304 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY
which in time would wax strong enough to split their ranks. If they could neither be won over nor be subdued, they might be replaced. A Danish buyer for a farm whose owner had been expelled would, it was believed, be hard to find. So many young men having emigrated, there was a dearth of youth in the land. Naturally, Danes from the kingdom were not anxious, under existing circumstances, to throw their lots with their Sleswic brethren ; even if they were willing, it would be an easy matter to hit upon means of preventing them. Consequently, von Roller reasoned, the deserted homesteads must go by default to Ger- man purchasers, aided by the special government fund held in readiness for just such contingencies.
Similarly in regard to servants. By practically making it impossible to keep Danish help, employers must be thrown back upon the German supply. And the theory not devoid of a certain degree of plausibility was that the daily contact, espe- cially of the children, with German-speaking people in their own homes must needs produce beneficial results directly by further- ing the understanding and use of the German tongue, indirectly by breaking the point off the bitter national antagonism in rela- tions of mutual dependence.
However, as will be seen later on, von Roller reckoned with- out his host.
But the end was not yet. There remained to be put into effect one measure the nature of which was such as to evoke a storm of indignant protests, not only in North Sleswic and Denmark, but as far as the echo was heard even in Germany herself. This was von Roller's assault upon the parental right. As has been stated, Danish parents are in the habit of sending their children, past public-school age, to Denmark to complete their education. This means of keeping alive Danish language and sentiment, in the opinion of the governor, tended to counteract his Germaniz- ing efforts. He therefore resolved that it must be stopped. Parents were warned to withdraw their children from the Danish schools under penalty of heavy fines, the deprivation of their educational rights, and the appointment of German guardians for their sons and daughters.
