Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-11-04
.5GERMAN PASTORS
HERE UNDER FIRE
Department of Justice lnvesti-
eating Appeal Attacking
Harsh" Peace Treaty
SAID TO BE ALIEN ENEMIES

Five German Lutheran clergymen are
under fire today because OF a circular
issued by them addressed to Beloved
German Christians" in which the
peace treaty is attacked as 'harsh."
One paragraph which has attracted
the attention Of Todd Daniel, special
agent of the Department of Justice.
reads: "The feeble rays that lighted
last Christmas with the hope that there
might be peace with honor have been
blotted out by the harsh peace treaty
How many will deny, will doubt, be
angry with God because they are angry
with MANI"
The circular is an appeal for money
with which to brighten Christmas in
Germany. Mr.. Daniel said he was not
concerned with the plans to succor Ger
mans who are in distress, but he wishes
to know why alien enemies had issued
such a circular to residents of Phila-
delphia. He is conducting a rigid in
vestigation.
Text OF Circular
The text of the circular follows:
"Beoved German Christians: We
beg you from our hearts to make, at
this Christmastide, the greatest sacri-
fee for the needy in our German home.
OF all winters this threatens to be the
hardest to bear. The land is politically
torn into parties and classes which bit
terly and often bloodily fight one an.
other. The people are spiritless and
lweak. The great mass are dissatisfied
/ and unwilling to work. Lack OF food
and clothing will get many victims
whom the war has spared, but who
through hunger and privatlon nave
reached the very end of their power to
resist.
"Of all Christmastides this will be
the saddest. The feeble rays that
lighted last Christmas with the hope
that there vet might be peace with
honor have been blotted out by the
harsh peace treaty. How many will
deny. will doubt, be angry with God
| because they must be angry, with man.
| Hopeless, joyless Christmas
"StiI Have True and Loyal Friends"
"If we help! What JOY for us at
this holy festival! With gladness let
| it be poorer, more meager for us II
! only we can bind up the wounds and
comfort the souls of the poor. people
over there Could there be happier
giving? Let us seek with love what
ever we can find and give it gladly:
| Clothes. shoes. food, goods-all, all
They need it. They hunger and freeze.
They die over there. If we help we
save the lives of men, and they are
our own flesh and blood.
''If we help! What joy for them
They still have true and loyal friends
Our human love will be the ambassador
of the love of God We shall reawaker
hope, strengthen faith, and JOY, Joy
will reveal its features in the dark
Christmas picture. Is that not worth
q sacrifice?
''If we help Then we give God
thanks because He has in all the neeu
of this time protected and blessed us
We have had no suffering as yet. Oui
table is always laden, our Golfers full
nur hearts quiet and full of content
ment We owe il to Him to remember
the need of our brothers with grea
gift.
"No One Can Escape the Duty
''If we help! Who would dare to re
fuse? Who can hear the pititui CT.
and give not even little? Shall th'
tears be undried, the sorrows be un.
consoled, the hungry and dying be lef
! unpitied to their fate' No one caI
escape the duty to herp and If we hell
, NOT. tbcn we bear the blame for thel
misery and ruin, and God will deman'
; from us their souls!
"Beloved German Christians. w
have but one answer:
eve will help, give, sacrifice, to tn
limits of our power"
The officers of the relief society whic
has attracted the attention of Mr. pan
iel include five clcrgymen and layma1
/ The alien enemies are the president, I'll
] Rev. Friedrich Flothmeier. who lives a
Rockland and Howard streets, Olney
and tn, Rev. Emil r. w. Schlick. >
Fast Walnut lane, Germantown. Th
other pastors are the Rev. p. II. Dip
. pell, 1890 North Sixth street; the Rev
&. G. Rath, 3S21 Germantown avenue
4 and the Rev. !. B. Forster. Christia
! Pflaum. Jr.. 536 North Randolp
street, is the lay official.
Subscriptions to the fund which
being raised are sent to 1402 Eas
y, Moyamensing avenue. This is sea
! mems home maintained by che Germa
q Lutheran churches, with Heinrich Rob
rem as the superintendent. The latter
E also a, registered alien enemy, althoug
d his wife said he had taken out his frs
papers and would complete his natur
= alization as speedily as possible.
'Humanitarian" Is Pastors Defen.
The Rev. Mr.. Rath, when asked abou
, the circular, said: Our work is hu
war sufferers. We do not wish to
anything that would cause criticism 0
strife and deplore any spirit of criticism
D that goes forth seeking only faults
1t is true thot the circular says tn
peace treaty was harsh 1t had to b
harsh. In my copy of the circular
cannot find any other expression tha
could be objected to by the most cap
tous, but whatever the wording, tn
, purpose of the circular was solely t
help in the work we are trying to do
to aid those who are now suffering i
; Europe.
1--WE are working with the Quaker
and others, and the relief work is nc
confined to Germany