New-York tribune., 1918-03-03
Kultur Bugaboo
Is Absurd, Says
AllianceCounsel
German Ideals Misunder
stood Here, Sutro Tells
Senate Committee
[Stdf Correspondence1

LAI'eeU W. 90 l/0ftOCfCCS
WASHINGTON, March 2.-"German
kultur" and the expression "Deutsch-
land uber allies" are not at all under
stood in the United States, Theodore
Sutro, of New York, counsel for the
National German-American Alliance,
told the Senate sub committee investi-
eating that organization to-day, in
testifying against the resolution intro
duced by Senator King which would
cancel the charter under which the Ger
man Alliance is Incorporated
"PanGermanism,' the witness said,
''is an absurditv."
"Any nation" he added, (which wants
to force its Kultur on any other nation
is guilty of an absurdity"
"Pan-G -Germanism is the aim of the
Prussian autocracy. is it not?" demand
ed Senator Sterling, of South Dakota.
There have been pan-German or.
carnations in Germany for long
time" said MIR. Sutro. but when was
/ IN Germany, just before the European
war broke out, found that the promi-
nent officials did not sympathize with
them. | am quite sure the Emperor is
NV IA ~ lItp@IHy Wltf tuCIu.
First Defence Hearing
To-day was the first time the de-
tenders of the German-American AL
lance had all inning before the Senate
committee. Up to date the committee
mas been listening to translations Of
the speeches Of the rganization's Off
GERS and to extracts from it's official
bulletins, the general purpose of both
OF which seemed to be to keep the Ger
mans In the United States a distinct
group, with their own language and
customs preserved distinctly, TO elect
men to office who would not be in
fuenced by "muckers" opposed to
"Deutschtum" and to defeat prohibition
wherever it raised its head
Followed by a perfect retinue of
burly forms with Germanc faces, Mr..
Sutro entered the committee room this
afternoon. At his left, during his tes-
timony, sat man resembling for all
the world pictures of captured private
soldiers IN the German army. Next TO
him sat two middle-aged men with mus
taches turned up at the corners, one
of whom, sitting down, could have
+ posed for picture of the German war
! lord. The other might also have quail
/ fed in this regard had his hair been
/ a shade or two darker and had there
I.
Just behind Mr.. Sutro sat the new
president of the German-American AL
! lance, the Rev. DR.. S. g. Won Bosse, a
most marked contrast with the remain
der of the retnue. His face is thin and
pale, his hair black, and he has alto
gether the appearance of a Zealot He
said he would need possibly one, and
possibly two hours for his talk, so the
committee postponed hearing him till
Monday.
Mr.. Sutro was most evasive and clever
: IN his answers to questions, after he
had read a long statement Seldom
were the Senators able to pin him down
to a confirmation of any of their points
Newspaper men present who had inter
viewed Count Won Bernstorff were
seruck with the similarity between his
accent and that Of Mr.. Sutro, both alike
in their sharp difference from the
speech Of the average German who
comes to this country and learns Eng
lish Mr. Sutro resembled the count also
in the skill of his fencing.
Germans Misunderstood"
Mr.. Sutro's legal argument, which
was presented in a sort Of brief Nc
read, and which he will supplement- By
another brief before the hearing closes
consisted chiefly of u demurrer to the
ganization. He contendcd that no evil
dence had been presented which would
be admitted by a court as showing the
culpability Of the alliance.
Senators King, Walcott and Sterling
hammered at him for more than al
hour, Grading passages from the officia
bulletin Of the organization, and also
from the speeches made by DR.. Hex
amer, who was president until recently
After Grading each passage, Mr.. Sutro
would be asked if he agreed with the
statements made therein. 1t was in
qualifying the meaning of words il
thcse passages that he declared thai
German "Kultur" and the expression
"Dcutschland ubcr allies" were not un
dcrstood in the United States.
Restless under one question as tc
whether ne agreed with statement il
the bulletin urging German American!
TO work for the spread OF German
"kultur," he said there were in thu
German social life many thing which
it would be to the advantage of thii
country To adopt. There were hearty
lhakca Of head in app roval from the
members Of the retinuc,
"Amcrican kultur' should not be su-
pcrsedrd," he vent only slowly, "bu'
the two should continue, side By side
/ think IL broadena any man to under
stand the 'kultur' Of another nation"
At another time in the testimony h
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