Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-12-07
Message From Count BernS-
torff Shows That Newspa-
per Correspondent Drew Fat
Salary From Germany
REQUESTED HALE BE
GIVEN CONSIDERATION
Ambassador Informed Co.
Workers That Washington
Post Could Be Purchased
for Two Million Dollars
lay MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL lsAsso w,ss,


Washington, Dec. 6.-Confidential
records of the department of justice
dealing with the activities of German
agents and others in the United States
We're placed today before the senate
committee investigating brewers and
German propaganda by A. Bruce
Bielaski, chief of the departments
bureau of investigation,
They dwelt with correspondence of
Count Won Bernstorff, former Ger
man ambassador, and others concern
ing the possible purchase of the
Washington Post and other newspa-
pers; the sending of William Bayard
Hale to Germany as correspondent
of the Hearst newspa pers, described
by Won Bernstorff as having ''out-
spokenly placed themselves on the
German side" and with suggestions
of fomenting trouble between the
United States and Japan as a means
of stopping munitions shipments to
the allies
Mr.. Bielaski told the committee
that under date of October II, 1914.
Count Won Bernstorff sent this es-
sage from Washington to Dr. Bel4. ord
Dernberg and Heinnerieh f. Alb \,
German prcpaga nda. agents IN NM
The Washington Post was offered
me to buy today for $2.000,000 with
the understanding to buy it back
again after the war for million and
a half. A second offer was to put
the paper entirely at our disposal for
two months for 100000, The paper
is of importance as the only large
newspaper in the capital How do
you stand on the question of the
money? l have not yet inquired at
Berlin"
There was nothing to show that any
reply was made but Mr.. Bielaski said
that under date of October 81, 1916,
the German ambassador sent this
message to Berlin foreign office III
cipher:
Death Of Mclean Regretted.
In the official accounts for the
first and second quarters of 1916 will
be found entries of payments to Mr..
Theodore Lowe. AS to this | have to
report that this gentleman is of Ger
man origin and is married to a Ger
man lady He offered us his services
to work on a paper in Washington,
the National Courier This offer came
at the time we were deeply regretting
the death of John r. Mclean This
gentleman had given his newspaper
an entire anti English character so
that his death left great gap which
the National Courier can. unfortu-
nately. never hope to fill The Wash
ington Post has. since then been fair
ly neutral, but may be entirely lost
to us If 1t can not. as is very much
desired, be put into the hands of Mr..
Hearst
Under date of August 2. 1916, Mr..
Bielaski said, this communication was
sent to the Berlin foreign office and
was signed by DR.. II, X. Fuehr, a for
mer German consular agent in the
Orient. who came to the United
States early in 1914:
THE Washington Post, whose neu-
tral attitude toward the beligerents
during the present war has won for it
warm congratulation from the Ger
man side, has of late materially
changed it's tone in questions of Eu-
ropean politics and seems fairly on
the way to join our enemies.
From reliable sources / learn that
this change of front is due to the Rus
sian ambassador in Washington
After the death of it's former
owner, John Il. Mclean. the Wash
ington Post, together with the Gin
einnati Enquirer, came into the hands
of the son of the first mentioned, on
whom his aunt, Madame Bakhmes
teff, is said to have great influence.
Change in Post.
"Mr. Mclean, Jr., inaugurated his
ownership by naming as editorial d-
rector one Bilf Spurgeon. who is said
to be a British subject, and nephew
of Robert Porter, one of the chief
leaders of the Northcliffe ring"
Another communication produced
by Mr.. Bielaski and alleged to have
Continued on Page Two.)