The Brinkley argus., 1918-08-09
Why We Fight
 Ne.S Bssasss Csrnsay tos Ysass 6ou(ht 0 UsAssaise Our Oovssuosat
 cod Ous Ideals
By CLARENCE L. gPEEp

right to live our own lives as we see 1t. We are fighting for our laws, our Ideals, our homes, our institutions. @ But, how" one may Ask, "were sll these things threatened by Germany before the war started7 It is easy to zee how they may be threatened now, for If we gre defeated we are lost, but before the war started did Germany menace those things we hold most sa- credf"
 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.
 In 1901 the National German-Ameri- can alliance was formed In the United States. In 1907 1t was incorporated by act of congress. Its charter is now being attacked in that same body. One of the objects of the alliance, as officially announced, was to checA na- tivistic encroachments." In other words, to keep the Germans from be- coming Americans. Another object was ''to 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 It's entire organiza- tion to the support of any state fed eration 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 ab- 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.
 From it's very start the alliance sought to foment discord with England. It always spoke of the American press as "the Anglo-American" press, and it carried out a long and well-directed campaign for the introduction of the German language into the schools and its use in civil life.
 "The National Alliance" according to an issue of it's official Bulletin be- fore this nation entered the war, 'is waging war against Anglo-SaxQnisnl, against the fanatical enemies of per sonal liberty and political freedom, il is combating uarvoN-miuded, benieht- ed know-nothingism, the influence of the British, and the enSlaying Puritan ism, which had it's birth in England.
 "The race war which we will be compelled to go through with on Amer ican soil will be our world war;" said the New York Staats Zeitung in fight ing proposal to amend the New York constitution to make ability to speak and write the English language Q requisite for suffrage.
 Ludwig Fulda wrote a book, Amer ican Impressions" They were i'm pressions of a German who had stud jed this nation with a view to seeing it ultimately Germanized. German ization is synonymous with causing to sneak German" he said, "aud speak ing German means to remain German,
 Wherever there were signs of dis content, of movement which might tend to disrupt this country or any other which Germany might find IS a commercial rival, the German-Ameri- can alliance was sure to be on tho job. It gave support to the Irish American societies, because these soei- cites. before the war, were working for the separation of Ireland from Eng land. a matter in which Germany, al 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. 1 disorganizec America, one filled with German re- servists. would be in no position to side with her enemies, Germany fle- ured. On this subject the much-quoted Bernhardi wrote:
 Measures must he taken at least to the extent of providing that the German clement is not split up in the world. but remains united in compact blocks. and thus forms, even in for eien countries, political centers of aravity in our favor The isolated croups 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 ia America. The German Americans have formed 2 political al- iiance with tbe Irish; and thus united, constitute Q power in the state with which the American government must reckon
 With tAc outbreak of the war in Ea- rope the actions af the German-Amer- fcan alliance became bolder The cam palen for membership took on new vigor,
 can we talk of peace with a Ger