The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-26
KAISER AUTHOR OF
FAKE REVOLT NEWS
"Mail' Correspondent Tells
State Prosecutor Source of
His Articles.
WANTED TO DISARM Z. s.
0'Dell's Stories Were Intended
to Reduce War Efforts,
Says Becker

Kaiser wilhelm himself inspired the
rumors Of incipent revolutions and demo-
cratic uprisings in Germany which
found their way into print in this coun-
try eoon after the United States de-
clared war, hoping In that way to lull
Americans into sense OF security and
induce them to slacken their activities
toward military preparedness.
Such is the conclusion reached by
Alfred Leroy Becker, Deputy State At
torney General. who traced the rumors
to their exalted source through the
testimony Of witnesses called by him in
his investigation Of German propaganda
In this country.
The stories published here, chiefly
through the instrumentality of the
Eucnino Mail, Mr.. Becker believes were
part of the mosaic Of lies which con-
duced to the downfall of Russia. In
Russia, however. slightly different
methods were used and the propaganda
was tempered to suit the socialistic
tendencies of the Bolsheviki. There the
stories were to the effect that the labor
ing classes in Germany were gaining
the upper hand and about to overthrow
the Kaiser and his junker advisers,
and that a socialistic form Of Govern
ment was on its way.
Fitted News to Audience.
Realizing that the mass of thinking
Americans were opposed to socialism
and its tenets. the Kaiser and his
agents. according TO Mr.. Becker. pur-
posely allowed news dispatches to be
sent out Of Germany indicating merely
that the autocratic form of govern
ment was on the toboggan and that a
democratic form of government was i'm
pending.
Mr.. Becker's conclusions are based
chiefly on the testimony of George T.
O'Dell, former correspondent in Berlin
for the Evening Mail, author of a series
of articles which appeared in the Eve
ming Mall and were syndicated by the
news service which that paper main
tanned.
O'Dell was one of the group of news
paper correspondents who sailed for Ber-
lin with Ambassador Won Bernstorff
after the latter had received his congo
from this Government. O'Dell remained
in Berlin three months. after which he
went to Stockholm. later returning to
Moi about $4,000
O'Dell admitted on cross examination
that articles in which he pictured the
rising sentiment in facor of democracy
In Germany were not only passed by DR..
Roediger, the official censor of the Ger
man Foreign ONCE, but were written
partly from material furnished by so
called leaders of German thought. to
one Of whom the censor had sept him.
Data From Kaiser's Banker.
Among these leaders" was Herr Won
Gwinner. head of the Deutsche Bank and
the Kaiser's financial adviser. Had Won
Gwlnner given out the information en-
bodied in the articles without the sane
ton OF the Imperial German Govern
ment. he would probably have been tried
for treason.
On cross-examination O'Dell admitted
that when he listened to the president
OF the Deutsche Bank he was listening
to the voice of the Kaiser"
Nevertheless he cabled three Of the
stories to this country. apparently with
the active assistance OF DR.. Roediger.
who advised the use OF the cable rather
than the wireless. That was after the
United States has severed diplomatic
relations with Germany but before the
actual declaration of war. The remain
der of the articles were written by
O'Dell after he had returned to this
country and after the United States had
entered the war.
DR.. Roediger's reasons for preferring
the cable to the wireless, Mr.. Becker
declares. was that the articles II sent
by the latter method might fnd their
way directly into Russia and Spain,
where the idea was being disseminated
that the tendency in Germany was
toward n socialistic rather than n demo-
cratic form of Government.
AT this very time" says Mr. Becker,
which was early in the fall OF 1917,
the news being sent out of Germany to
Russia was to the effect that the Ger
man labor classes were about TO rise
up and overthrow the middle classes
as well as the Prussian Junkers. This
kind Of alleged news was not what was
wanted for circulation in England and
the United States. whereas 1t was evil
IDENTIFY believed by the German Foreign
Office, that the information which
would be readily welcomed and be-
lieved by the people here was that the
middle and lower classes would over
throw the power OF the Junkers and
establish a democratic and not a social
revolution.
Could BIame England.
III the news sent by cable finally nj
tered back into Russia and Spain, Ger
many could easily claim that the Eng
tah oh, hnIx 90 ~