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Show BANISHING GERMAN. In tl-.e California legislative assembly assem-bly last Tuesday a bill w as pussbd prohibiting pro-hibiting tho teaching of German in any (public school of tho fctato. The passage of tho measure in tho senato was by ncariv a unanimous vote the ballot showed -0 to 7. Previously tho hoiihe had adopted the proposal by a voto similarly decisive. It is generally bo-lieved, bo-lieved, according to news from Sacramento, Sacra-mento, that Governor Stephens will approve ap-prove tho bill. The act makes the teaching of German Ger-man inferentially languago and mode and method a misdemeanor, and a school district which permits tha German Ger-man language to be taught in any of its buildings will forfeit its right of participation par-ticipation In any benefit from tho state school fund. Moreover, tho bill prohibits tlio keeping of any German 'language literature in any school library. VThis latter pru ision, it is eav to realize, will havo a far-reaching effect for no books of reference or com cordanc.es or i-imilar works may be even placed on tho pholvrs. This, in ndditiou to tho actual (lerma.n books poets, dramatists, philosophers and, possibly, musicians. Ono of tho protagonists for tho measure, mea-sure, h Senator llrown, urged that California Cali-fornia o placed in "tho forefront of states acting to banish German kultur and German literature from tho f.nco of tho earth." In reply to somo remarks re-marks passed by an antagonist of tho bill, Mr. Brown declared with emphasis that "wr know nil wo need to know about German kultur and idealitim. Thiiio is nmplo opportunity in tlio naval nnd military schools nnd in government schools for tho special training of our ' military and naval forces and diplomats in the knowledge of (ieriuan." An fimenilinenl proposed by Senator Jones modified thf; original act to tho extent of permit linn tho touching of Gorman in tho colleges nnd universities. Tho nineii'linent wan overwhelmingly tlo-fenteil. tlo-fenteil. In speaking against the amendment., amend-ment., Senator Slater luiM'rled that, the. "most danger from Gorman jiromgnnilii is from tmr higher institutions of learning." learn-ing." L'mpit "itionulily California's action, if followed by n lew more states nnd there arn several legi ilat u i ea now in eHion having similar bills under con-oderation con-oderation -will start H iilaiiipedu that will, i m I ff 1 1 , wipe out. (ionium literature iu this country and cause the tongue to perish. Some there are who will say that this movement is a form of hysteria, hys-teria, and entirely unnecessary iu America. These will contend that, tho loss of Goethe, Schiller and other Ger-. man writers will work irreparable .harm to the youth now attending school. On the other hand, there are many more a great many more w-ho are convinced that all things German have become a stench and a menace, and that this is an opportune time to eradicate .them, root and branch. Academically, ' there is much to be said for preserving German writings; practically, if wo view the situation through tho eyes of the American soldiers sol-diers who have offered up their all, the quicker Germany as it was, and as it would be perpetuated in existing literature, liter-ature, is-wiped away, the better willit be for all peace-loving and lawabiding peoples including the "new" Germans themselves. |