The sun., 1918-09-08
The Lie Futile.

III mas Oeen numOfOuSly Sdiu. wisely
or otherwise, that there Is only one
possible excuse for lie; and that is
that lit deceives the person or per-
sons to whom 1t is addressed. A flu
tile lie, for some psychological reason
which We shall pot now attempt to
explain, always brings the liar into
more contempt than a successful
falsehood.
The new German Foreign Minister,
Admiral Won HINTzE, is just now on
a visit to Vienna, where he has been
making u speech on that non-existent
thing, that metaphysical abstraction,
the freedom of the German press.
His address contains a noteworthy
example Of the lie futile:
I'VE in Germany and Austria Hun
= gary stick to free press. Even under
wars compulsion We do not want to
shackle public opinion. Among our enc
mics the press works under State con-
troll and the newspaper writer failing
TO represent the Government view is
simply sent to prison"
The true character of the German
press is disclosed, with shame and
modification, In the war diary of
that honorable German gentleman
Herr WILHELM MUHLON, formerly a
director in Krupp's, which has just
been published in this country under
the title OF 1.-THE Vandals Of Europe" +:
Every expression OF opinion not in
spired by the Government is suppressed
with draconfc severity. Never will the
German press be able to lift the buSden
Of disgrace with which It has laden it.
self in this war. After the war we
must create a new press The press OF
to-day Is a hideous leper."
This wns written in 1914, and,
though it hardly seemed possible,
German journalism has grown worse
and worse with the progress Of the
war. German newspapers have be-
come yerftable scraps of paper"
worthy only Of contempt. Herr
MUHLoN calls his country's Journal
lists braves who offer the Government
their pens as sllettos for the per-
petratiOn of all sorts of foul deeds.
He tells us how this Infamous army"
is made up:
They consist. first. Of disgustingly
stupid officers on the retired HIST who
even In time of war are not available
as soldiers; secondly. OF worthy pas
tors who, with an Icy soul and a good
natured smile. trumpet forth every base
deed as a manifestation of German
Protestant heroism and thirdly (the
worst OF alD, of numerous modern uni
versity professors who. overladen with
titles and distinctions. swimming with
every patriotic current. are either mer-
cenafies or Founders. and who. outside
the field of their own specialties, are
seeking. not clearness and truth. but
only temporary notoriety."
These men, says this German critic
want to make history by lying; and
their output constitutes what Admiral
Won HINTzE has the audaclty to call
a free press. Bear In mind that the
harsh words we have quoted come
not from any hostile foreign source,
but from a well born German gen.
tleman, who for many years prior to
the outbreak of the war was engaged
In the business Of making cannon for
the Imperial German Government.
Herr MbHLoN can have no object to
attain except the diffusion Of the
truth; and IL what he says is true.
the statement of the German For
elgn Minister is a lie.
The military gong beaters of the
Chinese armies in the 0lden time
come to mind as types of the most
utter futllity in warfare, In like
manner Admiral Won HINTzE's praise
Of German journalism and denuncia-
ton Of the foreign press constitute
n typical illustration of the lie futile