The German-Americans of Missouri, particularly those in St. Louis, mourn sincerely the passing of Richard Barthold. Barthold was well-known in this country and in Germany, and his death came unexpectedly after a short illness.

The services he rendered to the German cause in America and to America herself have been acknowledged by his generation.

Barthold a self-made man, was born Nov. 2, 1855 in Schleich, Germany, and came to America at the age of sixteen. Immediately after his arrival, he became a printer's apprentice in Brooklyn. He worked later for newspapers in Philadelphia and in 1874 came to St. Louis. Six years later he married Cecelia Niedner and in the following year worked as a journalist in New York and in Albany, N. Y. In 1885 he returned to St. Louis to take over the editorship of The Tribune, an evening paper printed in German.

In 1888 he was appointed a member of the School Board of St. Louis, serving in this capacity until 1892. During the last two years he was president of the St. Louis School Board as such he has to be thanked for the fact that German was re-introduced in the public schools of St. Louis.

In Congress

Barthold's popularity increased steadily, and in 1892 he was elected to the 53rd. Congress from the 10th Missouri District. From 1893 until 1915 he served uninterruptedly in Congress, finally resigning in order to enjoy the rest of his life in peace and quietness.

Fate, however, decreed otherwise. He was interested in German-American affairs until his death. Even last year he participated in the Conferences for the foundation of a New German-American National Union in Chicago.

His Endeavors for Peace

Barthold's unwearied endeavors after the war to alleviate suffering in the 3old homeland gained him much recognition and praise. But it is in connection with the furtherance of world peace that his name will be always remembered. Thanks to his initiative, the Second International Peace Conference at The Hague, in 1900, was accomplished, because it was Barthold who, as president of the Interparliamentarian Union which held its annual meeting in St. Louis in 1906, threw into the scale his personal influence in favor of the most important resolution passed at this meeting, namely, the resolution demanding that the governments of all civilized countries send delegates to the new Peace Conference.

After Congress had resolved to erect a monument to General von Steuben in the Capitol City, to be created by the well-known sculptor Arthur Jaegers, and of which a replica was to be made and presented to the German Reich, in 1911. President Taft appointed Congressman Richard Barthold and the New York publisher Charles B. Wolfram as special ambassadors to present the statue of Steuben to the German Emperor in Potsdam.

Only a few weeks ago, the University City of Jena honored Barthold with honorary citizenship.