New Britain herald., 1917-08-23
ACCUSING MEXICO
 AGAINST NE|GHbOR
German Propagandists Using Hos
 tile Papers As Weapons

Mexico City, Aug. 23.-F'riends of Germany are conducting in Mexico newspaper propaganda against the United States, but up to the present time the efforts have failed of their purpose in so far as the better edu- cated and influential classes of Mex ico are concerned There is reason to believe that it has had no effect on men prominent in public life, those associated with the government or the high officers of the army, but it seems certain that the German campaign has exeYted a certain influence over tho uneducated McXicans.
 The line followed has had for it's end the convincing of the more ig norant classes that the friendly ad- vances of the United States are not to be trusted and that that country is steadfast in the aim of overthrow ing the sovereignty of Mexico and seizing for it's own, either by economic means or by force, the territory be- tween the Rio Grande and Panama. The Germans also have made strong efforts to spread the belief that the Allies are in desperate straits for men, ships and money and that the ulti-
 mate victory of the Central Powers
 
 is assured
 The German publicity attack has been conducted along two separate lines. The first and more important, appealing to the more conservative element, has been headed by El Dem ocrats, one of the four principal daily morning papers of the capital, man
 aged ands directed by Rafael Mar tinez, member of congress and better known by his pen name of Rip Rip" .... U. S. Papers Furnish Ammunition. The Democrata has found ammuni- tion for it's heaviest attacks in re- printing articles from American pa pers scoring Mexico. its governm ent, its people and it's policy. Some of these articles, taken from New York, 1 Washington. and San Francisco pa- i pers, for the most part are of re- cent date, while some seem to have been reprinted from papers of earlier | years. Such reprints have been ac- l companied by quasi editorial com ment drawing the conclusion that the
 United States government and the American people are the enemies of
 Mexico, and that pretences of friend ship and willingness to aid the south ern republic are shams. In addition to this scheme of attack the news de-
 spatches of Ell Democrata, whether from the United States or from Eu-
 rope, have been solicited and written
 with the obvious purpose of present 1 ing the condition and prospects of | the Central Powers in the most fla
 vorable light and of painting the con-
 ditions and prospects and future of the
 Allies, especially the United States l in the darkest colors.
 For example, Ell Democrata on August printed an extra edition giv- l ing news of the revolt in Oklahoma l against the conscription. Continued | stress also has been laid on alleged 1 widespread egression from the United | States of Mexican citizens who feared | conscription in the army. The news 1 despatches of El Democrata come os- | tensibly from an organization known | as "The Spanish American News Serv- l ice" of New York.
 The campaign of El Democrata has ! not been particularly effective. It is the highest priced paper in Mexico l selling for ten cents a copy, and the | people who can afford to buy it are l too we'll informed to be greatly in- I fuenced by it's statements.
 | To overcome that difficulty, a new 1 morning paper El Mundo, which sells at three cents. recently has been l started. This paper, although headed 1 ostensib1y by Fidel Sols, is reported to be merely a branch of Ell Demo- crata.
 La Defensa enjoys the peculiar ad- vantage of being allowed to post cop ies of the paper on prominent build ings throughout the city. In this 1 way the paper is read by many who otherwise would not buy it. Often these sheets are posted on govern ment buildings. For example. an is sue with the following headline Wilson, Your Hands Are Dripping With Blood!'' was pasted on buildings under both municipal and federal l control