1914 | First World War

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Berlin’s Population (22 October 1914)

By acoadmin • On October 22, 1914 • In Fall 1914, German-Canadian Identity

On 22 October, Berlin announced during its City Council meeting that it had reached a population of over 19,000. Over 718 individuals had moved to the town since 1913, the East Ward seeing the largest increase of 420. It was reported that over $36,000 of additional taxes had been collected during that year. The size of Berlin would make it the leading contributor of the Waterloo Region for the various war effort campaigns and contributions. As the industrial city grew, Berlin residents strove more and more to aid in the war effort.

(“Berlin’s Population,” Berlin Daily Telegraph, 22 October 1914)

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Women’s Patriotic League (Mothers League) (22 October 1914)

By acoadmin • On October 22, 1914 • In Fall 1914, Home Front

One month after starting its knitting campaign for Hespeler volunteers, the women of Hespler turned their attention to other causes as well. With the rising concern about the plight of the Belgians, the Belgian Relief Fund in Berlin had been formed. Hespeler women also set out to raise money for their own Belgian Relief Fund.

The Hespeler Women also addressed the need for hospital vehicles for the European theater. Hespeler had collected a total of $154.21 for the Hospital Ship Fund since August. As a result of the nationwide campaign, the Canadian war office allocated $125,000 to procure ambulances of which half would be deployed in France and the other half in England. An additional $160,000 would be spent on equipping a naval hospital vessel. In recognition for the Canadian women who contributed to the fund the ship was to be titled “Canadian Women’s Hospital.” The women of Hespeler and Waterloo Region could take personal pride in this announcement.

Ambulances played a vital role in transporting wounded soldiers from the frontlines of France to the coast. From there hospital ships transferred the injured across the English Channel to the safety of England.

(Picture is of RMS Llandovery Castle, one of five Canadian hospital ships that served in the First World War, “Women’s Patriotic League,” Hespeler Herald, 22 October 1914)

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An appeal of Sir Wilfrid Laurier (28 October 1914)

By Caterina Katzer • On October 28, 1914 • In 1914, German Newspapers, Timeline

In late October, the Journal reported on a speech given by Sir Wilfrid Laurier in Montreal, where he encouraged Canadian men to enlist. He begged his audience to help Britain, France and Belgium immediately for the cause of humanity. Knowing that he was asking young men for a great sacrifice, he also said that he envied them their youth which allowed them to make such sacrifices. Laurier felt it important that Canada should create a volunteer army into which every member would make an individual choice to enlist.

(„Sir Wilfrid Laurier…“, Berliner Journal, 28 October 1914)

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“Farewell celebration for the volunteers from Berlin“ (28 October 1914)

By Caterina Katzer • On October 28, 1914 • In 1914, German Newspapers, Timeline

At half past eleven in the morning on October 27, 1914, forty volunteers from Berlin rushed to London to enlist in the second Canadian contingent to be sent overseas. Of these forty men, only 25 were actually admitted for active service after the medical examinations. Three of them were born here in Berlin.

It was resolved at a special City Council session on Saturday evening that there would be a festive celebration for the volunteers.

(„Abschiedsfeier für die Berliner Freiwilligen“, Berliner Journal, 28 October 1914)

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Number of Cases of Diphtheria Reported (29 October 1914)

By acoadmin • On October 29, 1914 • In Fall 1914, Politics

On 29 October, Berlin’s City Council hosted an emergency meeting to discuss the mounting issue of Diphtheria in the region. The bacterial infection, which causes human mucus glands to swell and creates difficulty breathing, proved a challenge for local officials. Berlin’s Mayor Euler met with Dr. McGillawee who was the sanitary inspector of Waterloo Region.

The doctor inspected several local businesses for bacteriological concerns, the Breithaupt Leather Factory’s settling tanks, locally produced milk, water supplies and the local slaughterhouse. The doctor observed several possible bacterial starting points as a precaution and failed to trace the source. A total of two individuals died from this bacteria and containment measures were imposed to prevent any further unrest caused by Diphtheria. One of the preventative measures prescribed was keeping all school doors in the region open in order to maintain ventilation for children. Media reports on this topic began to decline shortly after the outbreak suggesting that it was a relatively contained scare. The local government’s proactive management of this outbreak was characteristic of how governments handled epidemics during this time period.

