The Springdale news. [volume] (Springdale, Ark.) 1887-1990, 1918-06-21
Why We Fight
No.
Beesuse Germany for Years Sought
to Undermine Our Government
and Our Ideals

Secretary o. the VA Committee Of the
Union League Club Of Chicago
We are fighting Germany for the
right 10 live our own lives as We see
TT We are fighting for or laws. our
ideals, Cur homes, our Institutions
Put how" one may ask. "were all
these things threatened BY Germany
before the war started, Ii lis easy to
see how they may be threatened DOW,
for If We are defeated We are lost. but
before the war started did Germany
menace those things we hold most sa.
cred:"
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 Gerrnsn-Arneri-
can alliance was formed in the United
States In 1ao7 IL was Incorporated
by act Of congress. Its charter is
Low being attacked In that same body.
One Of the objects Of the alliance, as
officially announced, was ito check ma.
tivistic encros chments" In other
words, 10 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" It's preliminary
statement OF aims concludes. SIS
pledged 10 bring its entire organiza-
ton TO the support of any state fed
Grafton which is engaged in the strug-
gle for any Of these objects"
II 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
entertainments" was particularly alb
horrent 70 American ideals, because
the effort in This country has always
been 70 keep politics free from racial
or religious influences. Yet here was
e body proclaiming itself German in
origin and thought. seeking 70 perpetu-
ate this German feeling IN the midst
of America.
From its very start the alliance
sought 70 fomeBt diseard with England.
II always spoke G tie American press
SIS the Ahsie-Amerieans press and Il
carried eut lens and well-directed
campaign for tie introduction Of the
German language inta tie schools and
its use in civil lie.
1.-THE National Alliance according
10 an issue . is official Bulletin be-
fore tins nation entered the war. SIS
waging war against Anglo-Saxonism,
against the fanatieai enemies If per-
sonal liberty and political freedom. il
is combating narrw-minded. benight-
ed knuw-nofhiBgisTn. the influence Of
the British, and the ensiavinc Puritan
ism. which had its birth in England
''The race war which we will be
compelled 10 60 through with on Amer
ican soil will BE- our world war said
the New York Stats Zeitung in fight
ing proposal 10 amend the New York
constitution 10 make ability 10 speak
and write the English language a
requisite for suffrage.
Ludwig Fulda wrote q book. "Amer.
lean Impressions They were i'm.
pressions Of a German who had stud.
led this nation with view TO seeing
il ultimately Germanized. German
ization is synonymous with causing to
speak German" he said. land 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 as a
commercial rival. the German-Amer-
can alliance was sure TO be on the
job. II gave support to the Irish
American societies. because these soci-
eties. before the war, were working for
the separation Of Ireland from Eng.
land, matter in which Germany. at
that time, could have no legitimate
interest. But Germany. even then.
was preparing for war, and was doing
every possible thing to weaken It's
coming enemies. A disorganized
America. one filed with German re-
servists. would be in no position to
side with her enemies. Germany fig
ured. On this subject the much-Quoted
Bernhard wrote:
Measures must be taken at least
to the extent of providing that the
German element is not split up in the
world, but remains united In compact
blocks, and thus forms. even in for
eign countries, political eenters Of
gravity in our favor. The isolated
groups 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 in America. The German
Americans have formed a political al
lance with the Irish; and. thus,
united, constitute power in the state
with which the American government
must reckon"
With the outbreak Of the war in Eu.
rope the actions Of the German-Amer-
lean alliance became hulder The cam