New-York tribune., 1918-06-17
Inquiry Reveals Relations
of His Employees With
German Embassy
Got Advance News
OF Airship's Coming
Posters Announcing Visit of
Teuton Dirigible Printed
and Stored Away

From a source connected with an in
vestigation now being conducted by the
United States government into the pro-
German activities of men who have
been in the employ of William Ran
dolph Hearst The Tribune has learned
of relations existing between Hearst's
American" and journal" and the
German Embassy before this country
entered the war, sufficient to justify
the fear that the Germans might attack
America from the air.
Germany, according to evidence in
hand, and this was obtained from for
mer employees in the Hearst organiza-
tion, planned to send Zeppelin to the
United States in July or August, two
years ago, shortly after the U-boat mer-
chantman Deutschland steamed up the
Chesapeake in the early morning of
July 9, 1916.
"The New York American" and "The
New York Evening Journal" were in
formed that the Zeppelin would come
here. as the Deutschland did, and would
return safely to German SOIL. 1t was
believed the Zeppelin would bring
drugs and dyestuffs, as the Deutsch-
land did, and return with war supplies,
thus repeating in the air the achieve
ment of the Hun undersea merchant
man.
Posters Made Ready
One of the guiding geniuses of the
Hearst organization, on receiving this
information from the German Embassy,
ordered several thousand posters from
the Mcconnell Printing Company, 1886
William Street. These posters, printed
IN red and black, on white paper, read
IN substance:
Read the New York American
and the
Evening journal
for complete accounts
of the Landing of
the Zeppelin.
The names of Hearst's newspapers
and Zeppelin" were printed in red in
type about foot in height.
high and nine feet wide. Others were
smaller. These were stored in the
Hearst establishment on William
street, ready to be taken out at mo-
ment's notice and posted on bill boards
ana wall spaces all over New York
olty. But they remained there until
they were covered with dust, for the
zeppelin never came.
The purpose of sending the Deutsch-
land, under command of Captain Paul
hoenig, was to impress the American
tr@ I. y
many could dispatch her undersea
pirate craft to the waters of the United
Ssates in the event of this country en-
tering the war. And the object of the
contemplated trip of the Zeppelin was
70 show the feasibility of air raids on
New York City and other places in this
country similar to those made by the
uermans on London and other English
cities. 'N''
Air Raid Feared
And following the sinking of ships
mere after the arrival in these waters
= lew days ago of the U-boats mill
tary and naval officials looked for a
possible raid from the heavens by Ger
man aircraft.
New York City, it was believed,
TYoatd De the most likely objective, as
.vndon had been, because the only
soht OF the Germans. is to strike ter
iat;ihto io; INTO the hearts of the citizen popu-
.a.ion by killing women and children
s;.i sna ending the lives of the sick in hos
pltel cots
me proof which The Tribune has OBJ
s.hed demonstrates that the relations
W. .ysesween the Hearst organization and
Me uerman Embassy were continuous
,,hnnost ,ho from the time Germany started
cse re world war until about the TINA
ss sount von Bernstorf and. his German
iSases il sSa were given their passports
r sne early part Of last year.
always unsigned-on the of
SSs'ai stationery of the German En-
csssy and on note paper of the Ritz
Eaasoon Eas'son were received frequently in
s's'.rt asarst Offices in this city. All were
'tn'ssen nu,e with pen and ink.
"no writes these letters? ?" asked a
~ aIst employe of his immediate chief
sve vhe occasion.
lou can guess" replied the Hearst
;nd;s,. with smile. "See this (and he
Aaeated Ava the Ritz-Carlton letter head).
you've seen the others"
Contents of Letters
on ~ others" were the ones penned
me stationery of the German EN-
yas y1ay, Which was in charge of Count
Ths 1pelInstorh, the German spy master.
hns MY hitz-Carlton was the New York
Avme OF von Rernstorff.
for se ms letters contained suggestions
of .hw nsw stories and editorials. Some
orosnsn Gm We're acted on by the Hearst
b. rn.aasion rasion as the writer-believed to
Sht yon Bernstorff- outlined.
fnt;ssae ei Hearst's employees were on
storMa stMa.e terms with Count Won Bern
surh u MS aids~-several of them to
ana Is. oeSfee that they were arrested
-lpIlsoned by the United States
ss'sasd On lqst page, Column 9