The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1918-06-03
Why We Fight
Because Germany for Years Has
Been Making Secret, Preacher.
GUS War on Us
BY CLARENCE L. SPEED
Secretary Of the War Committee Of the
Union League Club of Chicago.

BY CLARENCE l.. SPEED
Secretary Of the War Committee of tho
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 us. Germany has
made this war not openly, bravely or
humanely. but secretly, trea cherously
and persistently She has sought to
create race discord, to corrupt and de-
file politicians and officeholders, and
to create separate German commune
ties within our borders. She has pol
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
pulpit itself in an endeavor to corrupt
our people through the very leaders
of morality to whom they are accus-
toned to look for guidance.
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 1t was
German feet which stripped for ac-
ton when Dewey sailed into Manila
bay. We all knew 1t was the Germans
who sought to bring about a European
alliance against us when we we're 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 to
break down our national unity. so that
when the time came 1t 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 year before the
outbreak Of hostilities in Europe. This
was the enactment Of what is known
as the Delbruck law. which provides
that If an emigraN from Germany
who Is about to be naturalized makes
application to German consul, he
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 it. mean just this:
German goes into court In this
country and solemnly foreswears al.
legiance to the kaiser and pledges
his wOrd-the temptation was to say,
"of honOr"-that he will become q 10y
ii citizen of the United States. Then
ne slips around to the German consul
and says:
"You know I didn't mean that, at
all. Those Americans are easy marks,
But you just put me down on your list
as gooo. 'oyal German. and If the
lime ever comes when I can prove 1t.
you can count on me-"
So the German consul puts his name
Town in the little card index of which
the Germans are so fond, and this
man,-this creature who swears al
leglence to the country which gives
him an opportunity to make real liv.
ng and to become somebody in this
world, and at the same time swears
secretly to be true to Germany-is
turned loose to work his will, while
Americans go carelessly about their
business and refuse to see the danger