On this date in 1918, Leo Horst appeared before the North Dakota Council of Defense in Fargo. Horst was accused of sedition for statements made in Towner. Horst was said to be pro-German and disloyal to the United States.
Horst submitted proof that while his parents were of German descent, he was born in Hagerstown, Maryland. As proof that he was not disloyal, he presented evidence that he had attempted to enlist in the Army on numerous occasions. He had also presented himself to the draft board twice. On each occasion he was turned away because of his poor eyesight.
As part of his defense, Horst read portions of the speech made in Towner. He had talked about a trip to the Twin Cities, during which he noticed piles of goods beside the tracks. He learned that speculators had held food in box cars in order to drive up the price, but when the railroad needed the cars, the food was simply dumped on the ground where it rotted. He said it was un-American for “scoundrels, thieves, and robbers” to take advantage of the war to make money while young men sacrificed everything on the battlefield. The portions of the speech he read differed significantly from statements attributed to him in the newspapers.
Horst was a well-known Nonpartisan League organizer, and the charges appeared to be politically motivated. Horst’s defenders said his enemies had trumped up the charges. They noted that the allegations against Horst were reported on the front page of newspapers with blaring headlines, but the Grand Jury’s dismissal of the charges only received small headlines on interior pages. The Nonpartisan Leader accused a “secret back-room club” in Fargo of trying Horst in the press.
After the charges were dropped, Horst again tried to enlist. This time the Army accepted him as a recruit. He was quickly promoted to sergeant, and served as an instructor throughout the rest of the war.
Dakota Datebook by Carole Butcher
Sources:
Grand Forks Herald. “Townley Made Patriotic Organizations Proposed by Council of Defense.” 21 May 1918. Grand Forks ND. Page 3.
Montana Leader. “League Lecturer Is Army Instructor in Western Army Camp.” 21 September 1918. Great Falls MT. Page 1.
Nonpartisan Leader. “Another Charge of Disloyalty Explodes.” 17 June 1918. Fargo ND. Page 11.
