"Amen" to Babel
World War I; Babel Proclamation; Council of Defense; German Language; Anti-Germanism; German-American Support for Babel; Business; Army Service; Kaiser; German Army
Carson writes of recent meeting in Sibley, where a patriotic German spoke against the Kaiser. Carson suggests using him to write something pro-Babel to disseminate to state's Germans.
Robert N. Carson
N/A
State Historical Society of Iowa, Des Moines, Iowa
5/25/1918
N/A
N/A
N/A
Letter
English
TEXT
Box #15, Council of Defense, Governor's Office: Harding, Research Group #43, S61/07/05
1918-05-25; Iowa City, Iowa; Johnson County; Sibley, Iowa
"Calling Down" Pastor
World War I; Babel Proclamation; Council of Defense; German Language; Anti-Germanism; Pro-Germanism; Neutrality; Religion;
Local pastor, while preaching 'render unto Caesar' sermon, forcefully stopped by Germans in congregation, who didn't want to hear "anything in that line."
Chas. P. Lang
State Historical Society of Iowa, Des Moines, Iowa
7/30/1917
Letter
English
Box #14, Council of Defense, Governor's Office: Harding, Research Group #43, S61/07/05
1917-07-30; Hardin County; Abbott, Iowa
"German Kultur Must Go"
World War I; Babel Proclamation; Council of Defense; German Language; Anti-Germanism; Impromptu Organizing; Business;
Conflating Pro-Germanism with German language, proposes making organization to combat "German Kultur."
S. L. Lamoreux
N/A
State Historical Society of Iowa, Des Moines, Iowa
3/14/1918
N/A
N/A
N/A
Letter
English
TEXT
Box #14, Council of Defense, Governor's Office: Harding, Research Group #43, S61/07/05
1918-03-14; Kossuth County; Titonka, Iowa
"I Must Have A Man"
World War I; Babel Proclamation; Council of Defense; German Language; Anti-Germanism; Babel Enforcement
Local asks for a "man" to help in enforcement.
V. E. Gilley
N/A
State Historical Society of Iowa, Des Moines, Iowa
6/29/1918
N/A
N/A
N/A
Telegram
English
TEXT
Box #14, Council of Defense, Governor's Office: Harding, Research Group #43, S61/07/05
1918-06-29; Coon Rapids, Iowa; Carroll County; Glidden, Iowa
"No Mobs!"
World War I; Babel Proclamation; Council of Defense; German Language; Anti-Germanism; Violence; Babel Defiance
Potential mob violence against local German, which the author doesn't disagree with in principle, but moreover "believe[s] in letting the Law take its course."
Ontjes
State Historical Society of Iowa, Des Moines, Iowa
10/1/1917
Letter
English
Box #14, Council of Defense, Governor's Office: Harding, Research Group #43, S61/07/05
1917-10-01; Grundy County; Holland, Iowa
"Refuse to Recognize American People"
World War I; Babel Proclamation; Council of Defense; German Language; Anti-Germanism; Babel Defiance; Dutch Language
On the isolationist Dutch in Pella
Mrs. W. B. Johnson
State Historical Society of Iowa, Des Moines, Iowa
11/5/1917
Letter
English
Box #14, Council of Defense, Governor's Office: Harding, Research Group #43, S61/07/05
1917-11-05; Marion County; Pella, Iowa
"To H--L with the American Language"
World War I; Babel Proclamation; Council of Defense; German Language; Anti-Germanism; Pro-Germanism; Babel Defiance
On Titonka's pro-Germans.
Unknown
N/A
State Historical Society of Iowa, Des Moines, Iowa
6/27/1918
N/A
N/A
N/A
Letter
English
TEXT
Box #14, Council of Defense, Governor's Office: Harding, Research Group #43, S61/07/05
1918-06-27; Kossuth County; Titonka, Iowa
"Undesirable Citizens"
World War I; Babel Proclamation; Council of Defense; German Language; Anti-Germanism
On "undesirable citizens" in Sibley
W. J. Severance
N/A
State Historical Society of Iowa, Des Moines, Iowa
Undated
N/A
N/A
N/A
Letter
English
TEXT
Box #14, Council of Defense, Governor's Office: Harding, Research Group #43, S61/07/05
Osceola County; Sibley, Iowa
<em>Sioux City Volksfreund</em>: Choir Festival Postponed
Anti-German Sentiment during WWI; postponement of the Choir Festival of the Northeast Singers' Union
<p><strong>POSTPONED <br />The Choral Festival of the Northeastern Sängerbund <br />by a Vote of Members </strong></p>
<p>Philadelphia, PA. 5 October. The 25th National Choral Festival of the Northeastern <em>Sängerbund</em> (Singers' Federation) of America, which was planned for next year in Baltimore, MD, has been postponed based on a ballot vote by members. Baltimore had been chosen as the next festival location in a session of the organization's federal delegates, which took place on the occasion of the 24th National Choral Festival in Brooklyn.</p>
<p>Following the outbreak of war between the United States and Germany, however, the Baltimore Singers' Union approached the national directorship of the Singers' Federation and requested a postponement of the festival, since it was now impossible for them to reserve one of the local armory halls for Choral Festival concerts, and because prevalent sentiments in Baltimore made holding the festival seem inadvisable.</p>
<p>The federal directorship, in accordance with the organization's bylaws, ordered a ballot vote among members. The 159 choral societies that make up the Northeastern Singers' Federation were then given a four-week deadline to decide whether the National Choral Festival should be postponed or not. The responses along with the final outcome of the vote were to be sent by September 29th to the corresponding secretary of the Federation, Mr. F. W. Haussmann in Philadelphia. By that date, 124 member societies had sent in their results. All told, 3896 singers voted in favor of and 144 against postponing the festival.</p>
<p>Determining a new date for the 25th Choral Festival naturally depends on ending the World War and on subsequent peace accords. Secretary Haussmann, who announced the result of the ballot vote today, vigorously encouraged all choral member societies and their singers to preserve the traditional <em>Treue</em> (faithfulness) of German choir members, to remain loyal to the <em>Sängerbund</em>, to maintain the German song repertoire during a time of war, and to hold high the banner of the German men's choir tradition, so that, when peace has returned, the great National Choral Festivals of the Northeastern <em>Sängerbund</em> of America may arise again in their former splendor.</p>
Sioux City Volksfreund
Oscar A. Hoffmann
11 October 1917
State Historical Society of Iowa
jpg
German
newspaper article
microfilm newspaper collections, State Historical Society of Iowa
Sioux City; Woodbury County; Baltimore; Philadelphia; Brooklyn
<em>Sioux City Volksfreund</em>: St. Paul's Lutheran Church
Anti-German Sentiment during WWI; switch from German to English during sermons
<p>St. Paul's German Evangelical-Lutheran Church, in accordance with the proclamation of Governor W.L. Harding, which forbids the use of all foreign languages in public assemblies, has completely done away with the German language in church, as Pastor G. A. Matthaides announced on Sunday. Worship services for the several elderly members of the congregation who cannot understand English will be held periodically in their homes, as was decided by the parish administrative council. The church was organized on the 8th of September 1878 and has 800 members.</p>
Oscar A. Hoffmann
Sioux City Volksfreund
6 June 1918
State Historical Society of Iowa
jpg
German
newspaper article
microfilm newspaper collections, State Historical Society of Iowa
Sioux City; Woodbury County