New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-04-24
Copyright 1918 by George
Matthew Adams)

and that of his children must be to
America.
That you must be suffering. when
you think Of what this war has
brought is understood by most
thoughtful men. One of the wisest
of these, Mr.. Henry P. Davidson OF
the Red Cross said in his memorable
speech In fremont Temple, Boston.
81 know no German Americans: but
] can say to you, that if they are 10y
al to America in this hour, They have
suffered what you and L will never
| suffer" That was a wise and under
standing statement of the situation,
and I need not dwell upon it.
We have all of suffered,
not so much by the revelations of the
brutalitics of German militarism, but
by the vicious onslaughts by men
here at home upon US, W no have been
true and loyal Americons in every
breath we ever drew. But let us not
take the assaults of agitators, and
mouth patriots too seriously. They
have their reward. The sober and
outstanding fact remains that in
spite Of them, we must do our share
and do it brayely, and unfiinchingly,
toward seeing that our sons and
grandsons who are standing for Am
erica and American institutions do
not sacrifice i'll vain.
Germany in arms, was never the
Germany OF our love and reverence,
least Of all it's Grass and brutal mill
tarsm. Our Germany was, and is,
the Germany of her philosophers her
poets, her musicians, and her arts,
not one of which, owes anything
whatever to the brute power of her
nlilitarism. 1t viii be a glorious day
for Germany, when freed from this
great burden of shame, she takes her
place among the nations of the world
again.
I ask you therefore, to let no OPP
portunity pass, to announce, and to
announce boldly, and without fear
your loyalty and love for this our
land by birth, as in my own case, Of
by adoption, as in the case of many
Of you. Help when you can and let
your fireside utter for its own uplift-
ing, the historic deeds of sacrifice,
which German blood has wrought in
the structure of American institu-
tons The millions who sought in
this land home and an opportunity, |
came because they saw here a hope
and a promise for wider and freer !
life than could be found in Europe. |
Since our institutions and those OF |
Genanv stand front to front on the |
battlefield, for Americans there is but |
one choice and that is not choice, !
since every fibre in us and every in |
stinct of duty in us points the way to |
Us, for in it Schurz. Stgel, Hecker, |
Heinzelmann and countless others |
have shown us the path with unmls- |
taxable clearness. To it then my
6 - j
apologies to anybody. and least Of ALL |
because of the foul words of ignor-
ant men, but simply because We are
Americans, and this America is to us,
no less than to others. the home land |
of our children and children's chill |
dren forever. War destroys nothing
that has a permanent interest to
mankind when the heart and the
conscience are clear and we may con-
fdently hope that when the smoke of
battle has cleared away, the great
things, human, without respect to ma
tionality, creed or condition, will re-
vive and the dreams of perpetual
peace, which lived in the souls of the
greatest Germans, Will be realized. |
Talk these things through in your
homes; let your children know now,
that the greatest thing they have is
their American birthright, and urge
them to stand by it, and for it with
all their souls and might and strength.
] know that for most of YOU this eX-
hortation is needless but let us in
the face OF the situation make it
doubly clear, that the stupidest SLAM
derer Of our Amercanism, will be
shamed INTO silence.
Sincerely yours,
ADOLPH a. BERLE.
Brookline, Mass,
April 10, 1913.
New England Liberty