Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-25

This he began in a systematic manner.
| using the columns Of every paper he
could command.
Bismarck Controls which was all Of
~ them. for the dis
GOAcA6A N0~s' semination OF his
views on domestic matters. After the
war with France and the formation OF the
empire Bismarck concentrated hts ef-
forts to control editorial expressions on
subjects dealing with foreign affairs. His
activities in this direction were not con-
fined solely to Germany. but he sent cor
respondents to Paris, London. st. Peters
burg and all the principal European
cities charged with the duty of influence
ing press comments on German affairs In
| a fashion favorable to Bismarcks de-
signs. This foreign press bureau still
exists as the department OF the German
foreign office.
Bismarcks personal organ was the
North German Gazette. which pretended
to be an Independent journal, but which
as Bismarck himself said presented me
daily with a white sheet OF paper" upon
which the chancellor might write what
he pleased. That paper still remains the
chief among the inspired semi-oficial
journals OF the empire. although its char
quite thoroughly discredited. Sometimes
even this paper is snubbed by the gov
eminent. 1t will print one day an edi-
torial sent to II from the government.
and IL the public does not like 1t. 1t will
the next day print a denial saying that
the article in question was in error, that
ii originated in the newspaper ONCE itself
and was not semi-oficial in character.
There is in every small city and town a
newspaper called the Kreisblatt, which is
q local paper
Published in Interest conducted in the
Of Bureau Officials. nro ursu.. Oh s sne
reaucratic officials of the neighborhood 1t is
presumed to be independent, and therefore
is of such high character that the govern
ment officials may use 1t safely as a me-
dunn for their advertisements and spe-
cial notices. AS a matter Of fact 1t Is
controlled absolutely by the officials. One
editor Of these papers described his trou-
bles in an article printed In one Of the
really independent large city dailies He
said that the local inspector came to him
and told him he must attack the socialists
more vigorously or some one else would
be hired IN his stead. The editor could
not obey the local inspector. because
every editorial in his paper came to him
already written from the imperial press
bureau at Berlin. and IL the editor had
changed single word in his own editori-
abs he would have felt the heavy hand OF
the man higher up" This same editor
once reprinted in his local paper an arti-
Gle taken from a city journal For that
offense he was threatened with dismissal.
The local inspector did not know that the
emperor had inspired the article. This
was the condition OF affairs IN 1908. In
the last six or seven years conditions
have been materially improved, and there
is a genuine Independent press develop
ing In many parts of the country
Journalism Is not respected by the pub
lie, and is despised by the bureaucracy
wnicn ABUSES It's privileges. A journalist
in Germany has no social status what
| ever. "A distinguished American who Wis
tied Berlin few years ago was invited
to meet the kaiser. The Invitation was
sent by the emperor himself through the
court marshal. That mighty functionary