GERMAN-AMERICANS

Evening Post, Volume XCI, Issue 78, 1 April 1916, Page 14

GERMAN-AMERICANS

XOT ASSIMILATED BY THE STATES

KAISEB AND MONROEISM.

There are several reasons why the people of the United States should be grateful to Europe for the lessons of this war. The unhyphenated citizens, in particular, are under a. heavy obligation for the vivid searchlight which the war has thrown upon the activities of the Germans in their midst. It is clear that America, has failed to assimilate them: they remain Germans even in the second generation, and in time of trouble they would put Germany before any other country.

Mr. William H. Skaggs tells the story of German propaganda in America fully and convincingly in his "German Conspiracies in America." He is not the first to deal with the subject, but his book is based or fresh and recent evidence of the underground work carried on by German agents, and is of value in supplementing all the other proofs of the extent and thoroughness of the Kaiser's efforts towards establishing world dominion.

Excluding the small proportion of German-Americans who do not admire the Kaiser, and are not in sympathy with Germany in this war, Mr. Skaggs estimates that the number of people in America who were born in Germany is 2,701,333; born in Austria-Hungary, 1,670,582; born in Turkey, 91,932; » total for the Teutonic Alliance of 4,263,----847. As against this there are 3,792,286 from the British Empire; and from France, Italy, and the other Allies, 3,314,788—a total of 7,107,074. Therefore, apart from the enormous nativehorn population, the citizens of U.S.*A. who were born in the Allied countries greatly outnumber those who were born in the Germanic-Turkish area. Tho rwthor does not give any estimate of the numbers descended from German-Aus-trian parents, but the proportions would be about the same for the second generation.- If there came to be a-ny danger of civil war, say, in the event of America's intervention on behalf of the Allies in this war, the hyphenated disloyalists would not be a serious trouble, so far as actual numbers are concerned. But their menace is out of all proportion to i heir numbers. "The great strength of Germany in America la fonnd in the vociferous vulgarity and bumptiousness, and the corrupt and lawless practices, of its advocates."

Mr. Skaggs says that he has closely watched German practices in America while residing for some years past in Chicago—"the second largest city of America, and the second largest German city of the world." Earlier in life he dwelt amongst the Germans of the South, crn States, who had invaded the country after the Civil War, and by frand and extortion became wealthy at the expense of the whites and negroes. The Germans acquired a monopoly of the whisky business there, and debauched everything they could reach with money or political intrigue. "The American student of sociology need not go to Belgium to study the record of German cruelty and intrigue. He can get the story from the poor whites and negroes of the South."

The German campaign in America began in earnest after the Spanish-Ameri-can war, which Germany expected Spain to win. The visit of the Kaiser's brother, Prince Henry, to America, was really the first blow on the wedge Germany was trying to drive between England and America, in order to isolate the United States, and form a European combination against the Monroe Doctrine. The Monroe Doctrine stood in the way of complete control of South America. Germany had obtained big commercial interests there, and wanted the lot. The wedge would also serve Germany very well when the inevitable war with England arrived. Whether she intended to tacldo the United States before England is not clear; but Dr. Botzsch wrote in a German paper in 1902 that "despite the gratifying results of Prince Henry's visit, Germany's jrreat enemy in the twentieth century will be America," and he advocated an early economic campaign against the States in South America and East Asia, or else the great duel between Germany and the Anglo-Saxon races would end in favour of the latter, and Germany "will, .politically, sink to the level of' Holland."

"America has had sufficient warnings, not only in the declarations of the Kaiser, but also in the politics and methods of the German Government, with regard to the Danish West Indian Islands, Samoan affair, Spanish-American war, and Mexican affairs. Notwithstanding this record, the Bernhardi doctrine, which is German policy, notwithstanding insults to the United States flag, murder of United States citizens, and the spread of Germanic propaganda in America, we are daily admonished to be neutral, and maintain a policy of 'watchful waiting.' " Recent German preparations in Ameria for the war in Europe began with General Bernhardi's secret visit.in 1913. The author quotes a book published in Leipsic in 1907 by Emil Witte, a one-time German attache to the German Embassy in Washington, which declares that societies of a semi-military character had already been formed amongst the Germans in America. Bernhardi came to tell them that war was likely to start in 1914, that England was Germany's enemy just then, and that the road to England lay through Belgium and France.

At the present time, the author states, the whole United States is "spy-rid-den." Captain Boyed, of the German Embassy, is under suspicion as one of the chief directors of the spy system. Chicago is its headquarters and the centre of the German press propaganda. "It is not possible to lodge at the hotels, eat at the restaurants, walk on the streets, or ride in the cars (in Chicago), wiUiout being under the surveillance of i German spies." As we have learned by the cables, they have done much damage in the factories making munitions for the Allies. "German spies have attempted to blow up passenger steamers and American warships, they have placed bombs in the Senate chamber at Washington. Boycotting and writing threatening letters are common practices."

The pacifist movement in America seems to be largely under the direction of Germans, and Mr. Skaggs shows how a well-known pacifist, Miss Jane Addams, has been influenced in favour of Germany, and led to speak disparagingly 'of French and English soldiers. Her remarks were vigorously challenged in the New York Times by Mr. Richard Harding Davis, who had had personal experience of the Allied troops in action.

Mr. Skaggs 'goes over the all-too-familiar facts of Germany's ruthless disregard of human and other laws by her conduct in Belgium ancl Poland ami her submarine murders. He clnims that "America was involved from the moment the neutrality of Belgium was vioInted." He writes as nn Arncriciin. from tho American point of view, iimi regrets that "during the first year of this war of nations we have made :\ place in the world's history which will not be very much to our credit.."

"If iva entertain pirates and conspirators, if wo connive at arson, murder, rape, and piracy, if we submit to indignities and insults under the plea that wo arc top proud U> light, we Mi/ill tlncl that thfiafi .wfco fought for tb..ek JioflJ£fi

and country will bo too proud to sit at tho council table with us. If wo think of ourselves first, we shall find that those who thought of humanity first would think of us last." —Sydney Daily Telegraph.