(“Number of Cases of Diphtheria Reported,” Berlin Daily Telegraph, 29 October 1914)

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Naturalization of German-Canadians (4 November 1914)

By Sonja Schäfer • On November 4, 1914 • In 1914, German Newspapers, German-Canadian Identity, Timeline

In November 1914, Waterloo’s German community was outraged over a scandal in Haileybury in which a judge would not permit German and Austrian immigrants to get their Canadian citizenship, even though several Russians, Italians and Finns were naturalized. This caused shock, anger, and fear in the German community as they did not know what else to do in order to prove their loyalty. They talked about it with the Dominion representative for Waterloo North, W.G. Weichel. Of German origin himself, he understood the concerns and worries and tried his best to advocate for the German-Canadians and explain their ambivalent situation to the government. He then took care of the incident so the migrants were naturalized in the end.

(“Verweigert Naturalisation” Berliner Journal, 4 November 1914; “In diesen schweren Zeiten des Krieges” Berliner Journal, 18 November 1914)

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Enemies of the State (5 November 1914)

By acoadmin • On November 5, 1914 • In Fall 1914, German-Canadian Identity

On 5 November, Ottawa declared that all German and Austrian residents of Canada had to register with the government. This declaration was of significance to some residents of the Waterloo Region. The government explained that this was an exercise to gain a level of control over the presence of aliens within Canadian borders for the public’s sake. Individuals, who failed to address the registrars or botched their interrogation, would then be transported to prisoner of war camps. Registrars questioned nationality, nature and intentions along with individuals’ current situation or status in Canada. People of German or Austrian birth also had to pass a registrar examination if they wished to leave the country whether as a civilian or enlisted in the Canadian Army. The Canadian Government’s official statement on the matter was as follows:

“The order-in-Council passed by the Government has for its object to ensure an effective control and supervision over persons of alien enemy nationality residing in the country. In enacting it, the Government realizes that there is a very large proportion of these residents who are perfectly peaceable citizens, and in no sense a source of danger to the country…”

(Photo courtesy of the Canadian War Museum; “Enemies of the State,” Hespeler Herald, 5 November 1914)

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Pacific Railway and the Patriotic Fund (5 November 1914)

By acoadmin • On November 5, 1914 • In Fall 1914, Home Front

On 5 November, the Hespeler Herald reported on the successful Patriotic Fund event hosted by the Pacific Railway Company (P.R.C). The organization donated one full day’s worth of pay from each employee, from all the provinces, which raised a total of $142,000 for the Patriotic Fund. The P.R.C. hoped to set an example for other companies in Canada. In Berlin it was already common practice to donate to in one’s place of work as part of collective donations.

(“Pacific Railway and the Patriotic Fund,” Hespeler Herald, 5 November 1914)

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Belgian Relief Fund (7 November 1914)

By acoadmin • On November 7, 1914 • In Fall 1914, Home Front

The Waterloo Region became heavily involved in the Belgian Relief Fund during the war. Originally started in the United States, the Fund sought to provide food to German-occupied Belgium and Northern France. Although it did not garner as much attention as the national Patriotic Fund, the county raised a substantial amount by late November and every township in Waterloo Region contributed to the fund.

George, Nash. “Herbert Hoover and the Belgian Relief Fund.” (Nash, George H., Herbert Hoover and Belgian Relief in World War I Accessed April 19^th, 2014. http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1989/spring/hoover-belgium.html)

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No Registration of Germans in Waterloo Region (11 November 1914)

By Sonja Schäfer • On November 11, 1914 • In 1914, German Newspapers, Timeline

In November 1914, the Canadian government imposed registration system on Germans and Austrians without Canadian citizenship. However, many in the Waterloo region and Western Ontario in general felt that this registration was not necessary. As the Berliner Journal announced on November 11, the government knew that the German community in the Waterloo region was loyal to their new homeland. Therefore, they did not have to be registered as enemy aliens.

(“Keine Registration unter uns” Berliner Journal, 11 November 1914)