Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 April 1918 — WHY NOT INCLUDE ALL FOREIGN LANGUAGE PAPERS? [ARTICLE]

WHY NOT INCLUDE ALL FOREIGN LANGUAGE PAPERS?

Philip Zoercher, former Democrtic clerk of the Supreme court, who made a series of mighty good political speeches in Jasper county during the 1916 campaign and will be remembered by many Democrats here as a very patriotic German, is opposed to the publication of all German papers in this country, according to the Indianapolis News. The Democrat heartily agrees with Mr. Zoetrcher, except that we would go a step farther and prohibit the publication of all foreign language papers in the United States. Let the foreigners learn to read English and it will make better citizens of them all. Following is Mr. Zoercher’s views as published in the Indianapolis News.

Philip Zoercher, a member of the state board of tax commissioners, who has been making speeches on behalf of the Friends of German Democracy in Indiana communities where there are many citizens of German birth and descent, takes a firm stand for the suppression of German language newspaipers and magazines. In an expression on this subject today, Mr. Zoercher mentioned the Teleferam and Tribune, the Indianapolis German language daily, as one of the publications he felt should either print its paper in English or cease publication.

. “This is no time for pussyfooting, but it is a time for plain speaking, it makes no difference how much it hurts,” said Mr. Zoercher. “We are at war with Germany. Every newspaper and magazine published in the enemy language should be suppressed. The fact that translations of the articles published in the German papers are furnished to the government is not enough. If there are citizens _in Indiana who can read nothing but German it is time they were learning English. If the German language publications were suppressed during the war there would be no call for them after the war.” Mr. Zoercher speaks and, reads German , and until recently was / a regular reader of German papers. But since 1916, when he became conwjnced that the German press was a menace to American institutions, he has been bitterly opposed to such literature. “I think that most of the people of German blood in Indiana.ftoday who are not ‘right’ in regard to the United States and sympathize with Germany are readers of German papers which have poisoned their minds,” he said. “I am frankly saying this in my addfesses to audiences of German-Americans. When we recognize an evil we should be frank about it, particularly ip this time of war.' In addition to the German language newspapers, I believe that another source favorable to Germany is the religious papers and magazines published in the German language. -— Indianapolis News.