The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-12-13
Expert Propagandists Left Ber-
lin Month Before War Ex-
plosion Was Touched
Off.
KNEW IT WAS PLANNED
United States, South America and
Mexico Visited by Germans
Instructed In Their
Tasks.

United Press Leased Wire Service.l
WASHINGTON, Dec. 13-W1th
plans completed for plunging the
world into war, the German govern
ment in July, 1914, despatched 130
odd, trained propagandists to the
United States, South America, Mexico
and China. They were informed on
July 10 by German government OFF,
cials In Berlin that there was to be
war, and were thoroughly instructed
in their tasks.
This testimony was given today to
the senate propaganda investigating
l.comuittea4 by Captain Lester, OF the
army intelligence department.
Activities of Edwarl .Lyell Fox,
American newspaper man in Germany
before the United States entered the
war, were disclosed by Captain Les
ter.
Lester said Fox wrote articles from
Germany which were sheer propa-
ganda-"
Fox went to Germany ostensibly
as an employe of the Wildman news
paper syndicate" said Lester. Wild
man was wholly innocent in the trans
action. He believed he was sending
Fox as writer. Fox was really
bassy, arrangements being made by
Won Bernstorff, DR.. Albert and other
German officials in this country. Fox
was also employed by film COM
pany financed by Germany.
IAN arrangement was made by the
Hearst papers to employ Fox to write
for them and he was to attach him
self to Hearst headquarters In Ber-
lin"
Senator Wolcott asked whether
Lester had evidence showing that
Hearst knew of Fox's connection with
German officials.
II am not in a position to state
whether Hearst or the Hearst papers
knew Fox was in the pay Of Ger
many" said Lester.
Wolcott asked whether Fox's
articles from Germany were different
from those of $50 other American
correspondents. who, Lester said,
were in Germany at the time.
''Foxs articles were sheer propa-
ganda," said Lester. "They were ad-
mitted to be. There was no founda-
ton in fact for one of his articles.
written under direction, as he told
me, of the German publicity bureau
in Berlin.
He told me the German publicity
bureau understood he was there to
write what they told him to write"
Lester read from the New York
Am erican of April Is. 1915. an article
credited to Fox and headed Hands
and feet of boys cut off by Cos
sacks"
"I got from Fox his original notes,
written in lead pencil, which formed
the basis Of the article said Lester.
He told me he never saw an afro
city; said in his opinion the things
he wrote about never happened. He
was told by an official Of the Ger
man government, he said, to write
the article to counteract information
being spread through the American
press about German atrocities in Bel
gium.
Fox was in close touch with the
German chancellor, Foreign Minister
Zimmerman, and other German off,
cials. He had the utmost freedom
and was accorded privileges not
given other correspondents. He could
go wherever he wishes on the fronts
in Germany"
pondent of the Baltimore American.
uiduo a olatSIhchI IeSdi ulHS the iHeu-
ton of his name in connection with
Theodore Lowe, who ran the National
Courier. a weekly. partly supported
by Won Bernstorff
Senator Wolcott inquired of Cap
tain Lester and Major E. Lowry
Humes, in charge of the evidence of
propaganda, whether they had exam
ined the National Courier to deter
I
(Continu1d or paxs u