Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-10-18
t.y MORNING Jouss.l SPECIAL ls.sso ~t.,,


Washington, Oct. 17.-Pro- German
agents in the United States, according
to reports to the treasury department..
have directed their energies toward
defeating the liberty loan Their or
ganized propaganda has borne fruit,
from Minnesota to Texas, 1t is assert
ed, in scattered localities where ef-
forts have been made, not openly, but
by indirect methods. to discourage
subscriptions.
The work of the pro- -German
agents, officials assert, has been car
ried on for more than two weeks.
Some of the workers have had the
temerity, reports to the treasury de-
partment indicate, to conduct their
operations here In the national capi-
tai.
Official recognition OF the propa-
ganda against te loan was voiced to-
day by Col. Herbert NJ. Lord repre-
senting the war department at the
war. risk insurance conference, at
which details of the new soldiers and
sailors insurance law are being ex-
planned to officers and enlisted men
iioll lIie various tuHlOnIncnIS
Organized Effort Seen.
There has been an organized sf-
fort" said Colonel Lord, who was
chairman of today's meeting, ito dis
courage and defeat the loan
This effort. he added, has been
made by seeking to misrepresent tho
patriotism of the new national army.
n tu1 nf he
of the conference. which was behind
closed doors, issued tonight by the
treasury department, reads as follows:
"1n convincing refution of the
slander, which was to the effect that
the men Of the national army op-
posed the war. Colonel Lord announc-
cd that subscriptions from the army
for the loan are aggregating s26, 5000
600 and that some OF the subscrip-
tions were written in foreign Ian
guages.
Many Take Insurance.
The announcement caused great
enthusiasm among the delegates from
the army and navy. marine corps and
coast guard (attending the confer
ence), 500 of whom swarmed up to
the platform following the address
and signed war insurance applica
tions, all OF which, except forty, were
for the maximum of 10000"
Assembled from various sources the
efforts of workers against the loan
appeared to have been directed along
four channels:
Attempts to discourage prospective
buyers of liberty bonds.
Efforts to prevent certain banks
from handling the bonds.
The publication, in certain newspa
pers and other mediums of publicity,
of editorials and articles which, while
not directly opposing loan subscrip-
tions, tend to discourage buyers
The prevention. so far as local and
sporadic efforts can prevent, of the
placing OF liberty loan posters and
literature where 1t will be
most beneficial.
How Work Is Done.
Attempts to discourage buyers by
the personal plea method have been
confined mostly to the east. In
stances have been brought to the at
tention of officials where buyers have
been approached, apparently in Il
spirit of great friendship. and advised
not to buy the bonds
Efforts to prevent banks from han
ding the bonds have centered chiefly
in Wisconsin, Minnesota, North and
South Dakota, Montana, Missouri and
Oklahoma. The president of a Wis
consin bank has advised the treasury
that his depositors, mostly Germans
or of German parentage, have with
drawn many thousands of dollars
from his bank because he aided the :
first liberty loan.
Ilcalpy Inn, HnrI In (..t