The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-07-09
THE GERMAN DRIVE IN AMERICA

II they understood the essential diver
renee OF the two. they would not
openly advocate both with such un-
blushinS feryor That they do uphold
the kultur Of Germany in the same
declaration by which they assert their
undivided purpose to support oniy
whatever is American. Is only too IN
controverribly q proof OF inherent ou-
plicity on this subject The war mas
made no change in them. Thty were
seeking by every means in their
power. so far as they had influence IN
America. to build 1t over TO accord
with German ideas before the war.
Now that the war is finished, thes
come once more into the open, seek
ing the same effect, with only this dlI-
ference. that they now confess their
intent to impose their purpose through
the ballot box. if they can.
III the German-American were not So
yociferous in protesting his American
ism. IL he were not SO eager to set
himself up as an expounder OF Ameri-
can ideals and q teacher OF American
citizenship. If he should let himsen
out first, last, and always for what
he really is, a promoter of kultur, an
apostle of German pre-eminence, ne
would. of course, be less of an enlgma
10 the so-called native American. Inc
German-American attitude would also
be simple enough to the American IL
il could always be explained as a
conscious effort to deceive, which IL
cannot be, for the simple reason tnat
German all-sufficiency is, In some IN
stances, perfectly sincere in assuming
the ability to be American while re-
manning essentially German, duallty
which the American scouts as 1mpos-
sible The American does not expecs
a fellow citizen of German lineage 10
forsake or forget his German traits
and training, so far as these woulo
give him a certain natural mold ana
characteristic. as the Italian in Amer
lea would remain Italian, the English
man English, the Irishman Irish. and
the Russ Russian What the American
cannot understand is why the German
should transfer himself to the United
States. and, while becoming United
States citizen and declaring loyalty to
the United States, should persist,
throughout his sphere Of influence, IN
active effort to make German speech,
customs, and ideas supplant those OF
eanda. and the unacceptable deduction,
from the American point OF view, Is
that the German is either consciously
hostile to the United States, or else is
so under German influence that he is
unconsciously made TO produce an es-
sentially hostile effect. Thus the Ge.-
manamerican League could only prove
it's claim to loyal Americanism os
dropping it's positive effort to assert
/ and perpetuate Germanism IN this
country. Americans all have lineage
/ reaching back to some overseas coun
try, but except for the Germans, ano
until the present period, they nave
come to the United States willing &c
i live under the United States nag
after the way and manner OF the coun
try. leaving their own peculiar traits
and characteristics to affect 1t, II a.
all. in passive rather than active
fashion. So far as the German-Ameri
cans are not willing to do the same
they are, in effect, seeking to over
throw Americanism. and the Amer
cans OF older or more nearly single
loyalty oppose them and suspect thell
purpose.
1t is worth while to have this situa
ton discussed in all ways and from
all angles. For it involves, in fact, the
4 clash upon American soil of the Euro
j pean idea Of the domination of one
1 with the American idea Of the unior
of ALL Not all the assertion OF Amer
icanism that long succession O
.Germanamerican Citizens Leagues cal
make vocal will ever truly American
ize a purpose to make one class, o.
one nationalistic group, supreme ant
dominant in the United States, II
place of the union of all classes ant
all groups in the great idea OF a com
|, mon country, common purpose, ant
a common, but undivided, loyalty.