New-York tribune., 1917-07-11
Plot to Divide
Allies Exposed
ByNorthcliffe
Says Propagandists in U. s.
Are Working to Stir
Up Friction


Overseas Club, at luncheon given
in his honor at the Hotel Biltmore yes
terday, that German propagandists IN
this country are seeking ito start
causes Of friction among the Allies ana
10 bring about peace which wouIu
really mean a German victory. lie
urged his hearers to "give publicity to
the facts Of the war. as the best means
Of fighting enemy propaganda
Lord NorthclfFe read his speech De-
cause. he said, he found that IN Ne"
York the German press was Every ae-
tive" in "twisting" the facts given IN
public utterances. This oollges me
70 do what never did before-read my
speech" he said.
The speaker was introduced py III.
Rev. Walter B. Bentley, president OF
the New York branch Of the club as
"tbe Greater Of modern England.
Declaring that when the Kaiser
started the war he reckoned on WIN
ming it through dissension in the
British Empire, Lord Northcliffe told
Of what Britain had done. "ln the
first place. he said, I'VE bottled up
the German high seas feet; swept
the trade routes clear Of German raid
ers, and prevented Great Britain and
France being blockaded by sea and
strangled. The British navy saved
democracy in the early days Of the
war
an the second place, Britain but
tressed the worlds credit. Every one
will remember the panic in the early
days of August, 1914, when securities
of all kinds were tumbling to apparent
disaster. Britain stopped that panic,
and began from the very start OF the
war to advance loans to its allles-to
the extent, finally, Of over FIVE thou
sand million dollars.
an the third place, Britain pro-
vided the other members Of the Allies
with vast quantities of shipping, coal,
material and other vital necessities.
an the fourth place, we raised huge
popular loans for the conduct OF the
war. The last Victory Loan totalled to
over s6,O00,000,0 900. 1t was by far the
biggest loan ever raised by any nation.
Millions Volunteered
an the fifth place, the five united
British nations recruited under the
volunteer system millions of men be-
fore they were obliged to resort to con-
scription. Millions OF men offered
themselves for the fight. ] am no
advocate OF the volunteer system, be-
cause of its manifest injustices and
its ineficiency for the waging OF a
war of the present character. But l
think there Is cause for pride in realiz-
ing that millions of Britons from all
over the world offered themselves vol
UNFAIRLY for war, Great Britain alone
raising over 100000 men.
AT the present moment we maintain
over 2,200, 900 men on the French front,
apart from our other large armies IN
Egypt, several other parts OF Africa,
Mesopotamia, Palestine and az Salon
ica. The word maintain means that we
keen that huge mass OF men up to
fighting strength, constantly replacing
the terrific drain of killed, wounded and
sick.
German propagandists. with the
idea of creating friction between the
Allies, have tried TO spread the legend
that Britain keeps the bulk of her army
in England to repel invasion. That is
characteristically untrue. The military
forces In England consist of troops in
course of training; of units of oldlsh
men of little military value, and of the
last reserve line, which we still call by
the name of volunteers, or, better, home
defence men. All Of these latter are
over the military age Of forty-one.
ave Britons are slow. 1t is the tenn
permanent Of the race. We were slow
in realizing the reality of the German
menace. We were slow i'm estimating
the power of the German armies. We
were slow in organizing ourselves 10
meet the full necessities of the war
But. though We are slow, think | may
claim that VIC are thorough. When the
bulldog catches hold, il keeps hold We
shall hang on. We shall see this thing
through to finish.
Pleads for the Facts
al ask the members TO do all in their
power to counteract the very insidious
enemy propaganda which seeks to start
causes Of friction between the Allies
and to bring about peace which would
really mean German victory.
"The best way to fight enemy propa-
ganda is to spread the knowledge Of
the facts of the war. It is easy to
twist motives. It is easy 10 impute
sinister intentions. IL is fatally easy