Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-12-14
GERMAN RULERS
DECIDED ON WAR
LONG IN ADVANCE
Notified Propaganda Corps
July 10, 1914, of Con-
fiict's Coming.
FOE SERVED BY THOUSANDS
Of PRO- GERMANS IN AMERICA
More Than 100000 Willing Tools
OF Autocracy Volunteered
in This Country. \
HEARST WRITER IN uuN PAY
",.hcss in Senate Probe, However,,
had No knowledge That Pub
Usher Knew c This Fact.
FOE SERVED BY THOUSANDS
OF GERMANS IN AMERICA
HEARST WRITER IN uuN PAY
Witness in Senate Probe, However,.
iiad No knowledge That Pub.
Usher Knew C This Fact.
tBy Associated Press.

iB% Associated Press.
WASHINGTON. December l3-Thc
GERMAN government. Oh July 10. 1914.
informed ahou; i30 German civilian
employees at conference I'm Berlin
'hat "A world war would be started
soon, Captain q. y. Lester. of the Army
. Intelligence Service. testified to-day
''i"re me Senate committee investi-
gazing German and brewers propa-
gandn
These employees then were dis
patched to all ,patts of the world,
thirty-nnc coming 10 the United States
captain Lester declared. He said his
Information came from an unnamed
States
The German psopagandists landed in
the United States in August. 1914 on
ne same boat with Dr. Heinrich T.:
theIhy propaganda system in this
country, and Immediately formed the
nucleus for German propaganda.
These propaEandists were chosen b.
inc German government Captain Les
Ter testihed. because of their knowledg.
OF foreign languages their ability 10
write and their knowledge OF legal
ard public matters In general
The army officer explained that he
I did not feel justified in giving the
name OF his informant on The ground
that this man might wish To return
20 Germany after being released from
internment
PAS-GEHMAN PROPAGANDA
WAS BEGUN IN ISUi
Pan-Gerniin propaganda was started
ty Germany in 1894 as a means OF
carrying German IDEAS To every coun-
try In the world. Cuptain Lester told
The rommittee. This propaganda was
TO be carried To South and Central
America, Japan and CHINA and 10 the
United Sta.sS. he EiIO.
Between o0G.00U and 3UO.U0o persons
ot pro-German sympathics. inciudine
maty Americans, volunteered before
the United states entered the war 10
6btain information ui al! kinus FOR the
I German espionnge system stem IN this
oonsuis and propaganda agents, cap
lain Lester testified.
u j. j. Dickinson, o.i Washington. a
!! former captain III the United Stater
Army, Captain Lester told the COM
m!ttee. acted az d secre, agent Tor
George Sylvester Nierick: DR. Karl +.
Feuhr and DR.. II. +: Albert and oh,
tanned employment by them in 1916
on his statement that he had access
'';o the back door oi the White House.
The witness sad Dickinson succeede,.
"A man named +. II. Schrader as We
rick's agent.
FON SENT TO GERMANY 10
WRITE HUN LITERATURE:
Testimony that Edward Lyell Fox a
writer. WAS sent To Germany in 1915
W. the German embassy TO write Ger
man propagaida which was distributed
by the Hearst International News Ser
vice. presented 10 the committee
nv Captain Lester.
In response 10 questions Captain Les
ter said there is nothing in the army
Intelligence records showing whether
either MIR Hearst or managers of the
International News Service knew that
Fox was in the pay of the German
government
The witness read telegram sent
. from the German embassy in Washing
ton 10 the German Foreign ONCE Sep
/, tcmbcr ., 1919. saying:
"C'hicago Tribune friendly paper"
Captain Lester said Fox confessed TO
him tha, while in Germany he had. am
nnythinE he was told TO write by the
German publicity bureau at Beriin. lie
said he obtained from Fox an admission
that an article appearing in the New
York American on September -. Isi5.
dealing with alleged atrocities by Rus
sian Cossacks,. was written by him
und.r instructions from German otfi-
Of German atrocities in Belgium that
had begun to come at about @ that time.
notes written in lead pencil on the
cossack story" Captain Lester said.
and he admitted ] ne never saw saw any any
TO his knowledge none OF them ever
we're committed. Fox was given cour-
tcsies from German officers that no
ether correspondent was able TO OBJ
tain.
FILM BORE EARMARKs
OF GERMAN PROPAGANDA
Captain Lester said that as result
Of a request To President Wilson for
a personal interview by William Ran
doph Hearst, changes were made in
the film play "Patria," produced seri-
ni,iurjng Japan and Mexico in an alli-
amce against the United States. The
witness cited this film as one. bearing
earmarks of German propaganda.
Hoy (taDtain Lester testified, was
sent to Germany in 1915 by the Ger
man embassy ostensibly as a cores
ppnd Magazine Syndicate, and also was
employed by the Correspondents Film
Company. which tho witness said was
financed by the German government
The managers of the Wildman Synd;-
cate did not know of Fox's connections
with the German embassy, so far as
lie said Fox was attached to the
Hearst headquarters In Germany. and
in proof presented a letter from Brad
ford Merrill, publisher of the New
! York American, written June 20, 1916.
| to r. Norgrove, who was in charge of
= the transmission service of the Hearst
1ontinent, located at The Hague. This
letter introduced Fox and asked that
his dispatches from Germany be for
warded promptly.
Captain Lester explained that opera
lions in Europe of the Hearst service
70 which he referred were stopped by
Tho British government IN OctODer,
,"is. He added that he thought the
dav service of this organization had
ncycr been resumed.
roy,s ARTICLES WE'RE
"SIEER PROPAGANDA
captain Lester said he had read
nsny Of Fox's articles written in Ger
nany. and all were "sheer propaganda" j"
& replying to question by Senator
Wipr. Of Utah, whether there was any
rM,,idence that the newspaper for which
Groy wrote knew OF his connection with
2 The German government. Captain Les
IL CONTINUED on Second Page.)