New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-29

III any one is called upon to raise
his voice in foreign lands for the cause
Of truth. IT is the foreigner who was
able to witness the unanimous rising
Of the German people ct the outbreak
,f war, and their attitude during its
continuance. This applies especially to
he Ge1.mdp-A mericcn.
AS a citizen Of t'co continents
IN proportion as his character has
remained trUc to German p-inc'-
pies. he finds both here and there
the right lcord TO say.
"Numberlcss millions OF men are
forced to look upon loathsome
spectacle II is that Of contain indt-
RITUALS in America, to vhom
qre1t nation has temporarily M
trusted is real and 10oc, support
ING a few multi-mllionaires and
their dependents, setting at naught-
unfinished the rcvered document OF
the Fourth of July, 1776, and daring
to barter gray the birthright Of
the 1rhHc race. VIC want
TO sec whether the united voices OF
Germans and foreigners have not
more weight than the hired writers
of editorials in the newspapers; and
whether the words OF men who are
independent will not render it i'm
possible for a subsidized press to
continue its destructive work"
Exposing the Propaganda
Gcrard's investigation showed that
yroup of German-Americans IN Berlin !
we're financing the League of Truth;
hat a man named William F. Msrten, !
Who posed as an American, was the
read. and that the editors and writers
IF the publication Light and Truth
rere being assisted by the Foreign
Office Press Bureau end protected by
he General Staff. An American dem
list in Berlin, DR.. Charles Mueller, was
chairman Of the league. Mrs. Annie
the American-born
wife of Neumann-I lofer, Of the Reichs-
.ag. was secretary. Gerard reported
,ther names 20 the State Department,
and asked authority TO take away the
passports of Americans who were as
,isting the German government in this
The League" heard about the AM
bassador's efforts, and announced that
d "Big Bertha" issue would be pub
Iished exposing Gerard. For several
the propagandists worked to
collect data. One day Gerard decided
to 90 to the leagues Offices and look
AT the people who were directing it. In
the course Of his remarks the Ambas-
sador said that if the Foreign Office
didn't do something to suppress the
league Immediately, he would burn
down the place. The next day Marten
and his co-workers went to the Royal
of the Superior Court,
No. /. in Berlin. and through his at
torney. lodged a criminal charge of
threat OF arson against the Ambas-
sador.
The next day Germany was flooded
with letters from the League of Truth,
saying:
The undersigned committee Of the
League of Truth to their deepest re-
gret felt compelled to inform the
members that Ambassador Gerard
had become involved in a criminal
charge involving threat Of arson.
All American citizens are now
asked whether an Ambassador who
acts so undignified at the moment Of
a formal threat of wholly unneces-
sary war, is to be considered worthy
further TO represent a country like
the United States?
Were it not for the fact that at this
time President Wilson was trying to
impress upon Germany the seriousness
of her continued disregard of Ameri
can and neutral lives on the high seas,
the whole thing would have been too
absurd 70 notice. But Germany wanted
to create the impression among her
people that President Wilson was not
speaking for America, and that the
was too Insignificant to
notice.