The bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-07-05
Why We Fight
No. &
Beosuss Germany for Years Sought
"a UnderminA Our Government
and Our Ideals
BY CLARENCE L. SPEED
a>cretary Of the War Committee OF the
Union League Club Of Chicago.

secretary of the War Committee Of the
Union League Club OF Chicago.
We are fighting Germany for tho
right to i've our own lives as we see
AZ. We are fighting for our laws. our
ideals, our homes, our institutions.
But, how" one may ask. "were ali
these things threatened by Germany
before the war started1 It Is easy to
zee 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 50.
cred1"
/. 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 very
mode Of life. -.. .. ...... ....s
In 1901 the National German-Ameri.
can alliance was formed In the United
States. In 1907 It was incorporated
by act Of congress-. Its charter IL
now being attacked In that same body.
One of the objects Of the alliance, ~
officially announced, was TO check ma
tivistic encroachments." 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 origin in America"
"This alliance" its preliminary
statement of aims concludes, 'is
pledged to bring its entire organiza-
ton to the support Of any state fed
Grafton which is engaged in the strug-
gle for any Of these objects"
It was pledged, in other words, to
have its members vote, not as individ-
uals, but as German controlled units,
for or against anthing Of which
they did not approve.
The desire for resisting "nativistic
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
a body, proclaiming itself German in
origin and thought, seeking to perpetu-
ate this German feeling in the midst
Of America. ..-..-...s- -,-a-
From it's, very start the alliance
sought to foment discord with England.
It always spoke Of the American press
a. 1.-THE Anglo-American" press, and it
carried out 4 long and well-directed
campaign for the Introduction of the
German language into the schools and
its use in civil life.
1.-THE National Alliance" according
to an issue Of its official Bulletin be
fore this nation entered the war, 'is
waging war against Anglo-Saxonism
against the fanatical enemies of per
sonal liberty and political freedom. II
IL combating narrow-mlnded. benight'
ed know-nothingism, the influence OF
the British, and the enslaving Puritan
ism, which had its birth in England"
'"The race war which we will be
compelled to go through with on Amer
lean soil will be our world war;" said
the New York Stats Zeitung in fight.
ing a proposal to amend the New York
constitution to make ability to speak
and write the English language q
requisite for suffrage.
Ludwig Fulda wrote book, "Amer'
lean Impressions" They were i'm
press,ions Of German who had stud.
led this nation with view to seeing
It ultimately Germanized. German
ization is synonymous with causing to
speak German" he said, land speak.
ing German means to remain German"
Wherever there were signs of dis.
content. Of a movement which might
tend to disrupt this country, or any
other which Germany might find as q
commercial rival, the German-Ameri.
can alliance was sure to be on the
Job. It gave support to the Irish
American societies, because these soci.
cites, before the war, were working fol-
the separation Of Ireland from Eng
land, a matter In which Germany, at
that time, could have no Legitimate
interest. But Germany, even then
was preparing for war, and was doing
every possible thing to weaken its
coming enemies. A disorganized
America, one filed with German re.
servists, would be In no position to
side with her enemies, Germany fig
ured. On this subject the much-quoted
Bernhard wrote:
Measures must be taken at least
to the extent Of providing that the
German element is not split up in the
world, but remains united In compact
blocks. and thus forms, even In for.
eign countries, political centers of
gravity in our favor. The isolated
groups Of Germans abroad greatly ben.
eft our trade, since by preference they
obtain goods from Germany; but they
may also be useful to us politically, as
we discover In America. The German
Americans have formed a political al.
lance with the Irish; and, thus,
united, constitute a power in the state
with which the American government
must reckon"
With the outbreak Of the war In Eu.