Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-09-02
GERMANY ENLARGES
|TS:PUBL|c|TY TRUST
Newspapers and Moving Pic
lures Used by Capital to Con-
troll Public Opinion.
KRUPPS BIG SHAREHOLDERS

BY OSWALD F. sCHUETTE.
hSvee4al Correspondence of The star
and the Chicago Daily Newso
BERN, Switzerland. August Seer
many has a newspaper and publicity
Arust-a war product-that has Tor lts
nbiec. the control of newspapers ana
newspaper opinion at home ana aproao'
khe monopoly of overseas news SCI
and. in its latest aspect. the control OF
the moving picture business IN Ter
many Quite large-sized ambition.
but its chief hacker is the krupp gun
hf other heavily capitalized interests
The fact that most of these are also
busily engaged in promoting pan-Eer-
man propaganda at home ana are
among the most powerful lhspireIs VI
Hhe fear that peace may come TOO soon
40 suit their idea of the place Germany
ought to have in the sun has aroused
German newspapers not of their 1ai'h
10 the peril of the situation
Genesis Of the Overseas Agency.
The whole thing started modestly
hnough. Just before the war there was
organized the 'Deutscher Ueberseed-
lenst'-German Overseas agency
whose chief function seemed to be TO
aid the Inadequate press department of
the German foreign office. At least.
this was the development that mani
Tested itself when the war came. and
Germany was helpless in the face OF
the press service of her enemies. 1t
gradually developed from a syndicate
for the distribution of photographs and
mail articles-which il spread around
that had first access to the German
wireless system 1t was this that be-
came best known to American readers.
For 1t had all official news first, and
association in Berlin could compete
with it in getting such information
across the Atlantic But the United
States was but part of its field. and
America, Europe, Asia, Africa and even
into Oceania-
But it had its eyes open to the future.
For some day the war would be over, and
then such an organization. with a mo-
nopoly of German news. might become a
4formidable competitor in the news fur
nishing Of the world. Its capital was in
creased to 1000, 900 marks (S240. 00O) and
later more. it being reported that it would
ultimately command the modest total of
$4,000 marks ($S64. e00). Its service
Became more and more ambitious. Di.
OF the German foreign office resigned to
become its president. and his first official
act was to have himself interviewed and
service.
Violin an Anticipated Service.
The present '@Wolr Telegraphen Blu
feau." which is the Reuter- Of Germany,
Is 50 hopelessly antiQuated and made
the new service intended to absorb
"Woln or put 1t out Of business, '@Wolff''
Is the Official mouthpiece of the German
Government. but IT has access only to
the allies OF Germany, swell as Scandi-
pavia, Switzerland and Holland small
portion Of the world that might be induced
% rad German news So the Overseas
fruse took care Of the rest Of the world.
Nth the aid of the German wireless sta
lions
Seek Outlet In United States.
In. the United States. to which the for.
eisn ONCE wished to pay particular at
fention the difficulty lay in the problem
OF distribution The promoters could not
understand the American dislike for
"preso agent information, and its editors
pever learned the gentle art of getting out
khedr news first and their views afterward.
Everything they sent smelied of propa-
ganda- But they still expect to control
the American market for German news
efter the war. Only the difficulty lies in
finding q proper method of distribution
Whistler the existing newspaper associa-
tons win accept the service and distribute
9 or whether they will try to make an
exclusive arrangement with one of them
IN return for favors in Germany, or
whether they will start an Independent
bne. will depend on circumstances.
But after all this had been worked
put, and American entry into the war
bad paralyzed the most important field
Pr wireless operations, the hackers of
!, the Overseas" suddenly developed a
new basis of operations.
An auxiliary 'Auslandsanzeigen Ge-
eelischaft foreign advertising agency
was incorporated That still seemed
harmless enough. for Germany's for
pign advertising needed the backing of
fome live enterprise Presently it
Pranched out. however. and its circu-
kars announced that Ii would do domes-
PIC advertising business IN Germany as
well. but an interestingly "selective"
bne.
Without the broad foundations of
Domestic business" read the circular
Enich reached the German newspaper
Prices. "a healthy foreign business can
pot be developed After the dearly
bought experiences Of the war the Ger
pan industrial interests. in the distri-
putlon OF their advertising, intend to
recognize, besides their business inter-
ests. the German nationalist standpoint
es well. Therefore they will select the
papers that seem to suit the purpose"
Krupps Held Most Shares.
That was plain enough to make 1t Of
interest to learn just who these urphjl-
aathropfc industrial interests" might
be The Muenchener Post dug up a
ltst Of them, and the names were more
than Interesting. They also shed lot
Pf light upon just what German ma
tonaltst standpoint" would be empha-
lied in selecting the favored adyertis-
ing mediums when the corporation got
10 work.
At the head of the Overseas" list
PANE the Krupp gun works then the
Bochumer and Muelheiner mining COM
eanies. the Maximilian furnaces. the
augsburg Machine Company and the
stumnl-Halber furnaces Next came
ave directors RoechlinR Rensch.
k!oeckner, Kirdon and Haumann-of
The German steel syndicate But most
eignfhcant of all was the fact that
twenty-five out OF the forty-four mem
bers of the organization were repre-
Pented by Financial Director Hugen
berg of the krupp company. who held
proxies Tor SO per cent of the shares
:. In the advertising agency the situa-
pom was the same. Again Krupp led
Pie list. and this tine $50 enterprises
pad been modified. all of them adver-
users with contracts big enough to
make the mouth water of the owner OF
tny poorly financed newspaper. Among
Them the Auenchener Post mentioned
NE potash syndicate. the Stouwerck
Ind Carotu chocolate concerns Kath-
seiner's malt coffee. the North German
Lloyd. the Roland line, the German
Luxembourg Mining and Furnace Com
P1ny and three newspaper commands