Salt Lake Tribune | 1913-10-07 | Page 4 | German-Americans Gather at Banquet

GElf-SMICfS GJTHEyTBfllUET Noted Speakers Respond to Toasts; Meeting of Alliance in St. Louis. ST. LOUIS, Mo.. Oct. 6. The Influence of German thought on American civilization civiliza-tion was the dominant theme of the speakers who addressed the banquet of the National Gorman-American alliance hero tonight. The alliance met here today to celebrate the centennial of the downfall of Napoleon. Among those who spoke were Dr. C. J. Hexumcr, president of the alliance: Alfred Gelssler, German consul at Chicago, Chi-cago, who Is an honorary delegate to the convention as the special representative of Emperor William; Congressman Richard Rich-ard BarthokU of St. Louis; Benjamin Blewett and Frederick W. Lehmann of St. Louis, former solicitor general of the United States. Mr. Lehmann spoko on "The Gorman Emigrant as an American Citizen." Ben Blewett, superintendent of tho St. Louis schools, spoke on "The Influence of Germany Upon American Education." "Wo must rocognlzo In the animating principles of our public schools," ho said, "tho conception of Individual rights and the Individual responsibilities -In .human society that for centuries have been cardinal car-dinal doctrines in Teutonic faith, "This inheritance wo have of the race, as truly as the qualities of a noblo mother moth-er arc In the fiber of the child. "Tho great awakening of the sixteenth century, while It shattered German religion reli-gion Into many sects, established a common com-mon belief In Individual responsibility for rational judgment nnd a resultant demand de-mand for universal education at the expense ex-pense of tho state. Out of the reformation reforma-tion came great teachers and wise methods meth-ods of teaching that In large measure shape tho practices of modern schools. "It Is not unfair to speak of the Swiss PestolozzI as German. The conception he had of the enlightening and dynamic power of education was tho national policy pol-icy thai, lifted Germany from the degradation degra-dation of dismembered defeat to the glory of her presnt strength. Ho has been the schoolmaster of every intelligent intelli-gent pedagogue since his day. "American education honors Germany, the alma mater of universal public school education and of immortal pedagogues." At tho opening session of the convention conven-tion today Invitations for the next biennial bien-nial convention were received from San Francisco, Baltimore. Galveston, New York, Denver and Nashville. The matter was referred to a committee which will report tomorrow. . The annual address of C. J. riexamr of Philadelphia, president of tho alliance, was tho principal part of the morning programme. The proceedings of the convention con-vention were conducted in German. President Hexamer declared for tho teaching of German In both grammar and high schools.