The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1918-05-23
Why We Fight
Beeauss Gsrna.y Tor Year, Has
Been Makiaf Secret, Treaehse.
ous Waf on Us
BY CLARENCE L. SPEED
'sscreta1y Of the War Committee Of the
Union League Club Of Chicago.

'oscretary Of the War Committee Of the
Union League Club Of Chicago.
/! One Of the deep. underlying reasons
not just diplomatic pretext-why
We are at war with Germany is that
for q generation Germany has been
making war on MS. Germany has
made this. war not openly, bravely or
lhumanely, but secretly, treacherously
and persistently. She has sought to
create race discord, to corrupt and de-
Ille politicians and ohiceholders, and
Ito create separate German commune
ties within our borders. She has poi
soned the minds Of children in our
schools In an endeavor to make Ger
mans Of them instead Of have them
grow up into loyal American citizens.
She has invaded the sacredness Of the
|palpit itself in an endeavor to corrupt
our people through the very leaders
o8 morality to whom they are accus.
TONED to look for guidance.
T These, may be startling assertions,
but they are all true, as you shall see
from the documents of the Germans
Themselves We all knew that it was
q German fleet which stripped for &C.
ton when Dewey sailed into Manila
bay. We all knew 1t was the Germans
who sought to bring about q Europeal
ALLIANCE against us when we were en-,
gagged in the war with Spain. Few Of
US RELAXED. however, that all these
years Germany has been busy within
our own borders, through editors,
teachers and preachers. seeking ia
break down our national unity, so that
when the time came it would be easy
to defeat the United States in open
warfare, to set at naught our cherish.
ed Monroe doctrine, and to seize, in
the Western hemisphere, anything
that the land grabbing rulers Of the
German empire might desire.
The climax Of Germany's under
handed war on the United States came
in 1913. more than a year before TIL,
outbreak of hostilities in Europe. Thi!
was the enactment of what is know
as the Delbruck law. which provide.
that If IN emigrant from Germany
who Is about to be naturalized makes
duplication to German consul, hi
may retain his German citizenship
even after he has become citizen OF
his adopted country.
In plain words. this law, and the ap
plication Of 1t, mean just this:
A German goes into court in thi,
country and solemnly foreswears al
legiance to the kaiser and pledges
his word-the temptation was to say
'of honor'-that he will become 10y
al citizen of, the United States. Their
he slips around to the German consu!
and says:
"You know I didn't mean that, al
all. Those Americans are easy marks
and they fell for that stuff right off
But You just put me down on your lis,
as good. loyal German. and If thu
time ever comes when I cah prove it
you can count on me-"
SO the German consul puts his name
Down in the little card index Of which
the Germans are 80 fond, and this
nan,-this creature who swears al
legtence to the country which givet
him an opportunity to make q real liv
ing and to become somebody in thii
world. and at the same time swears
secretly to be true to GERMANY,
turned loose to work his will, while
Americans go carelessly about theil
business and refuse to see the danger
In the arrangement.
Long before the passage Of the Del.
bruck law, there was formed the We
rein fur das Deutschtum i'm Ausland-
the Union for Germanism in Foreign
Lands. This organization, officially
fostered in Germany, issued quarter.
ly magazine, which, in its very first is.
sue. outlined its aims as follows:
"The purpose Of this union is the
preservation and promotion of the
Germanism Of over 3O.OOOOOO people
;cf German blood dwelling outside the
German empire" All it aims to do,
you see. is to keep Germans who come
to this country from becoming Ameri-
leans.
Away back in 1890 the Alldeutscher
lVerband, or the Pan-German league,
Vas formed. 1t now consists of 268
Chapters Of which two now are-or at
least were Immediately before the war
lin the United States. one in New
York and one in San Francisco. To
quote from the Alldeutsche Batter, its
Official publication, "the Pan-German
league is founded for promoting Ger
IMAM National interests, both in Ger
many and in foreign lands"
A few thinking Americans knew
all the time what was coming-what
must come. But America, as whole,
went along in that carelessness and
indifference with which it treats all
things unpleasant, and allowed this
German war on our most sacred insti-
$adons to continue unchecked.
So Germany stands today, with one
fest on PROSTATE Belgium and the 9th.
e On the neck Of poor deluded Rus
-; with q bayonet planted in the
Mart Of Serbia, and the point Of it's
sword at the throat Of Roumania.
while II looks out over the yassai
States Of Bulgaria and Turkey to In.
"a and he Orient. And as It Stands
eAna, II cries TO III foes on the west.
sga front:
Kamerad! Why 80 On with all thi,
11ningf Lets have q peace By neeo.
aa3onr snd, under its breath. AIDA.
sJAYA mt all vant fnp the n.o..s<W