Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-04-30
Why We Fight
No. !
Bscause Germany for Yeafs 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

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 generation Germany has been
making war ON us. Germany has
made this war not openly, bravely or
humanely, hut secretly treacherOusiy
and persistently She has sought to
create race diScord, to corrupt and de-
file politicians and OfficeholderS. and
to create separate German communi-
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 Sacredncss Of the
pulpit itself in an endeavor to corrupt
onr people through the very leaders
Of morality To whom they are accus-
toned to look for guidance.
These may he startling assertions,
hut they are all true. as You shall see
from the documents Of the Germans
themselves. We all knew that it was
German feet which stripped for ac.
ton when Dewey sailed into Manila
BAY We all knew it was the Germans
who sought 10 bring about European
alliance against us when we were en-
/ gagged IN the war with Spain. Few of
MS 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 It would be easy
TO defeat the United States in open
warfare to set at naught our cherish
cd Monroe doctrine, and to seize, in
the Western hemisphere, anything
that the land grabbing rulers Of the
German empire might desire.
The climax of Cermany's under.
| handed war on the United States came
/ in 1913. more than year before the
outbreak Of hostllties in Europe. This
was the enactment of what is known
i as the nelhrucE law, which provides
that if an cmigrant from Germany
who Is about to be naturalized makes
application to n German consul, he
may retain his German citizenship
even after he has become n citizen Of
his adopted country.
In plain words. this law. and The np-
picaiion of it, mean just this:
A German goes into court in this
country and solemnly forcSwearS al
lcgiance TO the kaiser and pledges
his word-thp temptation was to say,
"of honor'--that he will become n 10y
al citizen of the United States Then
ne Slips around 70 the German consul
and says:
You know I didn't mean that, at
all. Those Americans are easy marks,
and they fell for that stuff right off.
But YOU Just nut me down on your list
rs n good. loyal German, and If the
time ever comes when ! can prove it,
y0u can count on me-"
So the German consul puts his name
down In the little card index of which
the Germans are 50 fond and This
man.--this creature who Swears al
legience to the country which gives
him an opportunity to make Il real lv'
ing and 10 become somehody in this
world. and nj the same time SwearS
secretly to be true to Germany--iS
turned loose 10 work his will. while
Americans 60 cArclcSSly about their
business and refuse to see the danger
IN the arrangement.
Long before the passage of the Del
hruck law there was formed the We
rein fur daS Deu'schtum i'm Ausland--
the Union for GrrmaniSm in Foreign
Lands. This organization, officially
foStered in Germany. issued quarter
ly magazine, which, in its very first is
sue, outlined It's aims rs follows:
"The purpose Of this union Is the
preservation and promotion of rht
Gcrmanlsm Of over 30000000 people
| OF tttrlllUn ilIUfbl HNfiIllll bulNl't' NV
German amrre" All II aims to do
You see IS 10 keep Germans who come
to this country from becoming Amcri
cans.
Away back In 1890 the Alldcutschel
Verhand. or the Pan-German league
was formed. II now consists of 26S
chapters Of which two now arc---or a
least were Immediately before the Wal
lin the United States, one IN New
York and one in San Francisco. II
quote from the Alldeuts chc Batter. IL
official publication, "the Pan-Gcrmnr
league Is founded for promoting Ger
man National interests, both in Ger
many and in foreign lands"
A few thinking Americans knew
al the time what was coming-wha
must come But America as n whole
went along in that carelessness an,
indifference with which 1t treats nj