Govenor's Proclamation

HARDING

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 1/20/2009 at 23:05:28

Maquoketa Excelsior-Record
May 31, 1918

Governor’s Proclamation

Governor Harding of this state is sending out notices asking that all schools, churches and other organizations refrain from using the German language during the period of the war. It is also suggested that everybody talk in English while on the street and in public places, and if you can’t talk anything else but German to wait until you reach home. There are more reasons than one for this request. One of them is that wherever two people are heard talking in a foreign tongue that immediately there is a suspicion that those two persons are talking against the government. Of course this may not be true, but if you use the one universal language all of this suspicion is taken away. In many places churches have changed their language for services, and where heretofore the preacher talked in German, he now conducts the services in English. This is true of the little German church in this city, when only a few days ago the members voted voluntarily to make the change.