<P> German citizens were required to register with the federal government and carry their registration cards at all times . 2,048 German citizens were imprisoned beginning in 1917, and all were released by spring 1920 . Allegations against them included spying for Germany or endorsing the German war effort . They ranged from immigrants suspected of sympathy for their native land, civilian German sailors on merchant ships in U.S. ports when war was declared, and Germans who worked part of the year in the United States, including 29 players from the Boston Symphony Orchestra and other prominent musicians . </P> <P> German Americans by this time usually had only weak ties to Germany; however, they were fearful of negative treatment they might receive if the United States entered the war (such mistreatment was already happening to German - descent citizens in Canada and Australia). Almost none called for intervening on Germany's side, instead calling for neutrality and speaking of the superiority of German culture . They were increasingly marginalized, however, and by 1917 had been excluded almost entirely from national discourse on the subject . </P> <P> When the war began, overt examples of German culture came under attack . Many churches cut back or ended their German language services . German parochial schools switched to the use of English in the classroom . Courses in German were dropped from public high school curricula . Some street names were changed . One person was killed by a mob at a tavern in a southern Illinois mining town . </P> <P> Elaborate propaganda campaigns were launched to encourage Americans to buy Liberty bonds . In ethnic centers, ethnic groups were pitted against each other so that groups were encouraged to purchase more bonds compared to their historic rivals in order to demonstrate superior patriotism . </P>

Describe the economic mobilization on the american home front