The German Lied plays a big part in any sort of German activity, even minor affairs, but German Day, a demonstration by men and women of German descent, whose influence is felt far beyond their own narrow sphere, is altogether impossible to imagine without the German Lied. German singers, men and women, have, therefore, always had the honorary duty, of helping the German Lied (His most precious cultural heritage of the German people) scale new heights of triumph at all German Day celebrations, regardless when and where they may take place. They have always discharged this duty with enthusiasm and love, in truly splendid fashion, gladly giving their best to be equal to the pleasant task before them.

Chicago, with its numerous singing societies, has never been an exception to that custom, and has always striven to set a shining example, and offer 2entertainment of the highest quality in this field. That the German singers at the Century of progress Exposition, on the occasion of the German Day celebration, have again performed laudably cannot be denied by anyone who had the opportunity of listening to nearly two thousand German men and women, who, under the direction of men experienced in leading mass choruses, once again sang German Lieder the way they should be sung.

The fact that singers from Milwaukee and other neighboring cities, as well as from more distant parts of the country, took part in rendering the various numbers of the lively program, adds weight to the praise.

Three Groups of Choruses

The male choruses of the two great singers' associations of Chicago (the Vereinigte Saenger and the Vereinigte Maennerchoere), together with singers of associated out-of-town clubs, formed a mass chorus of twelve hundred singers who, under the expert guidance of conductor Reinhold Walter, first 3sang Franz Abt's sentimental tone poem, "Die Abendglocken rufen" (the Evening Bells are Calling) in perfect fashion. This rendition was followed by "Waldmorgen" by Koellner, and later this chorus enriched the program with the well-known "Heidenroeslein" by Werner, and Wohlgemuth's pleasing composition, "Wie's daheim war".

Without goint into details about the musical quality of the selections them-selves, we must praise the singers for being equal to their task--diversified as the requirements were--and state that they honestly deserved the enthusiastic applause with which their performance was received. Under Walter's guidance, they interpreted the composers conscientiously, expressed the delicate shadings most effectively, and knew just when to put in the full force of their twelve hundred voices most impressively, in accordance with the intentions of the composer.

In this connection, we want to pay special tribute to the tenor voices, with-out casting any unfavorable reflection upon the rest of the ensemble. The 4tenor voices happen to carry the melody of compositions and cannot fail to make an impression on the listeners.

Let us thank all those who have worked so hard for the success of German Day at the World's Fair of 1933.

Whether the program, with all its details, found unanimous approval makes no difference. The man has yet to be born who knows how to please everybody. Anyway, all visitors to the German Day celebration will be grateful to the program committee for the lively schedule of the various attractions and the perfect timing, which did not permit the spectators to become bored or tired, and afforded them a chance to enjoy other features of the exposition also.

As for the attendance at the German Day celebration, we estimate that twenty-five thousand visitors were there. To draw any conclusions from this figure would not be proper, because many who had come to the World's Fair to watch 5the really impressive parade also took advantage of their "Bargain Day" at the exposition. Also, because of the hard times, many stayed at home who otherwise would have come. How strong the festive spirit was could be judged by the applause with which the floats and the various program items were greeted.

Let us say right here that the public address system functioned beautifully, so that the singers, the orchestra and the speeches could be heard clearly in all parts of the stadium; this made an excellent impression. The beautiful and cool weather did the rest.

The Guests of Honor

During the parade on Northerly Island, the honor guests arrived. The governor was represented by Ernest J. Kruetgen, the Army by Major Schultz, the Navy by Captain Roberts, the National Guard by Captain Weber, Captain Dunn, and Lieutenant Wasmer.

Mayor Kelly was there in person, and later on made a brief speech in which he 6emphasized that Chicagoans of German descent could claim, more than those of any other nationality, to have done exceptional work in contributing to the growth of the giant metropolis. This remark that the Germans were the best taxpayers in this great community brought forth applause.

Michael E. Girten was present as a representative of Austria. The German Consul General was not represented. Switzerland was represented by Consul Ernst Buehler.

Out-of-Town Guests

The attendance of out-of-town visitors was more than gratifying. First, we want to mention our guests from Milwaukee. Not only did the singers come in large numbers, but delegations from other associations were present also.

