New-York tribune., 1918-05-09
Elect Loyal Men
To Congress, Plea
Of Elil2u Root
100 Per Cent Anericanism
Urged at National Security
League Meeting
Wisconsin Is Defended
State Patriotic, Says Lenroot;
Menken and McElroy
Also Speak
Wisconsin Is Defended

Representatives Of the National Sc
curity League from ell sections Of the
country gathered in the Metropolitan
Opera House last night for the third
annual meeting and pledged anew its
determination to fight Tcutonism in
every form. Elihu Root, Irving l.. Len
root, the newly elected United States
Senator from Wisconsin, and S. Stan
wood Menken, the leagues president,
united in appealing for 100 per cent
Amerlcanism in all things. DR.. Rob
ert NJ McElroy, educational director
of the organization, after describing
the insidious methods of the German
propagandist, urged the discontinue
ance of German-languaec study in the
schools and a ban on the Importation
of German books after the war.
UnknoWingly the 200 delegates upon
the stage were seated in scenic re-
production of a German baronial hall
used in one of Wagner's operas, and
upon every piece Of canvas scenery
used to give background to the speak
er3 and impel their anti-German in
functions into the big auditorium was
stencilled heavily in black upon its
rear surface the name III Burghart
q Co., Wien"
No one in authority at the Opera
House last night was able to say how
the Austrian scenery came to be chosen
as q setting for the leagues dclibera-
tions. The speakers were not apprised
of their situation and the meeting pro
ceeded without interruption.
Mr. Root urged the necessity of
electing next fall a Congress which
should be "pledged to the war and
loyal to the backbone"
"There is a great single predominant
qualification for election to that Con
gress," he said "and that is loyal
heart don't care whether man be
Republican, Democrat, Progressive,
Socialist, Prohibitionist or whatnot, he
must have loyal heart or it is trea-
son to send him to Congress. There
are probably from twenty to thirty
Congressional districts where there is
a loyal majority, but so large dis
loyal minority that a division of the
loyal majority may let a pro- German
in. In every one of those districts
Democrats and Republicans and all
loyal men should get together and
agree upon the loyal man who is
surest to carry the district and all
unite on him without regard to party.
Human nature has not changed.
There are going to be parties; going
to be politics hereafter. But now
they are subordinate. I have been
Republican all my life but ! count it
as nougnU compared with this great
issue. / am proud of my lifelong as
sociates in the old party and of the
splendid loyalty with which they ral-
lied behind a Democratic adminis-
traton. challenge all Democrats to
support their own administration with
the same loyalty of purpose and, if
they can accomplish it, with more"
Senator-elect Lenroot defended the
loyalty of Wisconsin and declared the
best opinion of the state agreed that
they could not be educated to patriot
ism by other means. The greatest
menace to the country, he declared,
is the doctrine of socialism.
"It is the clearcst fact that the best
friends of the Kaiser in his country
are the Socialists" he said. "If the
Kaiser himself could have revised the
Socialist party platform made at St.
Louis he would not have altered a
single word. l am glad to say that all
Socialists are not pro German. There
are many in Wisconsin and through
out the country who have repudiated
the st. Louis PLATFORM"
A complete victory for American
arms, the speaker continued, could be
the only basis for secure peace.
AS late as the beginning OF last year
many thought with President Wilson
that this war should end without vic
tory on either side. I am sure that no
loyal American believes this today
"Our record in the work of war
preparation during the last twelve
months has not been inspiring," CON
tinued Mr.. Lenroot. "The incompe-
tency in carrying out the aircraft pro
gramme is disheartenng The record
OF the first six months in our ship
building programme is something we
don't like to think about. The delay
in securing heavy artillery is some
thing we all deplore."
"Who's to blame?" asked a member
of the audience.
"Well, Congress appropriated $780,
100000 last year for airplanes," con
tinued the speaker. eve were told the
public must have no details concerning
the aircraft programme. 1t would
have been better to have had greater
publicity and, as a result, 100 airplanes
in France to-day instead of conceal
ment and silence and only one arplane