New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-23
Papers Published Through
out Country Employ the
Power of Suggestion
Allies Are Ridiculed
Innuendo Favorite Weapon of
Editors Who Glorify Any
thing Favoring Kaiser

against Elihu Roots statement at a
meeting of the Union League Club that
there are some newspapers published
in this city every day the editors OF
which deserve conviction and execu-
ton for treason. And sooner or later
they will get It,"
Bernard II. Ridder says in the New
Yorker -Zeitung," over his sig
nature:
"As lawyer, Mr.. Root would not re-
fuse the offending editors the benefit
Of trial-albeit his whole temper
seemed to imply that he would prefer
drumhead court martial; as some OF
our energetic citizens would 10. This
is great concession to law and order"
Powers of Suggestion
Continuing. Mr.. Ridder says:
"As a lawyer, however, Mr.. Root
should be perfectly we'll acquainted
with the powers of suggestion, es-
pecially in times not entirely normal,
on minds still less level than his own"
The German-language newspapers
know the power of suggestion, and en-
ploy it to the utmost. Except for an
occasional slip, they don't preach trea-
son openly, for their editors fear the
consequences. But they breed sedition
by innuendo. Anything favorable to
the Kaiser is rhapsodized on and mag
nitied; news and facts favorable to the
Allies are suppressed or distorted.
The most insidious example OF this
may be found in the California Dem
okrat," a small paper published at San
Francisco. The "Demokrat" prints
every day under the caption "The Stu
alton of the World as Depicted by Neu-
trail Reports" number Of special ca
bles from Lausanne, Zurich, Berne,
Amsterdam, Stockholm, etc. These
Special cables" are reprints from
German, Austrian, German-Swiss or
German-American newspapers. Every
single clipping is designed to hold the
Allies up to contempt or to glorify the
Kaiser and his cause.
Typical Special Cable"
A typical special cable" to the "Cal-
iforpia Demokrat" says:
"A French private asked a French
non-commissioned officer for the per-
mission to aid wounded German SOL
der. But the non-commssioned officer
cut the throat Of the wounded German,
killing him.
"A French colonel ordered a non
commissioned officer to shoot dead a
wounded German. A division COM
mander, many colonies and other Of
fcers of the French army are said to
have often threatened to shoot the capt
ured German soldiers Of the ambu-
lance service"
In another special cable" an anony-
nous Alsatian is quoted, as follows:
"If Terestchenko means by the ideals
of Alsace Lorraine her separation from
Germany, we (Alsatians) protest ener-
getically against such distortion of
the facts. How dares this man to talk
in such q way about Alsace-Lorraine!
Alsace is German, talks German and,
to-day, desires less than at any other
time to belong to another nation which
begmirches the name of kultur by the
treatment it accords to the German
prisoners of war. He who compares
the exemplary German administration
TO the confusion prevailing in France
knows with which side every sensible
of Alsace-Lorraine are based on a
thorough and glorious victory of Ger
many, and the contention that the pop
ulation of our country (Alsace-Lor-
raine) desires TO be annexed by France
IS ridiculous"
Caption In "The Substituting
The New Yorker Staats-Zeitung"
utilities the power of suggestion" In
one edition the items of the Varied
War Chronicle" appeared under the
caption Lack Of Coal in England"
"The Sentiment in Alsace-Lorraine,"
Frances Shortage Of Tonnage Lack
of Milk in England" Defeat in Moroc-
CO."
The "Deutsches Journal" OF New
York, published by William R. Hearst,
printed conspicuously in box an item
under the caption THE Russians Lost
All Their Artillery TO the Germans"
The news item itself spoke only of the
loss of "a great part Of the heavy
guns"
Last Monday the New Yorker
Herold" RECALLED its readers with a
statement dated July 10, saying in
part: THE German iiers never have
bombed open cities"
United States Senator King is
vehemently attacked because he de-
mands that papers printed in foreign
languages be compelled to publish
their editorials in the same edition in
the English language. too.
The "Detroiter Abendpost," noted
for it's un-American articles, protests
at is to the best interests OF our gov
eminent and our people that means
are employed to prevent further stir
ring up existing national dissension
and not, without necessity, TO make
more difficult the fulhlment Of patri
otto duties to the citizens of German
descent"
Senator King Attacked
The "Westliche Post" of st. Louis,
says:
Senator King has managed to be
come we'll known in a surprisingly
short time-as the embodiment of
lingo and crazy natvist."
"They who attempt" says the
"Deutscher Correspondent OF Bslti-
more, "to place 4 problem in the path
Of the Germans in this country are
unable TO state any reason for their
action. As far as the loyalty of the
Germans is doubted, IL is not because
there is a reason 20 doubt this loyalty,
but because of the presumption that
Germans cannot be loyal in a war with
Germany"
The Cincinnati Freie Presse" de-
tends the German-langusge press
against the attacks on its loyalty TO
America, and adds: ut the German
language press offers TO its readers a