The respect and the influence that the German nationality enjoys in America is not perhaps derived from its numerous representatives, or from the steady growth of its elements. Other European nations send every year large numbers of their children to the United States and yet there is little or nothing to cause them to feel that they have imprinted anything of their national peculiarities on the population as a whole.

The reason that just the German nationality bestows on the American population more Germanistic coloring of character lies in the circumstance that the German brings from his homeland the highmindedness for idealism, the deep inward and sacredly held faith in all that is good, beautiful and noble. He believes in his poets, he admires his thinkers, and he loves his musicians. And he has a sacred right, to be proud of them. It is also hard to bring to a full understanding of other nationalities the treasure made of German tender-hearted poetry in its purity and opulence, because each translation into a foreign language seems to loosen the pollen of the flower. Yet German music 2has long held its victorious procession through all countries, and has been adopted everywhere. No one, who has ears to hear, can ward off the magic power that is spun around his soul by German tunes that seem to be born of the inmost heart. Involuntarily he will feel that in this music something mystical is hidden that comes forth out of an abundant source of intellect, that neither can be imitated nor acquired. The bubbling cheerfulness of the music in its whole youthful vigor sounds towards the listener, then he is led into the land of dreams, then he is lifted up by the heavenly music about himself, then he drops down to earth mourning in deep melancholy, as if the tunes called him with the words of Faust:"And to see, that we can know nothing, this will almost burn out my heart!"

There is nothing that the Germans like better than to plume themselves among other nationalities on their music. With unfeigned and earnestly meant pleasure they point to the concert programs, in which German names always outweigh others! But just as the immortal works of our Schiller remain standing untouched in their gold adorned, beautiful bindings in the book cases, so also the zeal of the German seems to grow lame when it comes to proving by deed how highly he thinks of his own music!

Especially so in a country into which all nationalities flow and mingle, the German should watch his nationality with anxious care, and protect and cultivate with love and devotion his ideal possessions. He should show to the other nationalities how conscious he is of his national inheritance and how he is German not only by name but also by heart.

Presently we have within our walls the German Opera Company that already has given a number of excellent performances and that will present more in the coming week!