The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-12-11
Senate Committee Given Facts
Indicating Guilt of Senator
Hitchcock and Others.
sOPPONENTS OF WILSON
POLICIES GERMAN TOOLS
Pp-German Propaganda Gath
cred in a Number of Promin-
ent Politicians Who Posed as
Patriots While Doing Their
Dirty Work Planned by Won
Bernstoff.


Dirty Work Planned by Won
Be1nstoff.
Washington, Dec. Further chap
tiers in the story Of the efforts of
Count Won Bernstorf, the former Ger
man ambassador, and other German
agents TO influence sentiment in
AInarfcastoward Germany and to pre-
vent the Shipment of war supplies to
S the allies were revealed in documents
laid before the sentae Investigating
scoMmittee teday by A. Bruce Bielaski
ct the Department of justice.
Wreck OF The propaganda system
built up by Bernard Dernburg, the
kaiser,s personal agent in the United
States by the sinking Of the Lusitan-
Ia and the rebuilding Of it by Won
Bernstorf in a manner which 'tcan
mot hurt as if It becomes known"
also were dealt, with in comnunica-
tions from the former ambassador to
the Berlin foreign Office.
There wassalso evidence relating to
the organization in 1915 and subse-
qHent activities of the American en-
barge association formed with the
hope of stopping shipments Of war
supplies to the allies by so arousing
feeling among the voters as to COM
pei legislative action. One Of the
Recommendations offered by Mr.. Bic
slaski and purporting to have been
written by F ReiswitZ German consul
at Chicago, dealt with a mass meet
the association soon to be held
and said that among those who had
sagreed to cooperate" were Senator
Hitchcock of Nebraska, chairman of
the senate foreign relations commit
tee; Former Representative Buchanan
sof Illinois who was connected with
Lahor's National Peace Council; Viii
3farn Bayard Hale and DR.. Aked,
minister OF San Francisco.
Another communication relating to
Il meeting of the embargo association
sand ssaid TO have been written by G.
iiN. Jacobs OF Chicago, acting chair
man, said that former Senator Works
OF California, and Senator Smith o.
Georgia, as we'll as Senator Hitchcock,
supported the principles of the confer
ence..
Afr. Bielasai read document signed
BY Senator Hitchcock stating that the
senator would do all in his power.
botn as senator and as editor of the
Omaha World Herald. to bring about
an embargo on arms. Reiswltz's let
ter regarding the embargo association
made this reference to Senator Hitch
cock: Hitchcock seemed to be very
strong for the plan. He told our rep
resentative at conference IN Omaha;
IF this mater is organized in the right
way you viii sweep the United States.
Consul Reiswitz in "a letter believed
by the department Of Justice to have
been written to DR.. Heinrich F. Al
bert. former German agent. outiin-
ed plan for the acquisition Of the
Wright airplane factory at Dayton
Ohio, as a means Of preventing the
export. Of flying machines from the
United States.
Mr.. Bielaski also testified that to
make provisions for the dissemination
Of pro-German news through news
papers the German agents contem-
plated the purchase Of the American
Press Association, which furnished
matter in type to papers, but he said
there was no evidence that the deal
was carried through. In this connec-
ton. the witness read an option.
drawn up presumably by the agents
OF Albert, whereby the association
was to place its whole organization
at the disposal Of Albert in order to
spread pro-German news and sup
press anti-Gern1an news"
The option was to be valid between
July Is and October Is, 1915, and
during that time Albert was to decide
whether he would purchase control
OF. the property for 100000.
Late today the state department
made public the full text Of the Bern
storff documents reading the commit
tee record by Mr.. Bielaski. They were
taken from the mass Of evidence IN
the departments files, disclosing Ger
man intrigue before and after the
United States entered the war.
The document relating to the ship
wreck Of the Dernburg propaganda
was dated November i, 1915. and
said:
"As you will have learned from my
previous report, we have. since the
Lusitania case. endeavored to wind up
all the so-called German propaganda
and especially to get rid of all dubious
individuals I car now say with a
good conscience that we are nc longer
compromised. Some Of the old affairs
still hang on, bu:. we are more or less
settled, although they will cause some
future expenditures.
.At the beginning of the war many
things were undertaken by the Dern-
burg propaganda which would never
have been undertaken if we could
have seen that the war would be so
long. because nothing can for long be
kept secret in America.
"Since the ,Lusitania case we have
strictly confined ourselves to such
propaganda as can not hurt us if it
becomes known The sole exception
is perhaps the peace propaganda,