German phrase check

I'll give it a try. It's possible that there are 1912 slurs I'm not aware of, I'm just going with regular German.

Sei bescheiden - Actually, that means modest in the strictest sense of the word: don't ask for too much. Better to just say: Sei still.

Kinderchor/Frauenchor - yup.

die Heilanstalt - this I'm not sure of. It's certainly a word and it's been used for insane asylums. I'm not sure about the time, though.

Schatzi, Liebling - The only times I hear the word Schatzi are when Americans play Germans in movies, really. Then again, in 1912 it may have been in use. They both sound more like terms of endearment among spouses to my modern ears, though, whereas Schatz would be more universal and Liebes definitely has that infantilizing touch you get from speaking to children. But Liebling should work, too, and it's more common to modern readers.

FRAU HOHNER INS KRANKENHAUS NACHT ARBEITSUNFALL Frau Hohner nach Arbeitsunfall hospitalisiert (hospitalized) or Frau Hohner nach Arbeitsunfall im Krankenhaus. (in the hospital) For headlines back then, I'd go with the former. The latter is closer to something someone would say.

UNSICHER BEI HOHER GESCHWINDIGKEIT - is that something somebody says about the machinery or a sign or something? In the former case, I'd go with "nicht sicher" (not safe) or "riskant" (risky) and also within a sentence it would probably be "bei hoher Geschwindigkeit nicht sicher" rather than the other way 'round. For a sign, I'd go with "Sicherheit beeinträchtigt" (security diminished) and keep it at the front.

Lebe wie du kannst, nicht wie du willst - I'll trust you on the folk saying bit . Anyway, commas come to mind here. I actually prefer the commas you set, but in 1912 it may have been more like "Lebe, wie Du kannst, nicht, wie Du willst". Or maybe without the last comma. There's a reason we liberalized the comma rules in '95.

So Gott will—Indeed

Wacht auf! -- If the person is talking to several people, otherwise it's: Wach auf!

Provokateure— Totally.

Aber ja - It does have that reaffiming quality you may be going for. But it's more reassuring than condescending. For the latter, ja doch (yes already), aber ja doch (the same but more impatiently) or ist ja gut (really pissed off) might do better.

Wir können jetz gehen - Actually, it's Wir können jetzt gehen with an extra t in jetzt. But if the kids in front of the group say it, wouldn't it be "you can go now" (Ihr könnt jetzt gehen)?

Nach wem suchst du? - Not wrong but Wen suchst Du is more common.

Sie haben Unrecht isn't wrong but it has a bit of a judgmental tone to it. If you're going for that, great. If it's more of a dispassionate debate, maybe Sie irren sich (you are erring) or just Sie irren will do.

Was siehst du? Right

Das ist köstlich also right if a person says it unprovokedly while eating. If it's in the course of a conversation and the object is already established, it could also be "es ist köstlich" (it is delicious), if the point is to compliment the cook after half a spoon, just "Köstlich!" will do. If it's after the meal, of course, it's "das war köstlich".

die verrückte Ire would be der verrückte Ire.

Es tut mir leid - Nowadays, we'd write Leid with a capital L, but that rule was only changed in 1995 or so. For 1912, you should get away with leid.

Mein lieber Bruder is very formal but it'll do for distant brothers. "Lieber Bruder" if they're closer.

Nammensvetter - almost. It's Namensvetter.

Womit kann ich Ihnen weiterhelfen? This or "Kann ich Ihnen behilflich sein?" (Can I be of help to you?)

Ja wirklich? - Sounds a little artificial to me, but then again, I grew up in a generation just saying "Ach?" in a skeptical tone after a German TV comedian (Loriot) made that a thing. I'd go with: Ach wirklich? (Oh really?) or: Tatsächlich? (Is that a fact?) Maybe: Was Du nicht sagst! (You don't say! - although that's more modern, I think)

Schmutzwasser - I never heard that in this context and I'd be surprised if it were a term for propaganda because Schmutz is an old derogative term for porn. The closest to that metaphor I can think of would be Dreck (dirt, and thus the same as Schmutz, yet somehow less porny). There's also Gewäsch (which I'd have to look up, it may be an old word for dirty water, the kind that's left after the laundry - it does refer to the kind of loose talk you'd hear over washing your clothes) which is used for baseless, ridiculous hogwash but not exclusively in political contexts. I'm pretty sure there's more, but I can't think of any right now. I'd go with Gewäsch.

Loben Gott! - That's the wrongest so far. I'd go with: Lobt den Herrn! If it's a preacher or somebody else with a lot of pathos, maybe even: Lobet den Herrn! Strangely, we don't use Gott in this context.

Was siehst du? Right -- agree, technically correct, but I was taught never to address a total stranger as "Du." I'd prefer "Was sieht Sie?" using the more formal "you". "Du" is informal, or so I was corrected as a Junge.

Well spotted, Deb - I totally overlooked that it was a boy asking a man (apparently a stranger). But the correct sentence is: "Was sehen Sie?"

You're right, Max. Duhhh. I blame the fact that my formal study of German is now 40 years in the past.