The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1918-12-20
HUN
MACHINE SPREADS
ALL OVER WORLD
New York official Tells Senate
Committee How TeutOnS
Organized to Foster Friend
illness Toward Germany.

WASHINGTON, Dec. zO.-Propaganda
machinery set up by the German gov
eminent in Berlin and throughout the
world 70 spread GermanIc ideas and the
methods OF financing his in the United
States. were described to tho senate in
yestigating committee by Alfred l.
Becker, deputy encouragement Of New
York.
The witness also told Of his investi-
CATION for the French government of
the success Of Bolo Pasna, executed as
a French traitor. in getting Sl,6S3, 900
Of German money in this country for
purchase of the Paris Journal, but added
that since apparently the Paris Jour-
nal did not change It's attitude Of 10y
atty toward France, the transaction was
a pure swindle" of the German gov
eminent.
Becker read documents gathered part
ly by the British secret service, show
ing that the German Foreign office and
other government departments at Ber-
lin maintained elaborate systems, both
before and after the european war be-
gan, to influence thought all over the
world, working mainly through the
press, Branches Of German ank and
commercial houses Co-uperated to pro-
mote friendly relations toward Ger.
many. Journalists, college professors,
bankers, business men and commercial
consular attaches-many Of them being
citizens of the country IN which they
worked-were employed, Becker said
Usually the propaganda was insidious
with an attempt to conceal its real ma
ture or purpose.
As early as 1909, safd Becker, Gen.
Won Skal, a former German reserve Of
ficar and later auditor of accounts Of
New York city, was told on a visit to
Berlin by a representative of the for
eign Offices press bureau, that he would
be valuable in case or a future war,
to keep in teach with the press In the
United States. There was no evidence.
however, that he acted in this capacity
after the United States entered the
the witness said.
The German government In May, 1914,
three months before the war opened,
tried in vain to buy the Ottoman Eele-
graphic News agency, with h%eadquar-
tiers In Bagdad, to spread German prop
uganda. The publication OF a German
edition of Current Literature, a maya
zine, OF which George Sylvester Viereck
in the United States, and his father,
Louis Viereck, in Berlin, were promo
tiers, was mentioned ny the witness,
together with the Germanic Museum at
Harvard and the movements TO eN-
change professors with American uni
versities. as German propaganda moves.
One example Of enemy propaganda,
said Becker. consisted of the system
attic effort late in 1917, to% spread
throughout the world the idea that Ger
| many was OH llt NtIEe VI lhlti nat y
volt. and that the kaiser soon would be
oVerthrOwn. The fact that the dis
semination OF these reports was en-
couraged by the chief herman govern
ment censor was convincing evidence
that the efforts were propaganda, in
tended to paralyze the prosecution OF
the war, in Becker's opinion. He said
these reports had peen sent out Of
Germany by George r. O'Dell, CORE
spondent Of the New York Evening
Mail. after the United states had en-.
tered the war, and were circulated
widely by the Mcclure Newspaper syn
dictate, described as a subsidiary OF the
Mail.
Senator Reed, who Is not a member
Of the committee. interrupted to ask
whether similar articles had been pun.
lished by other newspapers then, and
even down t.. the present and that de-
yelopments had not borne them out.
Becker said this was true, but insist
ed that the reports were Inspired Dy
the German foreign office late in 1917
Becker said the Trans-Ocean News
agency maintained a wireless service
intended to influence manly Soutlt
American peoples, while the German
South American institute, and the Ger
man News service ror Portugal and
Spain, subsidized by the German gov
eminent, had similar functions.
Becker told the committee that enemy
propaganda in the United States was
disclosed incidentally during his in
v%estigation OF the activities Of Bolo
Pasha in promoting the financing of the
Paris Journal and IN what was de-
scrlbed as an attempt to form a news
alliance between the journal and Will
liam Randolph Hearst's newspapers.
The witness told OF an unsuccessful
effort by Bolo in conferences with F.
G. Grace, of the Bethlehem steel cor
poration, TO get the company to pur'
chase the Journal, but added that HI
believed this move was "entirely cam
outage, intended to cover up the rea
purpose of his visit 70 the United
Former German Ambassador vol
Eernstorif assented So readily to BoloI
proposal that the German government
advance the money 70 purchase tn
Journal, the witness saId, that the New
York Investigators proceeded on tn
theory that Hearst might have ar
ranged the purchase before Bolo cam
10 the United States, on this point
however, Becker said;
Il do not say today that .Conslde
this theory In any way established
The witness said there was no eVi
dence Of a news connection betwee
the Journal and the Hearst newspa
pers.