New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-10
Serves Not Only by What
1t Prints, but by
Omissions
Headlines Misleading
Twisted Captions Put on Bad
News When Ii Must
Be Published
BY a Loyal American of German Brit

By LOYAL American of German Birth
The German-language press proves
its answering loyalty TO the Kaiser
not only by what It publishes but also
by what It fails TO print.
Mr.. Hearst's "Deutsches Journal Oh
New York is the abridged German edi-
ton Of "The New York American"
Having read "The Sunday American"
the attentive reader Of both papers
knows beforehand what editorials and
cartoons he will find in the "zeitgeist'
the magazine section Of the "Deuts9hes
Journal" Of the same date. But there
was at least one exception.
Last Sunday "The American" pub
llshed an editorial illustrated by the
Dutch artist Louis Raemaekers' Inc
editorial and the pictures were full OF
anti -HohenEollern spirit and, of course,
not printed in the "Deutsches Journal.
II would not be surprising If the
"New-Yorker Staats-Zeitung"again at
,emnts 10 make the best of this diver
oence of policy Of the English and the
German Hearst publications. AT the
beginning Of the war, before THE New
York American" had effected its change
,of front regarding the European and
Mexican policy of Uncle Sam, and was
what the German-Americans reproach-
fully called a pro-Ally paper, the
"Abendblatt" (evening edition) of the
"New-Yorker Staats-Zeitung" mailed
down" the double dealing of the
Hearst papers. The "Deutsches Jour
nal" not only took, in all questions re-
lating to the European war, stand OPP
posed to that Of "The New York Ameri-
can" but also contradicted In Its news
columns the English Hearst papers
The Deutsches Journal" on the other
hand. contended that the "Abendblatt
Of the Herrcn Ridder falsified and even
manufactured news to satisfy the pref
udlce Of It's readers.
Change in Hearst Policy
Certain events in Mexico brought
about n change in the policy of Mr.
Hearst, whose English-language papers
have become good partisans of the
Kaiser, in their general policy, and
have won high praise from the Ger
msn-language press, which is not east
w satisfied and severely censures an
occasional slip. So we may see the
whole German-language press up IN
arms against Mr.. Hearst, not only on
account of the Raemaeker cartoons, but
also of an editorial in "The New YORK
American" Of August l.
This editorial correctly states that
the Reichstag has no power TO enforce
its ideals Of peace, and attempts 10 eN-
plain the reasons. But it mistook the
Prussian franchise for the German
franchise. saying that the Imperial Far
lament is chosen from electors repre-
senting three classes OF citizens. AS
a matter Of fact the Reichstag is elect
ed by the voters on the basis OF uni
versal suffrage. THE New YORK
American" was severely censured by
the "Deutscher Correspondent OF
Baltimore not only for this mistake,
but also for the correct statement that
the Kaiser controls twenty members OF
the Bundesrsth, namely, seventeen
from Prussia and three from AIsace-
Lorraine.
The German-language press has a
peculiar mind. 1t attacks and brands
as false anv opinion or statement OF
fact that does not suit the purpose OF
the Berlin government, but approves
every contention apt TO Justify Ger
many. her claims and conduct So we
find that the Hearst newspapers and
"Viercck's Weekly" are the author
ties" most quoted by the Gorman-lan-
guage press.
News that cannot be suppressed is
often printed under misleading head
lines. The caption of the Berlin dis
patch on Chancellor Michaelis's state
ment regarding a STRONG peace" reads
thus in the Chicago Abendpost':
chancellor exposes intrigues.-The
French lust for conquest backed by
England. - Nothing else prevents
peace"
An Associated Press telegram from
Philadelphia on the letter sent by En-
peror William 20 President Wilson on
August 10, 1914, and published last
SUNDAY by "The Philadelphia Ledger"
appesred in the New Yorker Herold"
under the caption "The Kaiser's peace
fulness. He left nothing undone to
prevent the war.-Allicd governments
we're double-dealing. - Vienna, too,
peaeeful." The headline did not men
ton the most important fact contained
in the hitherto unpublished letter Of
the Kaiser. the admission that Bel
gian neutrality was violated by Ger
many "on strategic grounds" fact
that is in direct contradiction TO the
"Kaiser's pcacefulness."
The "Illinois Staats-Zeitung," Of Chi
cago, carried faring headline, "The
Germans change their defeat into a
vietory.-Thc Germans reconquercd,
during the night. the positions taken
BY the British" But the news item
told q different story.
Such is the procedure Of the Ger
nan-language press when It does not
falsify the news itself, as il often does.
The editors know the intellectual quail
ties Of their readers, the majority OF
whom are unable 70 find out the gross
contradictions between the headlines
and the news. keep the captions print
ed IN large types in mind, and believe
that the "peacefulncss Of the Kaiser"
has been proven again, that the Ger
mans change their defeat into a vic
tory" etc.
We tbc peyye treatment Is harmless