“The Germania Club,
17 Main street east, an old and highly respectable club, closed its doors to
its members last evening, and they will not swing open again during the war.”
Hamilton Times. May 11, 1915.
In the days after the
sinking of the Lusitania by a German submarine, anti-German feelings were high.
Hamilton Deputy
Police Chief summoned the managers and board members of Hamilton’s Germania
Club during the evening of May 10, 1915 for a meeting at the police station.
While the meeting was amicable, Whatley’s message was unequivocal. He told the
gathering that anti-German feelings were inflamed and he received demands that
the Germania club be shut down immediately. A request was made that the club
close voluntarily, noting that if the request was refused, the government would
be petitioned to take away the club’s license.
It only took a moment
for the club officials to decide that closing for the duration of the war would
be advisable.
The Germania club,
while controlled and owned primarily by German citizens was not frequented
exclusively by Germans. Many Hamilton men who did not trace any German ancestry
whatsoever in their genealogy were members in good standing. The club served
lunches and suppers all year round, and the only alcohol sold was beer.
Max Mueller, treasurer
of the Germania Club was interviewed concerning the abrupt closure by a reporter from the Hamilton Times:
“ ‘We closed because
we considered it in the best interests of all concerned that we should,’ said Mr.
Mueller, who resides at 55 Catharine street south, when speaking of the matter
to the Times this morning. ’We want to show that we have no animosity toward
the British and their allies. In fact, many of us are good Britishers. But we
wanted to avoid all possible trouble or suspicion. As far as financial loss
occasioned by closing the club, the officers will have to bear that. It is not
our intention to open the doors for any purpose whatever until after the war.’ ”1
1 “Germania
Club has voluntarily Closed”
Hamilton Times. May 11, 1915.
The Spectator
reporter assigned to cover the Germania Club closing story managed to obtain an
interview with George Schnabel of the Spring Brewery company who was president
of the club :
“ ‘Notwithstanding
the strong and, I realize, warranted feeling against the Kaiser, I wish to say
that there are no more loyal citizens of Britain than the members of the
Germania,’ declared Mr. Schnabel. ‘In deference to the will of the people and
to further prove our loyalty to the cause of England, we decided last night to
close the club up for the present. Other actions of an even more drastic nature
will shortly be taken to prove to the citizens of this city that the members of
the Germania club are not in sympathy with the Kaiser in this deplorable war.
“ ‘It is only natural
to assume that the heart of every man always beats for his native country, but
it does not follow that he must condone, sympathize with or sanction policies
or principles such as has been adopted by the Kaiser in the present war, or
that the Germans of this country are in sympathy with the German cause. I, for
one, am in direct opposition to the cause of Germany in this war, and has been
a citizen of Canada for thirty-ne years, too long to remain a German, and my
son is a member of the Ninety-First Highlanders of this city. Out of our
membership of four hundred in the Germania club, only about one hundred are
Germans , the balance being English-speaking people. In our total membership,
we have only two Germans who are not naturalized citizens, and every member of
the club is true and loyal to Canada and her interests.
“ ‘We Germans of
Hamilton, perhaps more than any other class of people, regret the sinking of
the Lusitania, as we realize that such unwarranted action on the part of the
German arms only tends to intensify the feelings of Canadians against us. Of
the four thousand Germans or people of German descent in Hamilton at the
present time, I would say that at least three thousand are naturalized
citizens.’ ”2
2 “Germania
Club Closed Until After War : President Insists Local Germans Are Loyal”
Hamilton Spectator.
May 11, 1915.
As events would
unfold in subsequent days, it would prove that a wise decision was made to
close Hamilton’s Germania Club at that
time.
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