The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-11-16
HUN LIES Do NOT
GAIN A F0OTHOLD.
Kaiser's Henchmen Unable to
Line Up a Following.
RICH MEN SERVE IN THE WAR
German Agents Fail to Disprove Fact
That Wealthy Cannot Buy Ex-
emptions-Governme Not Seek
Ing Foreign Markets.
F'rom the Committee on Public Informa-
ton, Washington, D. c.
BY HARVEY O'HIGGINS,

BY HARVEY o'HIGGINS,
Associate Chairman. Committee on Pub
lie Information.
(This is the third article by Mr.. OIIig-
gins dealing with the propaganda of the
enemy In our midSt.)
In two previous articles on the Ger
man whispering propaganda" some
account was given of how the German
agents are endeavoring to divide us
from our allies and to arouse domestic
differences among ourselves by means
of various lies and rumors that arouse
religious animosities and increase race
problems and promote an agrarian SEN
timent against the war. But the at
tempt to divide us against ourselves
does not end there.
The leaders Of section of the So
cialist party here as in Italy and in
Russia, are attempting to do the
kaiser's werk, and are obtaining Ger
man support In 1t. They are trying
to divide the country in a class quar-
rel that would leave US as helpless to
resist the German military autocracy
as the Russians are. This section of
socialists was first organized as po-
Htical party in America by German
exiles. They have always been led
by German sympathizers. 1t has been
a rule among them that man is not
a socialist unless he pays dues to the
party leaders, accepts all the party
nominees Of those leaders without
question, subscribes to every plank of
the party platform, and votes only a
straight ticket under the party en-
blem. He did these things or he was
expelled. That is a Prussian idea of
organized servility and unquestioning
obedience. 1t has succeeded in Ger
many, but 1t has never succeeded here.
At the outbreak of the war in Europe
the Prussian government, by means of
false news and distorted dispatches,
made the German people believe that
their country had been invaded by
Russia and attacked by France, and
for time all the German socialists
supported their governments war of
imperial conquest, believing that it was
a war Of self-defense. Since then the
independent socialists In Germany
have learned that they were deceived.
They are now fighting the German gov
eminent In Germany as the independ-
ent socialists are fighting the German
government here, under the leadership
Of men like John Spargo and Charles
Edward Russell.
Germanys Plan to Squeeze.
Soon after the war broke out mem
Der Of the German reichstag named
David made speech In which he said
Germany must squeeze her enemies
with pair of pincers; namely, the
military pincer and the pacifist pincer
The German armies must continue to
fight vigorously whilst the German so.
cialists encourage and stimulate pacif,
ism among Germany's enemies" II
is upon this stimulation of pacifism
in America that our Prussian socialists
have been most busily engaged. They
have been recently denounced by the
Social Democratic League of America
and the Jewish Socialist league, under
the leadership Of John Spargo, j. G.
Phelps Stokes, William Edlin and
Henry L. Slobodin.
The work of our pro-German social.
lists has been nullif1ed by the unjust
terms Of German peace forced upon the
Russians and by the continued Ger.
man invasion Of Russia since peace
was signed. The same events have
greatly strengthened the loyal support
of the war by American socialists. Con.
sequently there seems to be now nc
danger Of a successful bolshevist fac.
ton In this country procured by Ger.
man agents. We have passed that
danger point as the British have passed
1t. The independent socialists In all
countries are fighting the kaiser and
his commercial war of imperial con-
quest. And when the pro-German so.
ciallst In this country asks, "Why do
you blame German socialists for sup
porting their government and yet