The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-10-20
OBJECTS ToUSE OF ''HUN'
State journal, Reader Wants, Name
Eliminated From Headlines.


State journal, Reader Wants Name
Eliminated From Headlines.
The following letter was received
this morning by The State Journal. AS
it speaks for itself, IT is printed in full
with the editors comment attached.
Editor, Topeka State Journal: 1 am
enclosing a clipping from your paper
of the 18th, which has a prominent head
line of your own makeup. Huns For
Harding" do not object to the press
dispatch from Chicago, because the word
Hun" is not In It; however, 1 do earnestly
protest against your placing such a head
line on that article. L am not inclined to
utter word in defence of the Germans Of
Europe or your calling them by such a
contempttble epithet as Huns; but this
thing of calling American citizens Huns"
and uttered in contempt, Is just little too
much for some of US of German ancestry.
! There is not a general history or en-
cyclopediA In existence which eharacterizes
encyclopedia which now lies open before
me Indicates that the Huns are generally
considered of Tureo-Tartax stock. The
bulk of Attiilas hordes were Of Trrkic
stock. The .Goths and the Huns rafaged
much of Europe including Italy and Rome,
and when theiR power was broken they
France and Italy
Because this Chicago press dispatch
mentions the fact that many American
citizens of German origin propose to vote
against Cox and for Harding, your head
ne unjustiy and unrighteonsly insinu-
Fsses, they are Huns" Personally i voted T.
year / propose to change my vote because
do not approve of the Wilson regime, us
l have perfect right to do, and you are
| going out of your way in styling me a
| Hun" There are thousands upon thous-
| ands, yes millions of German-born Ameri-
can citizens, and children of these, who
resent being called "HRns ="
/ want you to know, IL yon do not al
ready, that there are Germans and Ger
but it was the exception where they were
not. Out of the tens of millions you
cannot show tenth Of one per cent who
| were convicted of disloyalty. II you Will
| make honest investigation you will find
the great bulk of "slackers' were not
Germans or of German descent. But be-
cause some of them did their thinking in
German. talked German, preferred to listen
| to sermon in German, in which tongue
they were educated. or had a distinctly
German name, thousands upon thousands
Of them were abused. had CALLING indig-
mites heaped upon them. were insulted, and
often penalized by compelling them to pur-
chase more war bonds than those American
born. 1 know of one German alien, who,
when applying for American citizenship.
was told by the judge that he would fay-
orably pass upon his application provided
he would change his name or spell 1t diff
| ferently. God only knows how humiliating
German antecedents from a class of peopIe
filled with hate, and the administration
gave such no relief, and now the worm is
1 do not doubt but that there win be
several million American citizens OF Ger
mao> extraction, who next month will
change their politics and vote for Harding
| and against the present admi nistration.
90 not blame them for striking back with
the ballot. They are exercising their con-
sututional right Of suffrage, which cannot
| be abridged on account of race. color. or
previous condition of servitude.- Yet your
headlines characterize such Huns -
Your contempt Nxcites contempt. fs-- h
| No man ever asked me 10 purchase war
pond II was not necessary. Voluntn rily
| went to my hank. purchased upwards Of
| setd dollars worth of them. l Judge |
| Will rank with the. average preacher.
place my Americanism second TO that Of
no one. MY attitude has been exclusively
PRO Anne Hican.'.I shall change my politics
next month for reasons satisfactory to my
own corrections and | will not thank you.
Fray tell me what good can come out of
such 4. course as your headline indicates
ADOPTION any more by calling him a
| nun -! Do you not rather invite him to
aieesspise VOW Do you wish to make a
This poor stricken world just now rather
NEEDS needs, love, patience charity, Kindness,
saS tha eonf 1tl,, hope shall never
columns for propose to still remain a
reader or The State Journal. provided you
iet me ION cannot afford to keep on call
ing your fellow citizens Huns
Respectfully,
H. A. OFT.
Editors Note--The writer of the
headline, to which Mr.. OFT refers, is
of German descent. He claims he is
just as mucA or more of an American,
having been born and educated in this
country. and having served not only
! in the recent war but in the trouble
on the Mexican border and having
been twelve years connected with the
Kansas National Guard. His use of
| the word Hun" was in his opinion
legitimate. as all newspapers have
come to use that word in application
to those of Teutonfc connection and
| especially in this case because Secre-
tary Colby wished to infer that those
| supporting Mr.. Harding were not
those of true American principle, but
the true Hun. the reactionary the sup
| porters OF William of Hohenzollern.
| WANT MORE WEATHER MONEY