Delegations were sent by the German-American associations of Omaha, the Steubenites of St. Louis, the Steubenites of Hammond, Indiana, the Steubenites 7of New York, the German-American Association of Newark, New Jersey, the German associations of Detroit, Baltimore, and Providence, Rhode Island. Many of the visitors had formed groups, had made the trip by train. But many others did not mind a long drive by motor car in order to be present.

The Program

The line-up of the parade for the flag ceremony took place with perfect precision. The orchestra, conducted by Henry Johnk, struck up the American national anthem. The singers assembled at the north end of Soldiers' Field and, directed by Reinhold Walter, added their powerful voices to the melody, while the American flag slowly rose on the flagstaff.

"Deutschland, Deutschland ueber Alles, ueber Alles in der Welt...." and the black, white and red colors joined the Stars and Stripes. German Day was opened!

Frau Heinrich Heine stepped before the microphone, and the words of the 8"Prologue" by Georg Giegold floated clearly through the huge space.

An allegorical picture followed: Columbia saluted Germania, the orchestra began the overture to "Tannhaeuser", and the members of the parade took the seats reserved for them. This finished the first official part of the program.

The Opening Address

Bernard De Vry, president of the German Day Association, addressed the audience briefly as follows:

"Dear fellow citizens and citizens of German stock! Ladies and gentlemen! As president of the German Day Association, it is my privilege to welcome all of you here. I do this with great pleasure and justifiable pride, which I hope, you all share with me. Today, as happens every year, we are celebrating a day which we call "German Day," and rightly so, because it fuses together our ideals of human rights and citizenship, which we have searched for and found on these shores, with the beautiful and the sublime which we have 9recognized and cultivated as German Kultur in our old country, and which we now honor and cultivate in our adopted country.

"We are proud of our German heritage, but equally proud of our American citizenship, because it embraces the greatest and best ideal of Man's self-determination, unexcelled in any other country, and it needs only the honest effort and understanding of the individual to make it perfect.

"We are celebrating a German Day, as we have done before and as we shall continue to do, regardless of changing conditions which may prevail in the old country. On this festive day we are celebrating cultural relationship to a people which has brought forth great men who have rendered inestimable service to the world in the realm of science and art, music and song--men whose motives have often been misinterpreted by the [German] government and who were politically persecuted (like Turnvater Jahn)--men in the field of literature and poetry, who have expressed their sentiments in their writings. In our admiration for these heroes of science and art, we are and remain German, and we 10will teach this pride and appreciation to our children and grandchildren.

"Many great men who came to these shores during the past hundred years, and who had a hand in shaping the destiny of this country, had been driven from their homelands by political circumstances of all kinds, or by that yearning for liberty with which they were endowed and which could thrive and develop only on this continent. And yet, they were the pioneers of German culture, which was a thing apart from that conglomeration of states in the old country. If the German immigrant had contributed nothing but his European political ideology (plus his working capacity), that ideology would have sunk into oblivian a long time ago and, compared with the American Constitution, would have been cast aside as inferior--and we would not celebrate German Day today.

"But we German-Americans have also assumed the duties that go with the rights and privileges which were offered us. We want to do our share in fulfilling these duties, and not just be parasites who enjoy only the advantages, while, at the same time, we serve other governments. There are only a few who have 11a different opinion on this matter, but those few can be assured of our contempt. We feel sorry for misguided young people who have no appreciation for human rights, and are content to worship a symbol.

"My dear fellow citizens, faithful to our duties and proud of all that is beautiful and sublime in our German heritage, I welcome you on this occasion."

The Celebration Speech

Immediately thereafter the president introduced the mayor to the audience. A mass chorus of eight hundred voices sang two song, and then George Seibel, First Speaker of the Amerikanischer Turnerbund, stepped before the microphone to deliver the celebration speech.

"German brothers and sisters in all states and lands:

"We, who are assembled here today, are Americans. But we are not only Americans, 12we are Germans also. And we are not only German-Americans, but also cosmopolitans. Today we are assembled here to recall, with pride and gratitude, what Germans and German ideals have done for our America and for mankind. America, our America, owes Germany gratitude for many valuable contributions to our [American] culture.

