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Show SAY LUTHERAN LEAUEHS E 1IE1EI Nebraska State Council of Defense Accuses Churchmen Church-men of Pro-German men of Disloyal EDUCATORS ALSO UNDER A CLOUD Public Appeal Made in Or-1 Or-1 der That Machinations Against U. S. May r Be Stopped. LINCOLN, Neb., July 11. "Conspicuous "Conspicu-ous leaders" of the Lutheran church in the state and "certain professors" of the University of Nebraska were denounced for "treasonable utterances, disloyal activity ac-tivity and passivity that has tended to give aid to Germany, an enemy," in a statement issued today by the Nebraska state council of defense, "after the most Bolemn and serious investigation and consideration." con-sideration." The statement, it is explained, ex-plained, is based upon reports from every ev-ery section of the state and upon hundreds hun-dreds of letters from patriotic men, many of whom declare they have lost thousands thou-sands of dollars because they would not "tamely submit to pro-German influences." influ-ences." Specifically it is charged that bankers who 'invested in Liberty loan bonds were threatened with withdrawal of deposits; that the sale of war bonds has been actively ac-tively opposed; that Red Cross relief work has met with an alarming antagonism; that the Lutheran church has failed to take a single step toward organizing for war relief work and its ""conspicuous representatives" rep-resentatives" have shown marked partiality par-tiality for the German cause ; that certain cer-tain professors at Nebraska university have been guilty of disloyal utterances. purpose of this war is not understood and where the sympathies of the people are with Germany. German Lutherans Silent. The names of men against 'whom the charges are made were not made public, but George Coupland, vice chairman of the council of defense and head of the food conservation division of the council, said "conditions became such that the council could no longer repress the bitterness bit-terness it felt." He said ample evidence to warrant its assertions had been obtained ob-tained by the council, L Prominent Lutheran churchmen here said the council should have confined its denunciation to "German Lutherans," and asserted there was no cause to question t heir loyalty. German Lutherans who w ere alleged to be in sympa thy with . Germany would not discuss the charges. l -Mian ((!! or Samuel Avery of the University Uni-versity of Nebraska, who has been very ;n-ii ve in patriotic relief work and has even taken part in the campaign for recruits, re-cruits, would not be quoted, but it is known he has Ft rough" disapproved a number of professors whose pro-German utterances have caused dissension at the university. Some time ago students protested t ha t some of their professors were saying "tli is Is not our war and we will not fight, because we do not know what it Is .ill about." When complaint was made to Chancellor Avery it is understood there were some conferences with professors, profes-sors, at which the chancellor, who was then urging the students to enlist, let it be known in emphatic language "such doctrines must not be heard in univer-sity univer-sity classrooms." Half the male students at the University Univer-sity of Nebraska have either enlisted In some branch of the service or have volunteered vol-unteered and been accepted for work on farms in the central west. Three university univer-sity professors enlisted. Referring to disloyal Lutherans, the council of defense In its statement says; Strong Words Used. Perhaps never in history has it been deemed necessary by a public body to single out bv name a great church or organization and appeal to the patriotism of its members to offset off-set and check the dangerous tendencies tenden-cies of many of the conspicuous representatives rep-resentatives of that organization. Because of the reliable reports that may be said to come from every section sec-tion of Nebraska and come in number num-ber by the hundreds It Is necessary that the council make such an appeal ap-peal with respect to the organization organiza-tion known as the Lutheran church. Depending upon the American patriotism pa-triotism of the men and women who comprise the Lutheran church membership, mem-bership, the council makes this appeal ap-peal to them to put a check upon the un-American activities of some of the conspicuous and Influential representatives. repre-sentatives. The council could wait until great damage is done before making mak-ing its protest. Perfectly aware that Its protest is unusual, but conscious of the absolute necessity of such a protest, the council makes that protest pro-test now, in order that Amerlcaji Interests In-terests may be faithfully protected. Confident that it is useless to make further appeal to the conspicuous representatives of that church, the council addresses its appeal to the rank and file of the church membership, member-ship, and hereby calls upon the membership mem-bership to make known, on behalf of the Lutheran church, devotion to America the country that gives it projection and religious liberty. The council declares it will use all "its power and authority to suppress in Nebraska Ne-braska any interference with the determination deter-mination to push this war to a speedy and successful conclusion." |