The Republican journal., 1918-09-19
Purge Our Population.
By H. H. Windsor, in the October Popular
Mechanics Magazine.

Last month we considered the advant-
age of sending back bodily to Germany
those willful spirits whose actions and
utterances were so fragrant our govern
ment has been forced to intern them for
the duration CT the war. 1t might be ad-
ded that failing to do SO, and turning
them loose again in our midst, they, i'm
penitent, will still cherish those same un
American ambitions, with resentment
added by reason of their imprisonment.
But why should we single out or re-
strict ourselves to these few hundreds
who have been found guilty in our courts
of justice? For each one SO convicted
there are thousand whose hearts are
bitter against American principles and
ideas of freedom and individual privilege.
the very fact that any man or woman
could live say even five years in this
country and still be loyal to the kaiser
and disoyal to the United States, is suffi-
Gent evidence that he lacks the materials
which come out gold from the melting
pot He is dross, the pure gold is not in
him; nor is it likely the alchemy of free
dom. even such as ours, can ever make
him over And if after few years of
opportunity he has failed to respond, then
it is evident he is a menace, and not
worth, nor deserving, any further effort.
He is clog and drag on our civic pro-
gress even though he may do an honest
days work and keep out of Jail
Now is our opportunity to emphasize
what American citizenship means, and
to declare unmlstakably that any who do
not and will not become one of US in our
ideals of national citizenship, and share
conscientiously our ideals and our free
dom, is a misfit and does not belong here.
Such men and women are a menace as
long as they remain. Their absence,
therefore, not their company, becomes
desirable
The founders of this country never in
tended it as home for aliens; it was to
be the home of Americans, whatever
their nationality of birth. 1t was never
intended as a sanctuary for those who
wished to escape the severity of other
governments without accepting the easy
obligations of ours 1t was not simply
to provide a place where jobs could be
had at better wages han at some foreign
home, that the Declaration Of 1ndepen-
dence was fought for and signed. Amer
lea was conceived for Americans, in the
full and right sense of the word, and not
for dissenters and traitors. 1t was not
opened to Germans that they might come
over here and be Huns, either in word,
spirit or deed.
And yet they.are here by thousands,
and we permit them to remain. How
long do you think patriotic American
in Germany would be allowed to denounce
Germany and ascribe all the virtues to
America? He would not be shipped, he
he hot hat hefn
We need not stoop to the cruelty of Huns,
nor would we ever do the atrocious and
uncivilized things they have done and
are doing. We never would, or could.
But why should we tolerate, day longer
than the ships can be built in which to
deport them, the presence here of those
who, by their own emphatic utterances,
are not now and never will be one of US?
The transition from Imperialism to de-
mocracy has been SO extreme, these peo-
pie have desplsed US and our government.
They have translated liberty into license
and scorned US for OUT generosity.
It would not require So very many of
the 5000 ships now building, and to be
built in the next thirty months, to bring
a great light to some people. Many would
then awaken from their sleep of Hunnish
centuries, and begin to grasp the i'm
measurable benefaction of being permit
ted to live here. And as for the others,
they are irredeemable and hopeless, and
the sooner we rid ourselves of them, the
better.
When one thinks of the hundreds of
thousands of loyal Americans, as loyal as
you or or anyone, who, born in Germany
or of German descent. are gladly sending
their sons to fight the battle for freedom,
and with voice and purse doing their ut
most, one regrets to have to raise pen, or
act, against some of their race. But no
one more than the loyal American of
German blood will approve a thorough
purging, not only of disloyal Germans,
but disloyal anybody, regardless of their
nationality!
Send them all away, no matter who or
what they are, if they are anything but
Simon-pure Americans now. And having
sent them away, make it impossible for
them, or their children, ever to enter our
gates again.