Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1914-10-17

clSe, exact statement OF TACT. / say
exact because events have shown them
to be.
From Russia we have had official
announcements to the effect that
"Germans drive Russians into
Capture 10000"
We had this news even before it
could come from Berlin.
From Petrograd officially we have
had alternating reports Of victories
and defeats, Of mishaps and fortunate
battles for the Tsar's troops. and we
have had the daily reports Of the
crushing of Austria's power. The
Russian government, like the British
and the French, has followed the rule
of keeping the people advised and
giving them the truth. One can say
the truth" now that subsequent
events demonstrate 1t.
News from Berlin.
Now, with consideration Of what
have already recapitulated from the
daily war happenings and the manner
in which news has been made pub
lie in London, Paris and Petrograd,
one can with profit study the official
news OF the war as given to the Ger
man public and as offered to the out
side world by the wireless stations.
1t would, perhaps, be a waste Of
time to look back upon such an
nouncements as
"England threatened with reYOIu-
ton ii country goes TO war. Irish re-
ported I'm open revolt English army
refuses to fight,s
or ouch announcements as
~Germans threaten heart Of Russia.
Russian Poles revolt. Austria crush
ing Russian armies.'
These are perhaps too ridiculous
now that their absurdity has been ex-
posed by the natural course of events,
so one may take as a sample Of Ger
man official news the manner in
which the disastrous defeat of the
Germans at the battle of the Marine
was declared. The Germans, as
everyone now knows, retreated so
precipitously that they lost thousands
of prisoners and hundreds of guns be-
sides stores, ammunition, horses,
aeroplanes and countless other war
material.
While this disastrous retreat which
broke the backbone of the German
offensive against Paris was in pro-
gress one might logically suppose il
possible TO get from Berlin some in
teresting news concerning It. We are
doomed to disappointment. From
Berlin comes the report
"TOtal collapse of Allies. Sir John
French a prisoner, with entire British
staff"
We wait and wait in vain. on
September IA comes the official Ger
man bulletin
"POsitiOn everywhere to our advan'
tage."
The news becomes apparent thai
the Germans have been driven cleal
/ back to the Aisne, nearly sevent,
miles from Paris. Trainloads Of guns
and booty and flags and German pris
oners come into the French capita
and the German wounded fill columns
of the newspapers with reports o
their hardships and defeat. Thos'
who had left Paris in fear returned
with a feeling Of security. From thu
official German bulletin of Septembei
16 we learn
ain no part of the theatre of wa
have the British or French gaine'
ground or any victory whatever. Ger
mans have not lost single gum"
Germans Bait "a Trap"
But it is. of course, evident that tn
Germans cannot forever make peopl
believe their army is at the gates o
Paris when It is actually driven BAG
miles away. II is therefore curiou
to see how this knotty problem i
solved by German publicity. Nothint
could be simpler.
"Germans make victorious with
drawal to catch enemy in trap"
comes the official and semi-official an
nouncement from Berlin. The ofiicia
bulletin of September 81 describes tn
precipitate and costly retreat in thes
Words
"German troops retire slowly i
conformity with plan of General Sta
to reach favorable positions"
On September 20 we nave the off
cial German bulletin stating
"Austrlan army repeatedly defeat
and WeakeRs Russian army
q am giving the exact dates G
these official communications froI
Berlin so that any reader may loo
them up in the files of any newspape
. If he desires).
On the same date we have
Russians order all male inhab
| tants of East Prussia shot,"
| Tie last official bulletin, whic
{ comes directly from the Imperial Gel
man Chancellor and is published
the British press today, states;-
"German territory has never been
possession of French or Russia
trOOps.s
IN the next few lines the ImperiI
Chancellor continues by announcin
. that
some hundred and fifty thOusan
Russians hOrs de combat in battle I
Tannenburg.-
Tannenburg is a considerable dil
lance across the Russian border an
is in Germany. II the Russian
never were in possession of Germa
territory how did they ever get I
2 Tannenburg2 one asks. Why is a
this fighting in Germany? Why driy
or attempt to drive the RUSSIANS oil
5 if they are not there?
; Berlin Reports in England.
OF course, it is all too absurd fC
I further comment.
: The British press publishes the:
German reports as a matter
curiosity, and the censor never inteI