Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 312, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 January 1918 — German-Americans Loyal As in Every Crisis of the Nation in Past [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

German-Americans Loyal As in Every Crisis of the Nation in Past

By HENRY WEISMANN.

PrewJent of German-Arne tcm» Alliance of SMi of NsWY«i

The heart of our citizens of German stock is entirely sound. It requires only a proper presentation of matters and a firm stand to induce all of them to fall in line. They are Americans first—with but unimportant exceptions. , The assurances .of friendship expressed by the president for the German people, his high hopes for democracy, embodied the aspirations of millions of people of German Btock, and these millions believe that the present struggle will bring government by the people and for the -people to nearly the entire world.

The war with Germany is a great touchstone of our ability to think and, act as a great nation. The part of German-Ainericans in this war must, and I know will, be as fruitful of willing sacrifices, heroic deeds and patriotic devotion as that of any citizen who points to the 'Pilgrims as his ancestors —yes, liven more so, because we know how great is the advantage of America’s citizenship and how great the boon that has come to those who fled German conditions of life, both economic and political, to embrace the free institutions of the New World. German-American hearts, brain and brawn are merged with Idle great forces of the American people in this all-absorbing enterprise. And while thus active in this work of patriotic devotion, our vision rises and looks to a future for our American-born children, whose children and children’s children shrill and prosper upon the great work of today when this American ours will find a permanent lodgment with every one of the millions who, while proud of the achievements of the German race, are prouder still of the fact of being one of the new nation that shall bring the world the liberty and democracy which we enjoy. There can be no division. Only one loyalty is possible in th® heart and mind of our citizenship, no matter of what stock— the- loyalty which we have sworn and which I know the American citizens of German gtock will hold sacred as in former days when the German-American leaders of the past, in every crisis of our country, gave their lives for it® preservation.