The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1918-12-13
BEg 81
. .PLANN|:.> WAR
WEEKS AHEAD
American Army Chief Tells Of
Conference in Hun Capital
July 10, 1914, When CnO-
fIict Was Predicted.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1S.-The Ger
man government on July 10, 1914, In
formed about 1870 German civilian en-
pioyes at conference in. Berlin that a
world war would be started soon, Capt.
G. B. Lester, OF the army intelligence
service, testified today before the senate
committee investigating German and
brewers propaganda.
These employees were then dispatched
the United States, to stimulate Pam
German propaganda, Capt. Lester de-
clared. He said his Information came
from an unnamed informant, now In
termed in the United States.
The German propagandists landed in
the United States in August, 1914, on
the same boat with DIR. Heinrich F..
Albert, known as the paymaster OF the
enemy propaganda system In this coun-
try, and Immediately formed the nu-
cleus for German propaganda.
These propagandists were chosen by
the German government Capt, Lester
testified, because OF their knoWledge ol
foreign langaues, their ability to write
and their knowledge of legal and puplic
matters in general
The army officer explained that he
did not feel justified in giving the
names OF his informant on the ground
that this man might wish to return 10
Germany after being released from IN
ternment.
Pan-German propa ganda was started
by Germany In 1885, as means pf car
rying German ideas to every country IN
the world, Capt Lester told the conf
mittee. This propaganda was to be
carried to South and Central America:
Japan and China and to the United
States, he said Details Of the program
OF the 81 men who came to the United
States for this purpose had not been
disclosed by Capt. Lester when the com
mittee adjourned for the noon hour He
planned to resume his statement III ttlat
connection at 2:S0 o'clock,
a writer, was sent to Germany IN 1910
by the German embassy to write Ger.
man propaganda which was distributed
| by the Hearst International News sci :
vice was presented today TO the senate
committee investigating brewers ana
In response to questions, Capt. Lester
said ther els nothing in the army intel
| ligence records showing whether eitner
| Mr.. Hearst of managers Of the lnterna-
| tlonal News service knew that Fox was
| In the pay Of the German government.
The witness read 0 telegram sens ,
| from the German embassy IN Washing-
| ton to the German foreign office Sept.
), 1914, saying; Chicago Tribune
Capt. Lester said Fox confessed to
1 him that while in Germany he had an
Understanding that he would write any
| thing he was told to write BY the Ger
| man publicity bureau at Berlin. He
| said he obtained from Fox an admls'
sion that an article appearing in the
| New York American on Sept. is. l9l5'
dealing with alleged atrocities by Rus
1 sian Gossaeks was written by him un-
| der instructions from German officers
as smmeans of offsetting the stories ot
| GerIMan atrocities in Belgium which
I had begun TO come out about that timo,
| "I obtained from Fox his original
| notes written in lead pencil on the CoS.-
| sack story" Capt. Lester said. and
| he admitted he never saw any OF the
| atrocities referred TO and that to his
| knowledge none of them ever were com
mitted. Fox was given courtesies from
| German officers that no other CORE
| spondent was able to obtain
Capt. Lester said that as a result OF
a request BY President Wilson az a
| personal interview with William Ran
| doph Hearst, changes were made IN
| the film play "Patria," produced seriallv
| in the United States early in 1917, PIC
| turing japan and Mexico in an All
ance against the United States INC
| witncss cited this filB-ta one bearing
rearmarl<s of German propaganda