LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
GERMANS IN THE UNITED STATES.
[To rs. Boma or yin Sezorarox."]
Sts,—In your issue of February 20th, bearing upon the alleged influence of the German vote in the United States, credence seems to be given to the unwarranted statement that there are five million voters of that nationality, or of its descent. The total vote in the Presidential election of 1912 was 15,000,000, in round numbers. The United States Census of 1910 shows 2,400,000 of both sexes and ages of German birth, and 7,500,000 born of German parents. Only one-fifth of our population are entitled to vote, and thus if both of the classes in individuals exercised the privilege the number would fall scant of 2,000,000 voters. My parents were German, but I emphatically deny that I am German-American, being, with a high majority of the same descent, intensely American, and without sympathy for Bill Kaiser and his national and international afflictions. Within a recent period inquiry of seventeen friends of the same origin exhibited the same distaste. Further, many German born who immigrated to this country in their teens to avoid military conscription have thrived through liberal and material opportunities, and while they love the Fatherland, the folk customs, fie., very many are not in sympathy with a Government that demands meek sub- mission to controlling classes, while to their children the knowledge is abhorrent. In our Public Schools the Stars and Stripes in display, for years, daily in concert is pledged fealty to its teachings, and in various other ways the authorities seek to stimulate patriotism, and we are, in fact, saturated with it to the exclusion of any particular concern for other nations. Moat of our parents were poor, as indicated by immigration; perhaps skilled in manual trades, the arts, dro., shrewd and industrious, but with meagre school education and limited vocabulary. When we Bought to enlarge ours in their language by text-books we discovered that we were in the main in the possession of a dialect. German literature ie quite unknown to us, while the works of the British intel- lectuals are made known in a common language, and these men we are prone to adopt as our own. The reasons given, to which others could be added, are those which lead the majority of those of German descent to favour the Allies through British
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