Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-26
TAGEBLATT CASE
HIT BY QUESTIONS.
Officer on Stand Confused
by Prosecutors Sharp
Inquiries
RECORDS IN EVIDENCE
Secretary Wrote Paper Bene-
fted by Attitude That
Pleased Germans

The defense for the tivc officials Of
the Philadelphia Tageblatt damaged
/ by admissions by the defendants under
ss-eXamination--wa brought to
close this afternoon.
one Of the last-hour surprises sprung
! in the United States District court,
where the officers are facing charges for
/ violating the espionage act, came with
explanation made by Herman Lcmkc,
/ the business manager, for the strong
stand" of the German language news
| paper.
This witness told the Court that the
strong stand" did not refer to tn" Teu
iton war policy. but to the attitude the
! Tageblatt took in labor problems.
/ The defendants on trial ar" Louis
| Werner, executive editor, Dr. Martin
/ harl>ow managing editor; peter Schae-
! fer president paui NogeL. treasurer,
and Herman I.emke business manager.
Lemkc's Explanation
| OF the three business officials, Lrmkc
/ aroused the most interest Uy his explain
/ ations for so-calIed memoranda he made
/ in big gray book.
owen Roberts, special counsel for the
| Government. gave Lemke and his gray
! book much attention in the Cross-"Nam-
! ination The attorney read what put-
! ported to be II report made by tn" husi-
ness manager to the board of directors
! on June g5 II reads:
The Tagehatt Is also growing very
gratifying This is due to our firm
stand The Germans are not Sntished
with the attitude of the other German
/ newspapers
/ The department OF Justice has made
us numerous visits, but AS "" are
doing nothing Tgainst the law, no ac-
| tion was taken against us
Lemke. said that he did not remember
if he made such a report to tn" direc-
tors. but admitted that the writing in
the book was a personal memorandum.
| Another notation in the book was:
( The war situation is still pressing.
/ hut we have become accustomed to 1t.
! Germans are very dissatisfied with the
stand Of the Gazette. and we have IA
good increase in subscriptions. The op-
, purtunity is good and We should can
/ VaSS.'
! rho gray book also recorded visits Of
agents of the Department of Justice, who
were referred to the counsel for the
Tageblatt, John Henry Nelson
Pro-German Before Wnr
What was n" policy of the paper
before we entered the war? Was it Ger
man Nuizzed Mr.. Roberts.
YES" responded Lemke. but not pro-
German like you mean. 1t was pro-
German for the people. but not for the
German Government. We were always
against the German Government"
After Americas entry in the war
Il h
ed the United States.
"Wha, did you mean when YOU re-
ported the strong stand of the Tage-
blatt." asked Attorney Roberts.
That was regarding labor movements,
not the war" replied Lemke
"pidnt the Department of Justice
agents come to see you about your
strong stand?" was the next question.
no. sir" asserted the witness
Later. l.emke said that he had re-
ccived two visits from agents of the
department Of Justice.
Editorial comment asserted shafts
of commandments in so-called
news articles" were brought out to-
day by CroSs-examination.
Dr. Martin F.. Darkow. managing edi-
tor of the paper, was the first witness
today.
The defendants on trial are Dr. Louis
Werner former executive editor: nr
Martin Darkow. former managing edi-
tor. Peter Schaefer. president; PAU
Vogal treasurer. and Herman Lemke
business manager.
Darkow sought to excuse the puhli-
cations attitude on the war on the
ground that it had plunged too deep
into pro-German views suddenly to re-
: tract when this country entered the war.
A rapid change from pro-fermantsm
to AmeriCaniSm Doctor Darkow said.
, would have been financially disastrous to
the paper and whatever changes were
made had to be made gracefully"
Darkow Under Crossfre
HIS statement that he ceased to insert
= editorial comments after Americas entry
> in the war was somewhat shaken wher
Mr. Roberts finished his cross -eXamina.
tion of the witness. showing article after
article with the same comments injected
5 or with headlines that were considered
distinctly pro-German.
We had been writing the German
r view so long that often it crept unCon
B.. sciously into work afterward," said Doe
! tor Darkow.
: The prosecutor called attention t.
= articles as originally written and thei
10 editorial comments which were in
Y serted. Certain paragraphs follow;
/ crawl out of an uncomfortable position
V They (AmeriCansD seem to be makinI
G money. This makes the lazy Allies sour
= They want to borrow all that the tnitet
a States has. This is all they are goo
for
= We wish that Admiral Sims woul
n show some OF his fine destroyers h
6 taking them out of safe harbors." Th
,r heading on the latter article was tha
% Germany Gives Reply to Admire
Ie Sims"
m Commenting on a news report, III
l., Tagleblatt said: This story cannc
d he taken seriously The weaker tn
id military position of the Allies the MOI
la they hrag."
Darkow could not remember whetht
4 he had anything to do with the inse
-, tion of many news items on the wa
" He told the Court it was the custom
- all German papers to insert editori;
y views In the news.
" Neither did this witness rashly o!
" press his personal views, but kept fur
: nishing explanations only, taking ltt
- personal responsibility for specific new
articles.
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