Arizona republican., 1918-12-14
HUN SPY SYSTEM
 HERE STARTED. PR|OR TO WAR
Senate Hears Details How
 Spies Got Information And Spread Propagan- da - Hearst Involved
Republican A. p. Leased wir.I


 WASHINGTON, Dec. 13.-Opera- tions of the German propaganda sys- tenn in the United States through which valuable information for transmission to Berlin, was gathered at the same time that German doctrines were spread over the country, were laid bare today by Captain G. B. Lester of the army intelligence service, in testimony before the senate committee investigat- ing beer and German propaganda. Most of the evidence related to activity of Teutonic agents before the United States entered the war
 Captain Lester declared that an un- named informant, now interned, told him that the Berlin government on July 1Q, 1914, nearly a month before the war started, called into conference about 131 trained and educated German propagandists, and sent them to all parts of the world with instructions to prepare for the world war which they were told was about to be precipitated. Thirty -one of these landed in the Unit cd States two weeks after hostiIities started and became the nucleus for an organization of between 100000 and 300,000 volunteers. mainly German Americans, who gathered information of all kinds and reported it to German consuls and agents in hundreds of com munties.
 William Bayard Hale, a writer for the Hearst newspapers, and formerly confidential representative of Presi- dent Wilson in Mexico, eventually be- came head of the publicity branch of the organization thus built up, Captain Lester said. The officers also testi- fled that newspapers and writers were influenced to promote German propa- sanda, film plays were produced pro- noting distrust of Japan and Mexico, a Washington newspaper man was hired to report government secrets to the German headquarters, writers were sent to Germany to send back dis patches praising the Germans and a golden book was circulated through out the United States to get signatures of American citizens leaning toward L-o-German sympathies.
 J. J. Dickinson, a newspaperman and former major in the army, was hired at $40 a week to report on confidential interviews with officials, to German headquarters in New York. said Cap tain Lester. Dickinson claimed that he had confidential relations with cabinet members, that he could get in the back door of the White House." and boasted he was responsible for the noterious leak on the peace note, Cap tain Lester declared The witness ad- mitted records showed Dickinson did have considerable accurate official in formation of confidential nature, and gave it to the German representatives
 Captain Lester continuing his testi- mony tomorrow. expects to tell how the German agents tried to stir up revolt ap1npo American paprropc n cpryo (.aY man purposes.
 Captain Lester read into the record cablegram from Lord Northcliffe tC Arthur Brisbane, in December, 1916 two months after the Internationa News Service cable privilege has beer revoked, urging Brisbane to come tC England
 Suggest you come to England, ful authority" read the cablegram. "Or the event give proper assurances or your part, believe matter can be satis factorily adjusted. Best wishes fol 1917"
 William Bayard Hale, said Captain Lester, became editor of the propa- ganda sheets issued by the German press bureau early in 1914, on solicita- ton of Dr. Dernburg, and continued UT to May, 1916 Captain Lester said II was apparent that Hale made efforts tC keep his connections secret. The army intelligence service has no evidence the witness declared that Hale die work for the German government after the United States entered the war
 In May, 1916, Hale went to Berlin said Captain Lester, and "as soon as h, became identified with the Hearst ser. vice in Berlin, he capitalized his former connections as minister plenipotentiarc 10 Mexico, his acquaintance with Pres ident Wilson, and he was looked on a Berlin as one of the strongest repre-. sentatives America could have in Ger. many"
 Senator Wolcott interrupted to asl whether Mir. Hearst knew of Hale' anti-Aperican sentiments, pointing ou that there was a great difference be tween being pro- German and positivel, anti-American.
 Captain Lester replied:
 He must have if he read Hale cables. His dispatches were editoria, and laudatory of Germany and Germa, officialdom. l have read hundreds O passages in his dispatches belittlin, the cause of the allies"
 The Golden Book a huge. elaboratel decorated volume, was presented to th
 Continued on Page Two)