The Milwaukee Post

May 12, 2017 • Milwaukee County Post • 15 Book recalls Milwaukee's zeitgeist during the 'Great War' ENTERTAINMENT By TOM JOZWIK Special to the Post This spring marks the centennial of America's entry into World War I. Milwaukee Historical Society archivist Kevin Abing examines "the war to end all wars" from a Milwaukee perspective in a 240-page book scheduled to be released May 15 and available through Amazon. "A Crowded Hour: Milwaukee During the Great War, 1917-1918" is the first book by the Lancaster native and who has a doc- torate in history from Marquette University. An admirer of the works of popular historians Doris Kear ns Goodwin, Erik Larson and James McPherson, the author said he "tried to write ('A Crowded Hour') so a gener- al audience can enjoy it," supplementing narration with footnotes representing "the trained historian in me." Research venues included the National Archives in Washington, D.C., while Abing's "variety of sources" ran from news- paper accounts to politi- cians' papers and FBI case files. Abing, 57, who lives in Milwaukee with wife, Laura (a grant writer who contributed her editing skills to his book), was interviewed by telephone. An edited transcript fol- lows. Q: Why did you choose the topic you did? Why the title "A Crowded Hour"? A: When I was the assis- tant archivist I was going through the Dan Hoan (1916-40 Milwaukee Socialist mayor) collection. I came across documents describing the whole anti- German hysteria (in World War I Milwaukee). This would be a really interest- ing story to tell, I thought, a story not many people know about. World War I is one of the pivotal events of U.S. history, but it got rele- gated to the back burner. You still feel the effects today. Things haven't changed all that much as far as the feelings about immigrants, for instance. The U.S. was only in the war 18 months, but it was one of the most intense and divisive periods of Milwaukee history. I want- ed to convey that sense (through the title). Q: I've read that, before World War I, Milwaukee was America's most Germanic city, but that, once the war was on, Milwaukeeans felt com- pelled to duck into door- ways to so much as speak German. True? A: In the late 19th and early 20th centuries Milwaukee was called "the German Athens." German culture and theater and music were so dominant. Certainly it was one of the most Germanic cities, along with St. Louis and Cincinnati. Prior to the U.S. entry into the war, being a German-American wasn't a crime. Once America was in the war, you were risking life and limb if you were to speak German in public. A Ger man theater company attempted to stage a play; the American Legion objected; a cannon was pointed, from in front of City Hall, at the Pabst Theater. In the eyes of people around the country, Milwaukee was a suburb of Berlin. Germans were still the domi- nant eth- nic group (but) it was not a good time to be a G e r m a n , or a Socialist. The deep- s e a t e d animosity a g a i n s t the Germans — who had been the most respected ethnic group in the country — and the Socialists must've been a bitter pill for them to swallow. A Ger mania statue was removed after a military recruiter complained, 250 people changed their names in Milwaukee, the Deutscher Club became the Wisconsin Club, Dachshunds were called lib- erty pups or something ... it was all kind of silly. That whole anti-Ger man thing lingered well after the war. The war put Mayor Hoan in a tough spot. He was against the war (as a Socialist and personally), but he basically stayed mum and worked with pro- war people in the city. Q: A number of Milwaukeeans experi- enced mixed allegiances when the Great War broke out, didn't they? A: Absolutely, absolutely. People in Milwaukee had relatives back in Germany, relatives fighting. But most lear ned to keep their mouths shut. Most did their duty, just like everybody else did. For some of the ultrapatriots, it was not good enough. The Ger mania-Herald, the main German newspa- per, sympathized with the Ger mans before the war and criticized (President Woodrow) Wilson for favor- ing the French and English allies. The Ger mania- Herald became pro-Wilson and pro-American war effort. Some papers went under, like the Socialist Milwaukee Leader. The gov- er nment revoked their mailing privileges. In the anti-German, anti-Socialist climate the Milwaukee Journal was a ringleader, fully behind Wilson and the war. The Jour nal won a Pulitzer Prize for its war coverage. Q: As it turned out, wasn't Milwaukee some- thing of a model city dur- ing World War I? A: Although there were lynchings elsewhere, and some near-riots (in Milwaukee), there was no mob violence with killings — a tribute to the Milwaukee police. June 5, 1917, was the initial draft registration and there were feelings of "There will be trouble." Almost 50,000 reg- istered in Milwaukee that day (but about the only trouble was that) two guys got into a fight over which of them would be the first to sign up. On registration day, for the first time, all 2,000 saloons closed. But not for the whole day. Once the registration was over, the bars reopened, and they did a really brisk business. Milwaukee, the best-gov- erned city (with) the most honest administration in the country, demonstrated its patriotism time and time again. In Liberty Bond drives, Milwaukee exceeded by far its quota, even though the state didn't always do so. Labor unions held back major strikes. Conscription was pretty comparable to most cities. In the flu pandemic of 1918, Milwaukee fared much bet- ter than cities out east — one of the lowest death rates in the country (although more than 1,000 died). Schools, churches, saloons were closed, politi- cal rallies forbidden, department store sales restricted. It had a tremen- dous economic impact on the city. But it brought the city together, to fight this invisible foe. (On the other hand) it was a lot more grit- ty than what people would think. Poor housing condi- tions, pollution ... Milwaukee was (America's) second-most densely popu- lated city, next to New York. The Milwaukee River — you didn't dare drink any of that water! Abing Historian Kevin Abing's book on Milwaukee focuses on the intense feelings when the United States fought Germany. Submitted photo "The U.S. was only in the war 18 months, but it was one of the most intense and divisive periods of Milwaukee history." — Kevin Abing, historian and author of "A Crowded Hour: Milwaukee During the Great War, 1917-1918"

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