Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-03-23

about Germany's foreign policy from
the press. After listening to vehement
criticism from the editors OF the Nor'
waerts and the LeipZiger NolksZeitung,
who are also members OF the Reichs-
tag, Herr Won Mumm rose with
flushed face and declared disdainfully:
"We are not in the Reichstag here,
and YOU have no right to criticize the
representatives of the Imperial Gov
ernment'
Whereupon he gathered up his vo.
luminous manuscripts and LETT the
room, never to return.
Nevertheless, EXcellenz Won Mumm
was wrong; the press conference is an
exact replica of the Reichstag. The
press representatives are just as pow
| erless asN the representatives or the
German people in the Imperial Parlia'
| ment, and the Government bamboozles
aud desDices them quite as much.
While the journalists attack the
Foreign Office frequently at the CON
| ference. it must not be supposed that
| they are ever victorious i'll these tus-
sles. in the end they are invariably
forced to give in and ignominiously to
make amends, without ever getting
the information they wanted.
Once in while. to keep up ap
pearances, the Foreign Office doles out
some trifling diplomatic information
impressing the newspapermen by hrst
nledging them to absolute secrecy, or
reads part of "A letter received from
one of its innumerable confidential
agents in neutral countries. But, as a
rule. the Foreign Office Is as secretiVe
as the War Office and carefully Keeps
the despised journalists In the dark
about all really vital matters.
Newspapers Divided
The Government can treat the
press in this way because the press
conference, like the Reichstag again
is divided within itself into numerous
hostile parties, according TO the poit
ical opinions of the various papers
Representatives of the Socialist and
Liberal newspapers are forever
wrangling with the delegates of the
Clerical and Conservative press. Then
quite apart from political differences
there Is the inevitable rivalry among
the great Berlin newspapers. 1t may
be the naval delegate gives out
statistical statement concerning th'
number of ships the U-boats hav'
torpedoed during the week. adding
that il must not be published befor'
next morning Nevertheless, the Ber
liner Tageblatt prints the report II
its evening edition, thereby rousini
wild Indignation in the breasts of tn
men of the Lokal Anzeiger and tn
Vossische Zeitung. its chief rivals
which have compiled with the nava
delegates request and consequently
, been outdistanced.
+ German character Is essential
, quarrelsome and inclined to envy an
! denunciation, and very often the er
, tire hour and a half OF the press con
4 ference is spent in vehement mutua
. recrimination among the journalist,
!. while the Government delegates 81
I silent with a sardonic, contemptuou
? smile upon their lips. The Germa
: Government plays upon these differ
|. ences and rivalries among newspaper
/ exactly the same way it does on tn
q hostility among the various partie
in the Reichstag. In consequence,
has succeeded in Transforming til
press conference, which was ostensibl
9 a concession to the newspapers re
/, belling against the dictatorship Of tn
= censor. into an institution for, sti
, further enslaving the German press.
e have mentioned Count Reventlov
Il the celebrated submarine enthusia,
n and hater Of America. The count
n pale, clean-shaven, youthfullookin