular said in part:
at is our utmost duty to revenge to
the utmost our curtailed rights as citi-
zens of this country. This means. in
the first place, that every German
American fulfil his duties on Election
Day"
The circular insisted that Secrecy
is absolutely necessary for success"
and continues: EFFECTIVE work has
been done and should continue to be
done by organizations openly pro-Ger-
man or suspected Of being pro- German.
Because of the German face Of these
organizations, however, their effective
ness is lessened. Anyhow, the pro-
Germans are with US; we need the 9TH
ers."
At the age of sixteen Henry Weis-
mann came, in 1881, from his native
country, Germany, to the United States
and worked as baker at San Fran
cisco. Then many foreign born, espe-
fanatic revolutionary phrases and
ideas, and the mental fever increased
from year to year until it eliminated
in the Haymarket "cpisode." They
boosted they would overthrow the gov
eminent and do away with all exploit
ers They had arms and drilled. The
more radical a frebrand the .1ore cf-
fective the talker. And Wcismann is
a born speaker. Soon he was one Of
the best known prophets Of direct ac-
ton in the city at the Golden Gate.
While the other dreamers boosted
Weismann acted in 1886 and-was sent
to prison for dealing with explosives
during the anti-Chinesc outbreaks in
Frisco. 1t must be presumed that il
his prison record had been known to
the Appellate Division of the Supreme
Court in Brooklyn his application to
that court for admission to the bar in
1903 would not have been granted.
Hailed as German
kaiser and War Patriot