The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-06-10
Why We Fight
MOI
Because Germany for Year, Souehs
10 Undermine Our Covernraost
and Our Idcsis
BY CLARENCE L. SPEED

and Our Idcsis
BY CLARENCE L. SPEED
secretary OF tho War Committee Of th<
| Union League Club Of Chicago.
We are fighting Germany for The
right to live our own lives as we see
fit We are fighting Cor our laws, on,
ideals, our homes, our Institutions.
"But, how" one may ask, "were al
these things threatened by Germany
before the war started? 1t Is easy to
see how they may be threatened now
| for II we are defeated we are lost, but
before the war started did Germany
menace those things we hold most ga.
cred!"
Let the Germans themselves answer
After you have read the evidence out
Of their own mouths, you may decide
whether or not Germany planned to up
set our institutions, our ideals, our ven
mode Of life.
In 1901 the National German.Amerf-
can alliance was formed in the United
States. In 1907 It was Incorporated
BY act Of congress. It's charter Is
now being attacked in that same body.
One OF the objects Of the alliance, rs
officially announced. was ''to check m.
tfvistic entertainments" 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 origiA in America"
ANYy1~s
statement Of aims concludes, 'fs
pledged to bring its entire orxaniza-
ton to the support Of any state fed
Grafton which Is engaged in the strux-
gle for any Of these objects"
It was pledged, in other words, to
have its members vote, not as indiv1d-
uals, but as German controlled units,
for or against anthing of which
they did not approve.
The desire for resisting "natfvfstdc
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
Of America.
From its very start the alIfance
sought to foment dlscord with England.
1t always spoke Of the American press
IS "the Anglo-American" press, and II
carried out q long and ven directed
campaign for the Introduction Of the
German language into the schools and
its use In civil life.
'The National Alliance accordlng
to an issue Of It's Official Bulletin be-
fore this nation entered the war, is
waging war against Anglo Saxcufsm,
agatnst the fanntical enemies az Der.
sonal liberty and political freedom, Il
Is combating narrow-miDded, benight-
ed mow-nothing1sm, the influence Of
the British, and the enslav1ng Puritan
Ism, which had its birth In England"
THE r1ce war which W vim b
to 90 through Win On Amer
lem son wfu be our world war; said
the New York Stnats Zeitung IN Tight
ing a proposal to amend the New York
to make ability to speak
and write the English language Z
requisite for suffrage.
Ludwig Fulda wrote a book, "4mer.
lean Impressions" They were i'm
pressions of a German who had stud
ed this nation with view to seeing
It ultimately Germanized. German
cation is synonymous with causing to, ,
speak German" he said, "and spenk-
ng German means to remain German"
Wherever there were signs Of dis
content, Of movement which might
end to disrupt this country, or any
,ther which Germany might find as q
commercial rival, the German-Ameri-
an alliance was sure to be ON tho
OBJ. 1t gave support to the Irish-
American societies, because THESE soci-
ties, before the war, were working for
he separation of Ireland from Eng
and, a matter in which Germany, at
hat time, could have no legitimate
interest. But Germany, even then,
vas preparing for war, and was doing
very possible thing to weaken its
oming enemies. A disergnnized |
one filed with German re- !
ervists, would be in no position to |
ide with her enemies, Germany fig |
red. On this subject the much-quoted |
'ernhartn wrote:
Measures must be taken at least |
o the extent Of providing that the
ier,nan element is not split up in the
7orid, but remains united in compact
locks, and thus forms, even In for
Ign countries, political centers of
ravity in our favor. The isolated
roups of Germans abroad greatly ben
fit our trade, since by preference they
btain goods from Germany; but they
lay also be useful to US politically, as
re discover In America. The German
mericans have formed 4 political al-
ance with the Irish; and, thus,
nited, constitute power in the state
18th which the American government
lust reckon" i
With the outbreak Of the war In Eu-
,pe the actions of the Geruan-Amer-
an alliance became bolder The cam
Align for membership took ON new