Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-12-20
UNEXPECTED storm
. COMES upon SENATE
PROPAGANDA PROBE
Senator Reed Voices Objection
to Bringing in n. Y.
Call Article.

Washington, Dec. 20.--The expected
storm in the senate propaganda investi-
cation broke today when Senator
Reed, after vainly protesting against
the admission of CERTAIN evidence, de-
clared he would "voiee his protest on
the floor of the senate. :"
"You have that right replied Sen
ator 0verman, chairman of the investi-
eating committee.
Reed $ objection, which was one Of
many made by different members of
the committee, was based on the pro-
priety of admitting an article in the
New York Call, commenting upon the
addition Of William Bayard Hale to
the ranks Of the supporters Of Norris
llilquit. The article was published dur
| ing the New York mayoralt.T campaign
| in 1917.
The article Stated in reference. to
Hale that he had collaborated with
President Wilson in writing ''The New
Freedom. z aa
Reed Protests
81 protest against that. 1t is a re-
Election upon the president Of the Unit
ed States,n declared Reed.
| "I fail to see how anything Hale
might do or say could injure President
Wilson in the slightest" replied Depu-
|, ty Attorney General Becker of New
York who was testifying.
Becker contended the article war eel
leyant as it showed Hale was support
ing the socialist candidate in New York
at the time he was in the pay of the
German government.
"Let it 90 in, = was Overman, ver-
ldict, after considerable discussion.
Becker said that Hale was employ
cd by the Germans because Of influ-
ence he was thought to have with the
American people. His failure to exert
any influence with the president on be
half Of Germany was great blow, he
declared.
Lauritz> Larsen, secretary CT the Ma
Itional lutheran council, introduced
lletter written to Senator Ovcrman, pro
testing against testimony relating tt
German procivities of its members.
cit is to be deplored that the i'm
preston has been created that it is
German or pro-German church," hi
Iwrote. Larsen declared when ou
country entered the war, the churci
rallied to the flag"
"What part any members of TN
church have taken in the pro-Germai
propaganda they have taken as Ger
man sympathizers and not because the.
were Iiutherans,o he said.
Propaganda Plans Made Early
AS early. as 1909, said Mr.. Becker
.. in his testimony yesterday afternoon
! George Won Skal, former German re
serve officer and later auditor of &C
counts of New York city, wa. told on
visit 10 Berlin by representative o
the foreign Offices press bureau tina
he would be valuable in case of tu
Iture war to keep in touch with tn
press Of the United States. There va
Ino evidence however, that he acted ii
| this capacity after the United State
Ientered the war, the witness SAID.
The German government in May
Il9i4. three months before the wa
opened, tried in vain to buy the Otto
man Telegraphic News agency. WIT
headquarters in Bagdad, to spread Ger
Imam propaganda. The publication o
la German edition of Current Literatur
a magazine of which George Sylveste
Yiereck in the United States, and hi
father, Louis yiereck, in Berlin, wer
lpromoters, was mentioned by the WI
ness together with the German
Museum at Harvard and the movement
to exchange professors with America
universities, as German rropagand
moves.
Fake Revolt Rumors Spread
One example of enemy propaganda
said Mr.. Becker, consisted of the sy
tematic effort late in 1917 to sprea
throughout the world the idea thu
Germany was on the verge of intern
tional revolt, and that the kaiser woul
! soon be overthr0wn.
n. The fact that the dissemination
r these reports was encouraged by Il
d. CONTINUED on page tnree)