An assembly hall to accomodate all of Chicago's Germans cannot be found in this city nor on the face of the globe, for that matter. Even the Industrial Place of the Chicago World Exposition, the most spacious edifice ever built by the hand of man, could contain only a fraction of the German element of our young cosmopolitan city, which for that reason, had to be content with merely sending delegates to the Protest meeting, last night, and so, in the correst sense of the word, it was merely a convention of delegates, which filled the auditorium. The Central Committee, which arranged the "mass expression movement" was swamped with requests for admission; they came in such numbers that only a part could be honored. The Auditorium holds only 7 to 8000 people.

(Chairman Wilhelm) Vocke's Speech: "People without a conscience have sought assiduously for many years to use the press for the purpose of creating and fostering enmity between the American people, and the nationsof the European continent. It has been their special object to instill prejudice into the minds of our population against Germany and to disrupt the old, friendly relations existing between the United States and our former fatherland. We were at war with a foreign power; the passions of our nation were violently aroused and groundless suspicion could manifest itself readily. The slanderous accusations were circulated during a critical but very favorable period and bolstered with malicious assurances which resulted in arousing the masses and even convinced the authorities, that the Continental European Powers, under the leadership of Germany, intended to interfere as an ally of Spain. Only England's friendly intercession for the United States frustrated this scheme. Germany also interfered in the Philippines and attempted to wrest victory and possession from America, by supplying arms and ammunition to the natives etc. On the strength of such pretexts, many American newspapers preached defiance and war with Germany. Rhetoric, literature and caricature were resorted to in order to create animosity among politicians, statesmen and people, which undermined our reputation in Europe. The love and exteem for justice, our tolerance for which we were famous, are now seriously questioned as a result of these 3political machinations. Aside from such perfidy, they tried their utmost to cast aspersions upon the proven faith which the German-Americans displayed for the land of their choice and, not satisfied with that, proceeded with their pernicious propaganda to misconstrue our position before foreign nations and create dissension among our own population, which, owing to its heterogenous composition requires absolute unity.

"All this was perpetrated by a horde or ruthless rascalsin the employ of the foreign nation, which heretofore has only shown animosity to our administration, and now, suddenly hiding behind the mask of friendship, it displays itself as the protector of our interests, here and abroad. As true citizens of this nation, we German-Americans welcome England's new, friendly attitude. Its genuineness would find more credence though, if its newspapers writers would desist in their nefarious practices which rely upon calumny to attain their object. They should take a more cordial interest in the exclamations of their own poet, who admonishes us in this manner:

"A friend, who only gives advice because he profits thereby, dishonors the sacred name, a friend'.

"No one can deny, that we German Americans have been faithful and sincere citizens, who defended the Republic whenever a dire crisis threatened our American institutions, that we showed strength, courage and genuine recognition for our new fatherland. In this great hall, there is no one who came here for any other reason, thanto protest the respect and dignity of hisnew fatherland. It is the only thought which permeates all of us. What then is our obvious duty? We are all versed in history and know the old, proven friendship of Germany for the United States.

"We are all aware how Frederick the Great extended his friendly sympathy and recognition to those immortals who established American independence. He was secretly in sympathetic accord with the American agents in Paris; and proclaimed already in 1775 that the treatment of the Colonies was based on despotism and intolerance; he spoke without restraint and declared that they were defending their inalienable rights against a corrupt ministry; the victories of Washington at Trenton and Princeton; - Frederic's great military genius recognized them as undeniable proofs, that the Colonies have founded and formed a nation; to the Hessian hirelings he denied passage through his territory, as he desired to 5show good will towards the Colonies. He encouraged the hesitant ministry of Louis XVI through his ambassador at the Parisian court, and when Maurepas, the French Minister, asked the great King's attitude toward a possible war with England, he assured him of hearty concurrence and informed him that 'the Colonies have a hundred to one chance of attaining their independence.' He instructed his minister, Schulenberg, to send an official declaration to one of the American Commissioners at Paris: 'The King hopes, that your magnanimous efforts will be crowned with success; he will not hesitate to recognize your dependence, when France gives its recognition'. The English tried to coerce him into an alliance but he replied: 'Nobody is more opposed to a Union with England, than I. If the English crown would offer me any conceivable number of millions, I would not furnish even a corporal's guard to fight against the Colonies'.

"Furthermore, we know, during the four years of sanguinary civil war, the Germans were most active supporters of the Union; they bought uncounted millions of Government Bonds, to supply the where-with-all for the furtherance of the cause. The traditional friendship of Prussia for America, became, upon the founding of the German Empire, a heritage for that nation; we know that Germany's greatest men, have always shown a profound regard for the American people and during the 6two milleniums of German history, there was nothing more exhalting than the proverbial German faithfulness that characterized its people. If we are convinced, about this friendship which has endured beyond a century, then we must take cognizance of the fact, that a country's honor and interest are jeopardized if such an amity is sacrificed without adequate cause and therefore it is obvious, that we admonish our co-citizens of other nationalities, not to pay any attention to these attacks against the German people, since they have been formulated for a purpose; to destroy mutual friendship.

"No one can convince us, that the recent action of the German Government, when it transferred protection of German ctizens of the Philippines to the American officials, that the cause for such grave injustices as we endured, will disappear, that the American people cannot be influenced to change affection into hatred. If we consider this premeditated and shameless disregard for truth, through which a great and noble people, the Americans, who are so cordially estemmed and beloved by our German brethren, can be led astray, then, if we must not give expression to our indignation, when and where can we?

"If the German administration sinned, to the detriment of our new fatherland, then we demand to know the truth, but it must be officially expressed by its legal representatives, and we German-Americans will be the first to object to any 7unfriendly action which that Power may have committed. But we can give adequate assurance, that these scheming vilifiers used this lovely land as a dung heap wherein they dump their malicious defamations of friendly nations. May those newspapers continue, who cater to a special reading circle, where such vilification is popular, let them proceed in their foul calling. We Germans will ever be alert, and prepared to prevent the contamination of the American people. When we act in conformity with this principle then we are assured of the cordial cooperation of America's greatest men.

(Note: The article on the Mass Demonstration contains also speeches by

William Rapp, Chief-Editor of the Illinois Staats Zeitung

Fritz Glogauer, of the Abendpost, giving historical data.

Pastor R. A. John) Speeches and historical anecdotes, showing

Pastor Heldmann ) German fidelity. to the United States.

Resolutions by the Committee: 850 citizens sent telegrams from other states encouraging the movement. Details concerning the role of the Germans in American History are also given."