1915-05-11oo

“Attention was called today to the fact that, although Hamilton has the third largest German population of any city in the country, no provision has been made here for registration.”

Hamilton Spectator.   May 11, 1915.

Ever since the outbreak of war the previous August, people of German heritage in Hamilton were looked on with suspicion and hostility.

The situation became significantly worse in the aftermath of the sinking of the Lusitania.

The previous October the federal government had decided that aliens living in Canada, whose native countries were at war with Britain, would have to register so that they could be accounted for at all times.

The Order in Council read as follows :

“Every alien of enemy nationality, residing within any of the cities, towns or places designated, or within twenty miles of such places, shall attend before the registrar and answer such questions with regard to his nationality, age, residence, occupation, intention or desire to leave Canada, destination, liability and intention as to military service, and otherwise, as may be lawfully put to him by the registrar.”

The city of Hamilton, according to the previous had 4,923 residents of German nationality, and it was estimated that another 1,000 unnaturalized Germans were living in Hamilton, most of whom would not have been included in the census count.

For reasons not stated, the government of Canada, by May 1915, had yet to set a local office in Hamilton at which aliens could be registered. The Hamilton Police department had prepared a list of unnaturalized Germans in the city, and those people were under surveillance.

On May 11, 1915, August Barghart and Max Frank, living at a boarding house, 18 Market street, were abruptly taken into custody by Detectives Goodman and Cameron of the Hamilton Police department.

Both men were rumored to have displayed animosity toward British subjects on several occasions.

When the detectives called, a search was made of their rooms. A bundle of documents, printed in German, was found in their possession:

“ ‘The men were arrested solely on suspicion,’ said the deputy-chief at noon today, ‘We think those German documents might be important, and that the men were remanded so that we would have time to have the papers interpreted. Complaints were made to us about them, and we had the power to intern them, because they were not naturalized.’ ”¹

¹ “Two Germans Are Held By Police : Had Documents Which May Be Important”

Hamilton Spectator.   May 12, 1914.

The anti-German suspicion and hostility came to a violent head at an east end plant where several English employees and three German employees got into an argument over the sinking of the Lusitania:

“The German element was inclined to the method of ‘Served you right,,’ and this the Britishers resented with such good effect that two of the Germans had to be taken to the hospital. The police were called but made no arrests. The Germans who spoke in favor of their country’s horrible act subsequently lost their positions.”¹

¹ “Allies Won : Battered Germans Who Upheld Their Country’s Atrocities”

Hamilton Times.           May 12, 1915.

The following day, May 13, 1915, the Spectator began its coverage of trouble between British and German laborers in city factories as follows :

“Ever since the sinking of the Lusitania, and the bitter resentment that followed the murderous slaughter of innocent people, there have been persistent reports here of trouble between workmen of German descent and British and Canadian employees.”²

² “Germans Are Haled Before Police Heads : Summoned When Reports Are received About Them”

Hamilton Spectator.   May 13, 1915.

Hamilton’s Deputy Police Chief Whatley was interviewed on the situation concerning Germans in the city :

“ ‘We are more than on the alert to get track of any alien enemy when there is genuine cause,’ explained the deputy, ‘but at the same time we must be fair and remember that there are many people here of German descent, who have lived in Hamilton many years and are good citizens.’

“The deputy further explained that while no registration office was opened here, the police were looking after this, acting under orders from Ottawa. It was learned that since the outbreak of the war the police have summoned a number of people to headquarters and called upon them to sign the official undertaking, provided for in the government proclamation.

“The local authorities have been acting in conjunction with the large employers of labor in the east end and claim in this way to have been able to keep a fairly close check on unnaturalized Germans.”²

In that same issue of the Spectator, a letter was published from a Hamiltonian of German descent:

“To the Editor : Could you allow me a small space in your reliable paper to express my disgust at being a German?

“I used to be a loyal subject of the Kaiser, but the revolting atrocities committed by my countrymen both on land and sea have so appalled that I now detest everything German,

“The vile and savage crews attached to the German submarines are, as I personally know, the scum and dross of the tottering German empire, and I again repeat that I am ashamed to be German. My countrymen are not an honest, open foe, but cowards, whose atrocities have shocked the civilized world.

“The awful slaughter and massacre of the innocents must be stopped. These lawless murderers of defenseless women and children should have a check put on them.

“May the gallant and noble tars and soldiers of England, who have ever fought a clean and glorious fight, and who never wage war against women and children, but go to meet their foes like men, find a way to catch these crafty, vile savages and destroy them like vermin, for murderers of little children are murderers of the worst type, and may success come to the British arms.

“With contrition and regret for being a German, I sign myself, CARL STAHL”³

³ “Ashamed to Be German.”

Hamilton Spectator.   May 13, 1915.