The American Defense Society (ADS) was a

nationalist Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Th ...

American political group founded in 1915. The ADS was formed to advocate for American intervention in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

against the German Empire. The group later stood in opposition to the

Bolsheviks The Bolsheviks (russian: Большевики́, from большинство́ ''bol'shinstvó'', 'majority'),; derived from ''bol'shinstvó'' (большинство́), "majority", literally meaning "one of the majority". also known in English ...

, who came to power in

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

after the

October Revolution The October Revolution,. officially known as the Great October Socialist Revolution. in the Soviet Union, also known as the Bolshevik Revolution, was a revolution in Russia led by the Bolshevik Party of Vladimir Lenin that was a key mome ...

of 1917, and the proposed American participation in the

League of Nations The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference that ...

. In domestic politics, the ADS launched a campaign eliminate to eliminate instruction of the

German language German ( ) is a West Germanic language mainly spoken in Central Europe. It is the most widely spoken and official or co-official language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the Italian province of South Tyrol. It is als ...

in the United States. As a nationalist outfit, the ADS demanded "100 percent Americanism" amid fears over the loyalties of " hyphenated Americans". The organization's first honorary president was former President

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

. After declining post-World War I, the ADS made a brief resurgence prior to

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, where the group fought President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's effort to expand the Supreme Court.

Formation

Clarence Smedley Thomas, Cushing Stetson, and John F. Hubbard formed the ADS in August 1915 as a splinter group from the

National Security League The National Security League (NSL) was an American patriotic, nationalistic, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that supported a greatly-expanded military based upon universal service, the naturalization and Americanization of immigrants, Amer ...

(NSL). They objected to the NSL for being uncritical in support of the

Wilson administration Woodrow Wilson's tenure as the 28th president of the United States lasted from 4 March 1913 until 4 March 1921. He was largely incapacitated the last year and a half. He became president after winning the 1912 election. Wilson was a Democrat ...

. Like the NSL, the ADS favored

progressivism Progressivism holds that it is possible to improve human societies through political action. As a political movement, progressivism seeks to advance the human condition through social reform based on purported advancements in science, tec ...

and its reform programs, but the ADS was much more militarist and nationalistic than the NSL.

Leadership

The ADS's first honorary president was former U.S. President

.''New York Times''
"Theodore Roosevelt to be Honored Today," October 27, 1943
accessed March 30, 2010 The chairman of the ADS was

Richard Melancthon Hurd Richard Melancthon Hurd (June 14, 1865 – June 6, 1941) was a pioneer real estate economist and political activist. Hurd was born in New York City and attended St. Paul's School. He graduated from Yale University in 1888, where he was a memb ...

, a close friend of Roosevelt and a career real estate economist.

Goals

Among the political positions of the ADS were: * Total victory against Germany in World War I, with no discussion of peace terms * Centralized organization of national industry, as accomplished temporarily under the

War Industries Board The War Industries Board (WIB) was a United States government agency established on July 28, 1917, during World War I, to coordinate the purchase of war supplies between the War Department (Department of the Army) and the Navy Department. Because ...

* Expulsion of

socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the ...

s from US politics * Suppression of sedition * One hundred percent Americanism In February 1918, the Society called on Congress to take action on a series of measures required by US entry into World War I. It wanted an "overwhelming force" sent to France: "the quicker we put our full strength into the war the sooner it will be over." It called for the internment of enemy aliens and sympathizers to prevent sabotage because "if enough munition factories are blown up here we shall lose the war." It claimed that England saw an end to foreign plots and propaganda after interning 70,000. On the educational and cultural front, the Society was uncompromising:

"The appalling and complete breakdown of German ''Kultur'' compels a sweeping revision of the attitude of civilized nations and individuals toward the
German language German ( ) is a West Germanic language mainly spoken in Central Europe. It is the most widely spoken and official or co-official language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the Italian province of South Tyrol. It is als ...
, literature, and science. The close scrutiny of German thought induced by 'Hun' frightfulness in this war has revealed abhorrent qualities hitherto unknown, and to most people unsuspected. Hereafter, throughout every English-speaking country on the globe, the German language will be a dead language. Out with it forever!"

The ADS also called for compulsory military training for all men between the ages of 18 and 21''New York Times''
"Calls for Strict Ban on German Language," February 25, 1918
accessed January 7, 2010 In late 1918, it launched a campaign to eliminate instruction in

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

nationwide.''New York Times''
"To Fight German Teaching," December 31, 1918
accessed January 7, 2010

Interwar period

After World War I, the ADS joined the campaign against American participation in the

. It described the League as a surrender of national sovereignty "obnoxious to the Constitution of the United States." It denounced "the impossible doctrines of the self-determination of races which is contrary to our fundamental doctrines as a nation." The ADS was officially nonpartisan, but in 1920, Charles Stewart Davison, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, wrote an open letter to its officers, members, and contributors to urging them to support the Republican presidential ticket of

Warren Harding Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party, he was one of the most popular sitting U.S. presidents. A ...

and Calvin Coolidge. The manager of the ADS's Washington Bureau in the 1920s was Richard Merrill Whitney, the author of an exposé of radical activity, ''The Reds in America''. The ADS made a brief resurgence during the years immediately before

. The group conducted a campaign against the attempt of President Franklin Roosevelt to "pack" the

US Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point of ...

by expanding its number of members.Melissa Haley
"Guide to the Records of the American Defense Society, 1915-1942.

New-York Historical Society The New-York Historical Society is an American history museum and library in New York City, along Central Park West between 76th and 77th Streets, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The society was founded in 1804 as New York's first museum ...

Final years

Later, the group was hamstrung by the death of two of its principals: Chairman of the Board of Trustees Davison in 1942 and Board Chairman Elon Huntington Hooker in 1948. In its final years, it maintained its public profile by giving awards. In 1939, it presented awards called the Atlantic Fleet Silver Cup for excellence in gunnery and the Distinguished Service Gold Medal for work on behalf of national defense and preparedness.''New York Times''
"To Get Defense Awards," November 26, 1939
accessed March 30, 2010 In 1943, it honored Theodore Roosevelt on the 85th anniversary of his birth. The ADS seems to have essentially been terminated by Davison's death and finally disappeared from New York City directories in 1956.

References

Sources

''Hand Book of the American Defense Society,''
New York: National Headquarters, February 1918. * Franz, Manuel. "Preparedness Revisited: Civilian Societies and the Campaign for American Defense, 1914-1920," in ''Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era'' 17:4 (2018): 663–676. * John Higham, ''Strangers in the Land.'' New York: Atheneum, 1981. * William Temple Hornaday
''A Searchlight on Germany: Germany's Blunders, Crime and Punishment.''
New York: American Defense Society, 1917. * William Temple Hornaday
''The Lying Lure of Bolshevism.''
New York: American Defense Society, 1919.

External links

{{Authority control Political advocacy groups in the United States Anti-German sentiment in the United States World War I propaganda United States home front during World War I Organizations established in 1915 1915 establishments in the United States Anti-communist organizations in the United States Nationalism in the United States Xenophobia in North America