AMERICA AT WAR

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 145998, 3 December 1917, Page 4

AMERICA AT WAR

CRUSHING GERMAN INFLUENCE. Mr G H. Hoskins, of Messrs. G. and C. Hoskins. Ltd., of Litkgow ironworks. has returned to Sydney after an extended absence, with very vivid convictions of the determination of the people of the United States to do their full share in the European nar. “We did not meet a single American who was against conscription, Mi. Hoskins said “It seems to them to be the necessary thing, and ah classes are willing to do their part, they do j not say Australia should have conscnpi tion, but thev wonder why we do not have it, although they admit we have done very well. “Tim Germans throughout the United States are kept down very firmly. In this work the wonderful secret service is in value hie. These men are vol-unte-PTfl recruited from the public. <ind their characters are well looked into before they are accepted They are everywhere. and one moots them under all «orts of circumstances. In Chicago the Germans are now kept down so rigidly that one never hears even a. whisper of sedition. The public meets any suggestion of pro-Germanism with prompt drastic measures. Any paper that dares to say a word against the Allies, anu PFpf'ciftllv aftniust T/ncb»ruls» is vrnmodia.toly refused passage through the post, or on the trains. Consequently oven the Hoai’fit papers have to be very cautions. Thompson, the Mayor of Chicago. displayed distinctly pro-Gorman sympathies, hut the people made the pace so hot for him and that he was very soon advocating the purohaso pf “Liberty Loan” bonds. In another town —recognised as a German town—a committee wanted to hold a meeting at which to deliver speeches urging people to take up the Liberty Loan." Tim Germans, however, refused the use of the Town Hall for the purpose. But non-German townspeople within a day or two had made that German Mayor and all the German citizens buy Liberty Loan bonds to a- large extent, and so s(jir n «hed the pro-Ger-man propaganda. The Americans are displaying rerv erect determination about that and will stand no nonsense. Their spirit is “just the thing” and was a delight to ns. “The eh.an.ge of feeling towards England is very noticeable right through *he rountrv. Several times we met men, notably young men, who frankly said that before this war they disliked England, hut they and others now saw +hat the Irish and the Germans were forming pubhc opinion on that matter. There is no doubt.” Mr. Hoskins continued, “that opinion in America, is much more pro-English than I have seen it in two previous visits to the country. The way in which the megajrines ore printing appreciations cf England is very noticedile. In many respects they are getting to understand what England has done.” Tlie Americans. Air. Hoskins continued. admired vevv much the Australian methods of dealing with IW.W.-ism, and he repeatedly saw newspaper references to tb« matter, and suggestions that the United) States Government, should adept sinyhir methods. Though large numbers of I.WAV. advocates were gaoled, far greater numbers were being merely shifted from State to State. Arrested in one State they would he deported to the next, and that one would repeat tl. e performance. Rut everywhere TAVW.-ism was treated seyprelv. Srid it continued to cause mischief. The L T nited States suffered as many strikes as Australia, and 1.W.W.ism was known to he at the root of them all. All industries suffered to a more or less extent; hut they worn more virile along the Pacific ‘ Coast, where even the farmers were held up.