World War I. Slowly but surely, the United States was drawn into it with each act of aggression by the Central Powers, and a growing patriotism was the response. Overnight, the Germania Life Insurance Building in St. Paul became the Guardian Building. School boards across the land banned teaching of the German language. Sauerkraut was renamed “liberty cabbage,” and in Madera, the name of the Munich School was changed to Dixieland.
In the meantime, Maderans of all persuasions supported the entry of the United States into this first truly worldwide conflagration. Within three days after the declaration of war, Maderans made preparations to do their duty by forming an unauthorized para-military unit called the “Home Guard.” On April 9, 1917, it was announced that the first meeting would be held in the Lincoln Grammar School.
“Estamos preparados para una guerra, y pretendemos demostrarle al mundo que los estadounidenses pueden formar un ejército”, declaró un portavoz. El Madera Tribune informó que “el sentimiento patriótico estaba al rojo vivo”. Se esperaba que la creación de la Guardia Nacional proporcionara los rudimentos del entrenamiento militar para jóvenes y mayores por igual, ya que se podía esperar que los maderanos fueran convocados en cualquier momento para “proteger sus hogares”.”