The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1875-06-27
Journalism in Germany.
IN, Y. World.l

| m, st unpopular man in Germany. AT Il
moment of the declaration of war again
| Austria he had against him the pariiamen
the court, this press, the rural and urban il
terests, the doubts of the army and the col
science of King Wilhelm. To day, he d
rects every one of these forcesju how al
as far al he pleases. True, the Germans a
notable Cor the ease with which they beiie'
| in what suits their interests, and Bismart
has made Germany. foremost country
! Europe since 1866, and at once develope
the self. esteem of the people aud given the
wherewith to exercise it upon. But there
something behind all this; some means
creating aud unity ing public opinion mn
exist in Germany such as other countri
are perhaps happy in not possessing. II
rapdity with which this sort of thing
done in Germany is very remarkable.
few weeks ago, for instance, a semi-Offici
paper at Berlin announced that France w
buying horses, and intended to precipitf
war upon Germany in less than thr
months. The announcement was sim ult
neously made by German newspape
everywhere from the Baltic to the Neck
from the North sea to the Vistula, 80 tt
the baseless charge acquired dignity by
universal currency. How was this ma
| aged7
A pappy indiscreet book just publish
by Professor Heinrich Wuttke, of the VI
versity of Leipzig, makes some very 81
prising disclosures in regard to the n
chinery by means Of which public opini
in Germany is created, manipulated q
and propelled, as we'll as in regard to
general condition of the public press
that happy country, where Sunb.au in
cence and Franconian honesty are gepeTa
supposed to have successfully resisted
far the corrupt Establishments of PrIss
| finesse. Professor Wattke makes it
ceedingly plain that there is another or
in Germany besides that which wars
needle guns and Krupps batteries. 7
general staff of this army has it headqU
ters in Berlin, and is known as the Cen
Bureau of the Press. This was first est
i.hed when Manteuffel was Minister,
it's functions have been vastly enlar
sill ee 1866, aud it has now grown to b
huge workshop for the manufacture
opinions for use at home and abroad.
| is an endowed institution, having recei
for it's uses the confscated property of
King of Hanover and the EIector of He
his endow ment the witty BerliHese fra
~ denominate the ReptiliemJond. a
& ven. according to some, because it is
'"'x'rrminate the reptiles who cons
aciirsErhe safety the state, but, accore
t. otht r.. because it is used for the nour
Inent "f reptiles, whose services the n
does not 81 sdain to hire. In connect
with this the Beriinese say Of those j4
! nalistS who are III the habit of going TOT
Central Bureau to be informed what o
ions it is proper for them to hold that 4
go to take their Schldmmbader, literS
their slime baths. baths are nota
good for soue sorts of cons stitutions, and
Berlin establishment is said to have !
formed some wonderful cures.
The Central Bureau ia said to have nj
as much Use of its reptile fund as Oa
Ames made of his Credit Mubilier stocA
Congress-. The money ia every cas{
put where it will do most good, and ne
employed until "the psychological
ment," admirable phraseD has arrived
which the great sympathetic nerve can
most finely touched and to fine issues.
bureau has it branches and agencies eve
where, and it's resources and it's aN~sA
of approach to the public are almost
ite. 1t furnishes news and "copy" "
liberal hand employs the best W
|'and lnstrncts them with careful art to
themselves to all shades of opinion
suit OF the main issue. Strange il
fact, but it is nevertheless true that
of the most orthodox utterances of
montane journals, and many of tn
extravagant flights of the radical
gandists. are equally manufGcturedH
Central Bureau mill at Berlin. The b
particularly active in Hanover, in
IN Baden, Austria and AlsaceL Lorras
an opposition journal shows itsq
cult and ugly" it 10 "quieted" by tt
lishment of rival concern right al
otit, just as the Times of this CIV;
quieted last fall. If journal of VI
pendent spirit gets behindhaud or 81 do
about its future, a subsidy or loI
ways cor veniently ready. With$'
is considerable discretion in the Dc
trs'ion of the Reptile fund. "Ake on
desire," Prince Bismarck is repb. pa
have said, is that political Journals ei
serve certain space for the communi Is o.
send them from Berlin they mayit "
rest of their columns just as they plat
The extent to which this official III
and official subvention of the press is C,
red in Germany is really startling. 7
bureau has been charged in open Parliamt
with paying a hundred thousand thai,
down for the purchase of one journal !;
establishing a new administration jour-
out of hand in another place, and Il
place not even in Prussia. Herr Win
thorst said in the German Parliament Il
the industry of the press had become
GovcrnmenG monopoly, and that ma
papers published throughout Germany w,
actually edited in the bureau at Berl
naming as among these the Augsburg Gt
cite and the Cologne Gazette. Wutt
quotes n rwell informed DuhliciStH as 81