"We Americans of German descent are particularly proud of two contributions which we have made to the American way of living. The first is the art of turning [gymnastics]. Only in a healthy body can a wholesome mind be developed. This important part of education we owe to the disciples of Father Jahn who have found a new home here in America after fleeing, or being exiled from, Germany. Follen, Lieber, and Beck were among the first to escape the scourge of Metternich; then Franz Sigel and Friedrich Hecker, those valiant "Forty-eighters," who cherished in their hearts that beautiful dream of German liberty and revealed it to the New World. In our Turnvereine we have been preaching the gospel of a healthy mind in a healthy body for eighty-four years, and this idea has spread throughout America: Physical education in 13our elementary schools, high schools, public play grounds, and swimming pools--truly our Turner pioneers have built old Father Jahn an eternal monument. A turner hall is worth more than five battleships.

"Neither must we forget that the Kindergarten, Froebel's wonderful gift to our dear little ones, was brought here from Germany by Friedrich Rapp in 1826.

"The Puritans brought us things of a different nature: blue laws, and muzzles for free people. This leads us to the second contribution which our people owe the German-American.

"If we get rid of that criminal guardianship, Prohibition, in short order, then it will have been our voices that have awakened the conscience of the people. We were not to be intimidated by stool pigeons, snoopers, and agents; we did not give up when our petticoat-politicians predicted that it was "love's labor lost". We fought on--Siegfried against the dragon--and soon Prohibition will "give up the ghost".

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"The old Gemuetlichkeit is coming back; the old liberty is born anew. The Weltanschauung of the German citizens, especially the German turners, has brought forth a generation of free men and women who do not have to be told by old maids [male and female] and bigots how to lead a moral existence.

"As the great Frenchman Montesquieu has said, 'Liberty is an oak tree that was grown in German forests'.

"Two German inventions have freed mankind from its shackles. The gunpowder of Berthold Schwarz made the strongholds of the predatory knights untenable. Johann Gutenbert's printing press put an end to ignorance. Men became free.

"But man is a gregarious animal, and absolute freedom never makes him completely happy. If he has no rulers by God's grace he will look for others who rule by God's wrath. He loves the cracking of the whip, and likes to be a sucker. The Praetorian Guards and the censors took his gunpowder and his printing press away from him again. In many countries common sense and the 15love for one's fellow man have abdicated. Comedians with the touch of a Messiah rule a helpless and confused world today.

"When I look at Gutenberg's press exhibited at this fair, I feel like saying: 'My poor child, what have they done to you?' When I look at the steel monsters of destruction, the old slave drivers seem like good Samaritans to me.

"We have wasted and abused Germania's most beautiful gifts. And still we are proud and grateful for all we once called our own, and for all that still remains for us.

"Our liberal and progressive institutions in America we owe mostly to German immigrants. Two hundred years ago, Peter Zenger was the first apostle and martyr of freedom of the press. The first protest against slavery was sounded in 1688 and came from Germantown, from Pastorius and his friends. The first rebel against British arrogance and tyranny was the German Jakob Leisler. The first one who introduced civil service to put an end to the spoils system was 16Carl Schurz. The first one who suggested Abraham Lincoln for President was the German Gustav Koerner.

"These heroes and champions of our liberty were German refugees, driven into exile during a time when independent thinking was considered a sin, and free speech a crime.

"But the German spirit has not accomplished splendid things in the field of politics alone. Our first foundries were established by Thomas Ruetter; Kaspar Wllester built the first glass factory; Wilhelm Rittenhalls erected the first paper mill; the first railroad was the work of Thomas Leiper; Andreas and Anton Kloman are the founders of our huge steel industry.

"Even more than in politics and industry, German spirit has manifested itself in the intellectual field. The first printery in the New World was founded by a German; the first Bible was printed in 1743 by Christoph Saur. The German Lieber compiled the first American encyclopaedia. Behrent built 17the first American piano. Theodore Thomas and Anton Seidl gave us symphonies, while Leopold Damrosch was a trail blazer for choir singing and oratorio. In war as well as peace, German faithfulness and loyalty have stood the test. In the Civil War, fifty-two generals of German blood fought for the cause of liberty and humanity. And long before that, Washington's bodyguard consisted of Pennsylvania Germans; Lincoln's bodyguards were German turners of the city of Washington; Wendell Phillips was protected by German turners of the city of Boston, when his freedom of speech was threatened by the organized mob of slaveowners.

"Johann Von Kalb and Nikolaus Herchheimer gave their lives for America's liberty. No man worked harder to enlist recruits for Washington's army than did Muehlenberg. No man did more to prepare that army for victory than Washington's friend, Baron von Steuben.

