The brotherhood between the Germans and the Irish has been regarded with a derisive smile by the English [language] press. Every Sunday a Mr. O'Connor pops up in the Tribune, who has already explained three dozen times how the Irish over there can hardly restrain themselves from dying for "Dear Old England". It would serve no practical purpose to argue with this or any other Mr. O'connor, whether the Irish in Ireland are for or against Germany. It wouldn't do Germany much good if a gang of Irishmen in England would take a chance to be thrown into jail by "Dear Old England's" bailiffs [bulls, flat-foots, coppers]. Liberal England is never in want to justify the most reactionary and lawless acts and, if that does not work, to override the privileges and rights of her subjects with a bold stroke. Although we are very much interested in the attitude of the Emerald Isle, we nevertheless 2must not expect her to assume an open, or even agressively hostile, attitude toward England. On the other hand, the friendship between Irishmen and Germans in this country must be cultivated and promoted. There is a valid reason for the hands between the descendants of these two sturdy races. Distant as the relationship may be, it exists nevertheless, and, in their hatred for England, the Germans and Irish stand on common ground. This hatred has its historic basis; it is older with the Irish, more recent with the Germans, but even with the latter it dates back a century. A common motive for a rapprochement between Irish and Germans is therefore not lacking. Whether this hand is strong enough to turn into and active alliance depends on the advantages both partners could derive from it. In matters of this sort, it would be good to dispense with the notion that nations love each other because of common ideals. This would be discounting realities. The friendship between Irish and Germans is of a very realistic nature. The Irish over there expect a German victory over England to give them an independence of a wider scope, maybe even a complete separation from the hateful British, with whom they have practically 3nothing in common culturally. The Irish over here entertain identical hopes. And the Germans in America expect the Irish-Americans to support them in their efforts to obtain justice [a just attitude] for Germany on the part of the Americans. If Germany would indirectly liberate Ireland, the Irish-American population of America would be morally obligated to the Germans for all time. Whether this obligation could be made to last, depends to a large extent upon ourselves.

The necessity for a closer co-operation between the Germans in this country need not be emphasized here again. But to obtain a just recognition for Germany's cause, co-operation between German-Americans is not enough. They have to look for outside help, and must accept it wherever it presents itself. According to the 1910 census, there were 8,817,271 Germans and only 1,352,155 Irish living in this country. But the influence of the Irish on American politics is in inverse ratio. An Alliance is, therefore, not only of value to the Irish, but also to the Germans, because the Irishman is not 4regarded as an alien, for all practical purposes, and can make himself heard.

Future mutual support is today still in the development stage, except at elections. There the Germans can find easy contact, because they agree with the Irish on one important issue: to oppose any and all Sunday Blue Laws. This issue is always present. Continuous watching is necessary. It is a full time job, not a part-time one. All reserves have to be called out to avert the danger, now since the "Drys" are girding themselves for a sustained struggle. For us Germans this is a question of culture, not a saloon question.

The coming election for mayor will provide a practical opportunity for the Germans and Irish, to make a test case out of it. Of the Irish we can expect, with certainty, that the greater majority of them will vote for Robert M. Sweitzer. The Germans are to demonstrate for the first time that they can 5sacrifice petty party considerations for a grand idea. At the primaries they seem to have taken a running start. If they keep it up in the final elections, victory is assured and with it a possibility to formulate a promising working schedule.

Fate has singled out the Germans to play a decisive role in shaping the destiny of our country. Without this war they would have grown stale from self complacency. Tragic as is the means to stir us out of our long mental liberation, it is good for us, just the same. Now we can prove and must prove that we are the real pillars of culture. We can do so by being eager and intelligent participants in the political life of our nation, upon which the cultural is so largely dependent. Together with the Irish and our liberal-minded and educated fellow Americans, we Germans will be able to give our country that to which the noblest part of humankind is aspiring; social freedom and independence for all the nations, especially from England. For this objective any noble and right-minded man should be able to gather enthusiasm.