Evening star., 1918-02-24
WITNESS AT HEARING ASSAILS
MAN-AMERICAN ALLIANCE
Gustavus Ohlinger Tells Senate Subcommit-
tee Organization Has Been Used to Further
Teuton Propaganda Against U. S.

1.-THE German military propaganda
against the United States in the United
States began twenty years ago." Gus
tavus Ohlinger, president of the Toledo.
Ohio, Chamber of Commerce, told a
Senate judiciary subcommittee yester-
day afternoon. in a sweeping arraigh-
ment Of the National German-American
Alliance. which, he said. has been used
as an instrument to further this propa-
ganda.
The subcommittee is handling a bill
introduced by Senator King of Utah to
repeal the law of Congress under which
| the German-American Alliancesreceived
a federal charter.
1.-The same process has been followed
here by Germany as abroad" Mr.. Oh
linger said. That policy is to destroy
the national spirit Of nation. It is
the plan of the German general staff.
The general staff knows that if the
people of a nation have no red-hot
flaming national spirit they will not
die in the trenches for their country.
Nearly Succeeded in q. S.
at wanted to destroy the national
spirit of the United States. 1t nearly
succeeded. A few more years and it
would have succeeded. The war saved
| the United States. This is the real
meaning and purpose of the German
American Alliance. 1 do not say that
all members of the alliance have real
lied that this was so.'
Mr.. Ohlinger is the author of a book
attacking the German-American Alliance
published in 1916. He told the commit
tee he was born under American protec-
ton in China and that his father was of
Swedish descent. His mother was of
German ancestry. He said his ancestors
came to this country more than a hum
dred years ago.
| gress in 1907 the alliance received a fed
| eral charter. Through it's efforts local
alliances have been organized IN all large
states of the country. In these local al
kind have their meeting ground.
In this way" he said, the National
German-American Alliance claims to
reach 100000 persons of German de-
rating act claims the purposes of the all
lance to be educational and patriotic
Alleged Purposes Of Alliance.
"tn place of patriotic ends" said Mr.
Ohlinger. "the alliance has devoted it
| self unremittingly to the following pur-
poses:
Il. The consolidation of all those of
German descent into one economical po-
Ntical and social bloc. AS instruments
! for this purpose it has used the German
press, German parochial schools. the Ger
man stage. societies Of Germans and
continual propaganda for compulsory
teaching of German in public schools:
"2 The arousing of racial antagonisms
and opposition to all progress of assin-
ilation.
"3. A vigorous propaganda for the
benefit of the German government.
-. Opposition to the policies OF the
United States.
IS. The furtherance of the aims Of
disloyal organizations and individuals.
sc. Rabid hostility to prohibition or
any interference with the liquor traf-
"7. Reliance upon unknown sources
for financial support"
He said that the alliance has been
"a most effective tool for carrying out
the purposes of the German imperial
government"
Takes Part in Politics.
Mr.. ohlinger read from bulletins sent
out by the German Alliance from Chi
cago preceding the national political
work to defeat President Wilson for re-
nomination, and to defeat Theodore
Roosevelt for the republican nomina-
ton, on the ground that both were hos
tile TO herman Interests III AHC ohllCu
States and were opposed to true neu-
trality" as the alliance saw it. A letter
written by former Representative Bar
tholdt of Missouri. published in the
official organ Of the alliance. which Oh
| linger read. urged German-Americans
to vote only for those candidates who
favor Germanism.'
Mr.. Ohlinger claimed that the alli-
ance had urged the study of Bern
harii's book. and spoke OF the passage
in that book in which the author refers
to the German-American alliance as a
power in the defeat of the arbitration
treaties between the United States aud
tGreat Britain and France in 1910.
He pointed out that on the outbreak
of the war in Europe the alliance had
within day or two come out for Ger
many and urged it's branches to es-
tabiish press bureaus to attack the
English language press He read an
lappeal sent out at the time by DR.. c. J.
Hexamer, then president. ito work for
the German cause"
Action When Liusitania Was Sunk.
], when the Lusitania was sunk, he said.