As foreigners did not have to get registered up to that point in Berlin and Waterloo, suspicion grew that “hostile aliens” were hidden in the region. Therefore, several citizens asked the city council to establish a registration office, registering persons who would bring Berlin into disrepute.
(“Fremden-Registration in Berlin” Berliner Journal, 19 May 1915)
After the sinking of the RMS Lusitania, the Berliner Journal reported an increasing number of anti-German incidents. Several times Germans were arrested due to their ethnic origin as they were suspected of spying. For example, a German bank employee in Berlin was arrested because his suit looked like a German uniform. In Toronto, a promotional sign for a beer brewed in Berlin, Ontario, had to be taken down due to the name Berlin. Even though the sign showed the British flag and said “Made in Canada”, the Toronto city council prohibited the use of the advertisement.
On May 19, the editors published another article regarding anti-German sentiment. The article sympathized with the emotional reactions of the Canadians, stating that the sinking of a German ship would have caused just as much outrage among Germans. Furthermore they praised the Canadian government for intervening in violent actions against the German population. The article encouraged Germans to stay quiet and refrain from patriotic statements in order to show their loyalty and remain safe.
(“In Preston” Berliner Journal, 12 May 1915; “Ein junger angestellter Deutscher” Berliner Journal, 19 May 1915; “Protest gegen deutsche Bieranzeige” Berliner Journal, 19 May 1915; „Unsere Stellung im Lande unserer Wahl“ Berliner Journal, 19 May 1915)
On May 26, the Berliner Journal reported on the arrest of 51 Austrians in Guelph. The newspaper stated that six Austrians had come to the police station, asking to get arrested as they had no jobs and could not make a living. Thereupon the police commissioner in Ottawa commanded that every Austrian in Guelph should be arrested. 51 Austrians voluntarily got arrested and were brought to the detention camp in Toronto where they would be employed until the end of the war.
(“Gefangenentransport in Guelph” Berliner Journal, 26 May 1915)
Due to the war it was hard to get German goods shipped to Canada. Therefore, the German book store suffered from a decrease in profits as German books could not be purchased from Germany anymore.
In other industries, however, the shortage was overcome. In January 1915, the Berliner Journal stated that a German citizen of Berlin had learned how to brew beer that was as good as the beer previously imported from Germany. Therefore, the German population did not have to miss their imported beer anymore.
(“Einen Vortheil” Berliner Journal, 13 January 1915; “Die Buchhandlung” Berliner Journal, 02 June 1915)
After several violent incidents against German-Canadians, the Berliner Journal published an editorial regarding the current situation of the German community. The editors praised the Canadian government for making a distinction between Germany and its war efforts and the German-Canadian population. They stated that several German-Canadians held responsible positions in politics thanks to the government. Canadians appreciated “German attributes” such as diligence, loyalty, and efficiency. The German population therefore should contribute to the Canadian economy as much as possible, thus showing their loyalty. Furthermore, the editors made it clear that any anti-German actions did not reflect the Canadian government but were war-motivated and not approved by the government.
(“Ehrung des Deutschthums” Berliner Journal, 02 June 1915)