"Through Steuben, we owe our American independence to Frederick the Great. Among the crowned heads of all time, Frederick's fame surpasses all. He was 18the only despot who espoused the cause of liberty. His first step, after he became king was to reinstate the philosopher Wolf to the post at the University of Hall from which Wolf had been expelled. By that act, the great Frederick established freedom of education [of teaching] as a political principle. By his order that 'the local Berlin journalists shall enjoy unrestricted liberty ....newspapers must not be molested,' he gave the world a shining example of advocacy of freedom of the press. If only the world of today had a monarch of the type of Frederick the Great, who was the first to recognize American independence!

"Historical facts like these are the basis for our pride in our ancient German heritage. This pride in our Germanic origin has caused us German-Americans great suffering during the bitter war years. Thousands of people lost their jobs because they were German. Thousands were interned, beaten, ruined in business because they were German. German books were burned, and 'patriotic' women avowed never to buy German goods again. We were called barbarians and Huns; we were the scum of humanity' because we were German.

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The world had gone mad with war hysteria. But soon the world returned to reason and was ashamed of its idiotic behavior. The German ideal was again in high repute.

"But what is that German ideal, for which today we are paying our gratitude to the old country--for which we suffered proudly and gladly during the great conflict? We can describe this German ideal as a three-sided pyramid: Truth, Liberty and Justice. The German was always a seeker after truth.

"What our great poet Lessing has preached to the world in his immortal masterpiece 'Nathan Der Weise,' the world should never forget. Truth can never be suppressed and lies beget more lies. Whoever doubts the victory of truth should read Lessing.

"The second side of our German pyramid is Liberty. Its herald was the great Schiller. Since he wrote his 'Wilhelm Tell,' no red-blooded German will 'worship Gessler's hat.' Since Schiller wrote his 'Don Carlos,' every real German asks with Marquis Posa: 'Sire, give us freedom of thought!'

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"This love for liberty dwell eternally in our German hearts. How aptly has our Heinrich Heine revealed this in his 'Englische Fragmente': 'The Englishman loves liberty as he would his legal spouse; the Frenchman loves liberty as he would his chosen fiancee; the German loves liberty as he does his old grandmother....The Britan, tired of his wife, may tie a rope around her neck and lead her to Smithfield, to be sold at the market place. The fickle Frenchman may become a philanderer and forsake his betrothed. But the German will never evict his old grandmother; he will always keep a place for her by the fireside where she can tell fairy tales to eagerly listening children.'

"The beautiful story of Liberty is written on the second side of our pyramid. But on the third side is engraved the word 'Justice'. A true German is not only honest, but above all else he is just and fair, even toward the enemy.

"The foundation of this German pyramid is Humaneness. This sentiment, too, is expressed by Schiller in that beautiful 'Hymne an die Freude,' which inspired Beethoven to compose his 'Ninth Symphony':

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'Alle Menschen Werden Brueder,

Wo ihr sanfter Fluegel weilt.'

"As Americans, we feel closely akin to Germany, which had a somewhat similar experience in the course of world history, because Germany used to be the melting pot of the Old World. Wars of many centuries were fought on German soil. The Celts and the Romans, the Huns and the Poles, the Swedes and the Spainards, the Russians and the French--all have contributed their racial blood strains, and their best character traits are evident today in the German people, just as the American character epitomizes the highest achievements of all racial cultures. As the German is the American of Europe, so is the American the German of the New World, the gold and the steel of all races, refined and hardened by migration and war.

"Thus there are bands between us and Germany; they have a similar history and the same ideals. When I talked for the first time over short wave radio from America to Germany--it was on March 28, 1925--I hailed the mother country, on whose soil I had never stepped, by saying: 'You have given the 22world many things. Through Kant the philosophy of eternal peace, through Lessing the respect for truth, through Schiller the love of liberty, through Goethe the beautiful ideal of the sublime dignity of man. We are profoundly indebted to you, and this debt we intend to pay. Therefore we say to you today: "Never forget, yourselves, the lessons which you have given the world through your great thinkers and poets."

"Unfortunately, the whole world seems to have forgotten those doctrines; sinister forces are at work everywhere to forge chains. Man's highest obligation today is to pay taxes and to shout, 'Hurrah'.

