One of Germany's colossal blunders was her estimate of the sentiments
and principles of German-born people who have made their homes in
America, and the American sons and daughters of German-born parents.
German statesmen whose criminal wishes shaped their thoughts sincerely
believed that the admiration and love of the Kaiser's despotism,
including even the military iron heel, was so great that the influence
of American liberty, open-hearted hospitality and vast opportunity
would count for naught when the Kaiser cracked his whip.
The Simple Simons of Wilhelmstrasse actually believed that in any
struggle with America, all Americans of German ancestry necessarily
would be traitors to their own hearthstones, and would rise en masse,
fully-armed, cobra-like, to strike the government of the United States.
Being themselves ruthlessly devoted to the idea of might and conquest,
and the merciless subjugation of small and weak nations, they judged
their kindred in America by their own rotten standards. They foolishly
assumed that a German forty years in America would willingly become a
black-hearted traitor to the land that for years had sheltered him,
and made much of him,--simply because the ruthless builders of modern
Germany had endeavored to keep a grip on him, and had willed that he
should obey their orders.
But the people of America made no mistakes of that kind. They
recognized that so long as the United States was not at war with
Germany, the sympathy of all Americans of German descent would be
against the Allies. That was as natural as it is for water to run
down hill. But when war with Germany was declared, after a multitude
of insults and injuries and too many efforts at avoidance, the
native American felt no serious misgiving regarding the great body
of Americans of German ancestry. All that they did fear was the
crazy possibilities of individual hot-heads; and it was pointed out
to German-Americans that the insane and treasonable acts of such
irresponsibles might easily involve great masses of perfectly innocent
people. The Americans of German descent sternly forbade all such folly
by their people, and it will be a pleasure for the historians of these
times to record the fact that the German-born Americans have, as a
mass, elected to be Americans first, and the others have wisely feared
to be openly hostile to the United States.
Except the Anarchists, Socialists and I.W.W's., American ideals have
made lasting impressions upon many of our people whose veins contain
foreign blood, though not upon all. Young Ernest and Heinrich are in
the National Guard, and lads August and Herman are in the Boy Scouts,
busy saluting the flag; and all are quite ready to fight for the only
home country that they know. They are not in the ranks of the alien
malcontents who are organized to fight all American efforts at national
defense. But we will deal with that element.
The brutal German government, and the odious Junkers, now frantically
lying to the people of Germany and ruthlessly concealing the truth from
them, have few allies in the United States save the spies and traitors
planted here for spy purposes. There will be no "uprising of Germans"
here. The extinguishment by the Providence _Journal_ of the reptilian
Bernstorff, the chuckleheaded Boy-Ed, the blundering Papen, and Dumba
the easy mark, effectually ended the treasonable plots that aided very
materially in opening the chasm between the United States and Germany,
and driving the United States whole-heartedly into the war. Dumba
has been decorated for his part in all this, and we hope his fellow
plotters will be equally appreciated.
But there are some capital blunders that Germany never makes. Her
people are an absolute unit, in body, spirit and resources, in backing
up the leaders of the nation in the hour of strife and danger. She does
not make the mistake of tolerating traitors and assassins at home. If
her soldiers mutinied on the firing line, and refused to fight the
enemy, as some rotten-hearted Russian soldiers recently have done most
disastrously, Germany would not make the mistake of letting one of them
live to tell it. In solidarity, unity of purpose and devotion to the
nation's policy, the German people are a shining example to America.
They are more devoted to a bad cause than our slackers and traitors are
to a good one. It is high time for us to teach our traitors some severe
lessons; and I warn them, one and all: =Beware!=
And now what about Germany's crimes? In the next chapter, let us see.