The courier-index., 1918-06-07
Why We Fight
Beceuee Germany Ece Years Has
Been Making Secret. Tresoher.
Qua War on Us
BY CLARENCE L. SPEED
Secretary OF the War Committee OF the
Union League Club or Chicago

One OF the deep, underlying reasons
mot 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, but secretly, treacherousiy
and persistently. She has sought TO
create race discord. to corrupt and de-
nie politicians and officeholders, and
to create separate German commune
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 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
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 were 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 a 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 emigrant from Germany
who is about to be naturaIized makes
application to a German consul, he
may retain his German citizenship
even after ne has become a citizen OF
his adopted country.
In plain words. this law, and the ap
pIication of it, mean just this:
A German goes into court in this
country and soIemnly foreswears al
| Iegiance to the kaiser and pledges
his word-the temptation was to say
ss0f houor"-that he will become a 10y
al citizen of the United States. Thea
ne slips around to the German consul
and says: Il
"You know I didn't mean that. al
| all. Those Americans are easy marks
/ and they fell for that stuff right OFF
But you just put me down on your list
as good. loyal German. and If the
time ever comes when I can prove 1t
you can count on me-"
SO the German consul puts his name
| down I'm the little card index Of which
the Germans are 80 fond, and this
man,-this creature who swears al
Iegience to the country which gives
him an opportunity to make a real liv'
ing 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 60 careiessly about their
business and refuse to see the danger
in the arrangement.
Long before the passage Of the Del
bruck law, there was formed the We
rein fur das Deutschtum i'm AusIand-
the Union for Germanism in Foreign
Lands. This organization. officially
fostered in Germany. issued a quarter
Iy magazine. which. In its very first is
sue. outlined its aims as follows:
'The purpose Of this union is the
preservation and promotion Of the
Gerrnanfsm Of over 30O00.O0O people
Of German blood dwelling outside the
German empire" All 1t aims to do,
you see, is to keep Germans who come
to this country from becoming Amerf-
cans.
Away back In 1890 the AlIdeutscher
Verband, or the Pan-German league.
vas formed. It now consists Of 26S
chapters Of which two now are--Or at
least were Immediately before the war
Ill Uu6 Outtcu otdlCcs ObS Ia ANOW
York and one In San Francisco. To
quote from the Afldeutsche Batter. its
official publication, "the Pan-German
league Is founded for promoting Ger
man National interests, both in Ger
many and In foreign lands"
A few thinking Americans knew
all the time what was coming-what
must come. But America, as whole,
went along in that carelessness and
Indifference with which 1t treats all
things unpleasant, and allowed this
German war on our most sacred inst-
tutions to continue unchecked.
So Germany stands today. with one
foot ON PROSTATE Belgium and the 9TH
or on the neck Of poor deluded Rrs-
sta: with bayonet planted In the
peart Of Serbia, and the point of It's
sword at the throat of Roumania.
while 1t looks out over the vassal