"But brute force is digging its own grave--hatred dies from its own poison--and after the night will come the golden dawn, after the winter a smiling spring. The dawn of a new era is in the air in all lands, and with joy in our hearts we will greet the new spring which will dispel and destroy all petty malice, all hatred, all envy, all the stark madness of the middle ages, in the name of pure humanitarianism. May the German spirit reawaken! Make 23way for liberty! Put down your arms! Hurrah for the German ideal!"

Then followed two songs by the Vereinigte Damenchoere (United Ladies' Choruses) under the direction of H. A. Rehberg. The chorus was considerably augmented by fellow associations of the Northwestern Saengerbund. Represented were: Appleton, Wisconsin. Concordia of St. Paul, Minnesota; Germania of Peoria, Illinois; Germania of Kansas City, Missouri; Hammond, Indiana; Liederkranz of Muscatine, Iowa; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Schweizer of Chicago; and Freiheit of Chicago.

A surge went through the crowd as turner detachments, under the direction of Leader Klaafs--and fencers, under Henry Kraft--appeared on the scene. The various features were received with rousing applause.

The Milwaukee Singers

In the meantime, the Milwaukee male choruses had separated from the rest of 24the singers and demonstrated, under the direction of Hans Marlow, former conductor of the Chicago Singverein (after the death of Wilhelm Boepplers), that the art of singing was also cultivated in Milwaukee, and with excellent results. The guests earned much applause.

The Resolution

The program drew to a close. The Rosegger Steirer Klub meanwhile had taken over the field and performed a star dance, which in its composition and execution showed the great care and diligence with which it had been prepared. Ignatz Lafnitzeger was in charge.

Then the Vereinigte Damenchoere offered two more songs, after which the chairman of the committee on resolutions read the following resolution:

"We Americans of German descent, assembled at Soldier' Field this 13th day of August, 1933, give herewith renewed expression of our devotion to the high ideals of our country, its traditions and achievements.

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"We rededicate our lives to the everlasting principles of liberty and justice, as they are recorded in the Declaration of Independence.

"We espouse the policy of George Washington, who recommended that this country stay clear of all European entanglements and alliances, and we are for this reason opposed to the League of Nations and the World Court.

"We protest vehemently against the national origins clause in the immigration law, because it is obiviously unfair and designed only to curtail immigration from the Germanic countries, and we demand an early repeal of this clause.

"In view of the American maxim of fair play, we ask our fellow citizens and our government to eradicate the malicious lie of Germany's war guilt from the history books, and to revoke that infamous Peace Treaty of Versailles, since this treaty was not based on justice but on historical falsehoods. As American citizens we ask for adoption of the resolution proposed by Senator Shipstead of Minnesota, at the same time expressing the appreciation of millions of 26American citizens for Senator Shipstead's fight for a just cause. The Shipstead resolution calls for an impartial investigation of the War Guilt article of the Versailles Treaty. Since the U. S. Government, through President Wilson, was a cosignatory to this abominable treaty, we expect our present administration to exert its influence on behalf of a revision of that treaty.

"As loyal American citizens, we expressly endorse the courageous actions taken by our President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in his fight against the depression, and ask every American citizen to support the administration in all measures it deems necessary to bring back prosperity.

"As liberty-loving citizens of our country, we want to register our displeasure with the Eighteenth Amendment and the Jones law, and urge the repeal of both.

"To our children and their descendants, we bequeath herewith that devotion 27towards our Republic, that thoroughness in peaceful labor, and that gallantry in battle which characterize our race. We hope that, in the course of our country's further development, these ideals will become more and more America's treasured possession, and that our country will finally develop a kind of Americanism which is untainted by racial or religious problems."

The Finish

Two songs by the mass choruses closed the program before the football game got under way. The crowd started to leave. The orchestra, under the direction of Henry Johnks, played a medley called "Alldeutschland", and many people lingered awhile to listen to the familiar melodies reminding them of their native land. The German national anthem "Deutschland, Deutschland ueber Alles" brought German Day to a close.

Radio Broadcast to Germany

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Shortly before the conclusion of the celebration, Mr. De Vry and Mr. George Seibel went to the broadcasting studio of the World's Fair, where a connection with Germany had been established over the National Broadcasting Company's network. Mr. De Vry introduced Mr. Seibel, who briefly described the German Day celebration, and broadcast greetings from Chicago's German element to the radio audience in Germany.

The president of the World's Fair, Mr. Rufus C. Dawes, had promised to participate in the festivities, but was detained by urgent business. But he later joined the two gentlemen in the studio, and also addressed a few words to the German audience.