Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1918-06-15
Why We Fight
Mol
Because Gernany for Years Has
Been Making Secret, Treacher-
ous War on Us
BY CLARENCE L. SPEED
Recretary CT the War Committee OF tn
Union League Club of Chicago.

Union League Club OF Chicago.
One of the deep, underlying reasons
NOT just a diplomatic pretext-why
we are at war with Germany is that
for a generation Germany has been
making war on US. Germany has
made this war not openly. bravely or
humanely, but secretly, treacherously
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 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
themselves We all knew that It was
q German feet which stripped for ac-
tiOn when Dewey sailed into Manila
bay. We all knew it 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 ii would be easy
to defeat the United States In open
warfare, to set at naught our che rlsh-
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 q year before the
outbreak Of hoStilities in Europe. This
was the enactment of what is known
as the DelbrIck law, which provides
that II an emigrant from Germany
who is about to be naturalized makes
application to a German consul, he
may retain his German citizenship
even after he has become citizen of
his adopted country.
In plain words, this law, and the ap-
pliCation of it. mean just this:
A German goes into court In this
country and solemnly foreswears al
leglance to the kaiser and pledges
his wOrd-the temptation was to say,
SOf honOr"-that he will become a 10y
al citizen of the United States. Then
he slips around to the German consul
and says:
"You know didn't mean that, at
all. Those Americans are easy marks.
and they fell for that stun right of.
But you just put me down on your list
as a good, loyal German, and II the
lime ever comes when / can prove IL,
you can count on me-"
SO the German consul puts his name
AOwn in the little card index of which
she Germans are so fond, and this
man,-this creature who swears al
legience to the country which gives
aim an opportunity to make 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 go carelessly 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 Ausland-
RE Union for Germanism in Foreign
Lands. This Organization. officially
tostered in Germany. issued quarter.
ly 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
GermsnIsm of over S0,000,OO0 people
OF German blood dwelling outside TIE
German empire" All 1t aims to do,