The Bossier banner., 1918-04-11
German Agencies.

From the Christian Scicnc" Monitor.
\ general condemnation of every
thin. German. including the teaching
of German. German societies and the
German press. is included in a tele
gram sent to President Wilson by the
American Defense Society. asking for
the suppression of these institutions
and agencies. The society claims that
these ''perniciouS Influences are work
in. for the PRONUNCIATION of German
ideas and German propaganda in this
country.
These three agencies, the German
press. the German societies and the
German language. are the three most
rernicious influences working against
ii thorough Anlericanization of the Ger
mans in this country" said Richard NJ.
Hurd in recent statement. Our
readiness to permit this German prOpa
ganda to flourish has played into the
hands of the promoters of hyphenism.
1t has been the dream Of the German
Government to create Il SOlidifed
element within our citizenship which
would he responsive to German ideas
and ambitions. Bernhardi boaSted
about this. We have deliberately per-
mitted ourselves to fall into the trap
In asking for the suppression of
these institutions we are taking no
new action. AS far back as last Octo-
Ter the defense society asked for the
suppression Of the German press and
the German language and the move
ment at that time received the wide
spread support of the chambers Of
commerce throughout the country and
prominent business organizations and
patriotic societies. But no action has
! leen taken. and we feel that now is
the time for ;iction. Already prominent
Cleveland men have written urging the
President to end this propaganda of
the Germans by having the publication
of the German newspapers forbidden.
| Everything German has to 90. At
the beginning of the war. i'll England
and France. laws We're passed forbid
ding the publication of newspapers and
magazines in the German language
during the war. Besides minimiZin.
the danger of diSloyal utterances. such
ii law would dimiuish Teutonic intiu,
ence in the United States and hasten
the AmericaniZation of our population
of TeutOnic origin. Those who have
followed the German papers proclaim
them insidiously disloyal. 1t is offen
Sive to all loyal Americans that the
enemy should have hundred daily
organs circulated here. Is there Il sin
gle German paper that stands squared!
for democracy in Germany: That is
the test of their loyalty to America
What excuse can be found for thus
allowing them to aid and comfort the
enemy within our gates! RuSSiaS eN
perience with German propa @anda i.
before our eyes. How long will Con
greSS play with the safety of the land
Several American cities. such III
New York. HobOken. Cincinnati ;nt
Los Angeles have taken drastic action
against the German language. In New
York the board of education ha
thrown it out of all the elementar,
| tlIu very SuUIl IL WILL. we be
lieve. be dropped out of the higl
schools also. Loyal men cannot permi
the teaching of an enemy language
Any language which produces il peopl
Of ruthless conluistadors. such as nov
eXitSt in Germany. is not IL fit anguag
to teach to clean and pure American
boys and girls. and the most ordinar.
principles of self-defense demand it b
eliminated. All the German idols lie il
the mud. shattered and detiled by say
age hands. The German llnguag
serves only to remind us of the LuSi
tania the seven destroyed hospit;l
ships. the ZeppelinS over London, an
other bloody atrocities committed on
helpless people. We must stand fo
one language. one nation, one nations;
spirit and one flag