New-York tribune., 1918-06-03
sunpression of Teuton Pa
rers and Language Sought
by Security League
Demands Loyal
Conduct
Membership of 100000 to
Join in Americaniza-
ton Crusade

4 nation WIDE crusade against Ger
uan language newspapers and the
..scbine Of German in the public
.chools was announced yesterday by
,he National Security League. The
srht to drop the enemy language will
,s taken up Immediately by the league
!, all it's PSI branches, having a men,
soip Of 100000.
Narshalling this army will be four
.5ucators and publishers. They are
Colonel Charles f, Lydecker, trustee
# the College of the City of New
york and chairman of the National
Security Leagues Board of Directors;
Edward H. Clark, treasurer Of the
Security League; Ernest C. Brown,
editor and publisher, and DR.. Robert
" McElroy, educational director of
the league, of Princeton University.
The committee has sent instructions
to the chairmcn and secretaries of
every branch asking them to call meet
;ngs to express a onelanguage senti-
ment, to discourage advertising in Ger
man papers, and to procure the
rooreration Of newsdealers in restrict
ing their circulation.
Insist on Open Loyalty
Colonel Lydecker's committee has
elaborated this plan of attack IN the
following notice.:
"The presence of large number of
persons in the country who profess
LOYALTY to the government but who
foster the traditions, maxims, speech
and principles of the enemy govern
ments by suggestion, innuendo and
connivance amounting to conspiracy,
detrimental to a genuine spirit of
patriotism. The duty of every citizen
is to know the English tongue. To re-
fuse to learn it is to fling defiance at
the nation. To neglect to learn it is
voluntarily to remain unfit for the
duties of American citizenship.
ave are justified in expecting open
and loyal conduct, and we claim the
right TO insist upon this. American
nation really means education. If we
educate our people properly we shall
make true Americans of our citizens
Of whatever blood, Americans wise in
knowledge Of the principles of de-
mocracy and true in heart for fairness
and generosity between men.
"The cultivation of the language of
our land requires that we should not
foster as substitutes the use of the
foreign tongues. particularly those of
the enemies with whom we are at war.
The animosty, clannishness and the
propaganda of undemocratic ideas are
sources Of injury to the community
and the substitution of other languages
for our own clearly fosters these.
Stronger Measures Urged
Great patience has been exercised
IN our efforts to convince the for
eigners. In the case of those not now
convinced justice to the cause for
which we fight demands stronger meas
ures. They must be compelled to con-
vince themselves OF the value and the
justice of American ideals, and this
requires a knowledge of the English
language
There is no immediate need to have
laws enacted to suppress the foreign
language dailies. In towns where
there is strong patriotic sentiment
q hostile minority should be persuaded
by clear and forceful expression of
INF views of the majority that ours
must be, from this time forward a
oHa language nation
lf a community will not support a
newsdealer who handles the daily pa
Iess printed in foreign tongues it can
thereby force him to deal only in Eng
Nsh language papers,"