The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-07
RECORDS OF HUN ACTIVITIES GIVEN
 INVESTIGATORS
Deal Principally With Cor respondence of Bernstorff < and Others Concerning
 Purchase of Papers

Washington, December 6, Confidential records of the de pertinent of justice dealing with the activities of German agents and others in the United States were placed today be- fore the Senate committee in vestigating brewers and Ger man propaganda by A. Bruce Bielaski, chief of the depart Iment's bureau of investigation. They dealt with correspondence of Count von Bernstorff, former German ambassador. and others concerning the possible purchase of the Washing ton Post. and other newspapers; the send ing of William Bayard Hale to Ger many as correspondent of the Hearst newspaper described by Won Bern storff as having "outspokenly placed themselves on the German side,' and with suggestions of fomenting trouble between the United States and Japan as means of stopping munitions ship menrs to the allies
 MT. Bielaski told the committee that under date of October lsl4, Count Won Bernstorff sent this message from Washington to Dr. Bernard Dernburg and Heinnerich r. Albert, German propagandists in New York.
 POST WAS OFFERED
 ''The Washington Post was offered me to buy today for $2.000,000 with the Understanding to buy it back again after. the war for $1.5oo,ooo. 4 second offer was to put the paper en- tirely at our disposal for two months for $Ioo,Ooo. The paper is of import ance as the only large newspaper oi the capital How do you stand on the question of the money? l have no; yet inquired at Berlin?"
 There was nothing to show that any reply was made. but MT. Bielaski said that under date of October 27, 1916 the German ambassador sent this mes- sage to the Berlin foreign office in cipher:
 RELIED ON HEARST
 Tn the official accounts for the first and second quarters of 1916 will be found entries of payments to MT. The, adore Lowe. As to this I have to re- port that this gentleman is of Ger man origin and is married to a Ger man lady He offered us his services S to work on a paper in Washington, the National Courier. This offer came at the time we were deeply regrettin z the death of John R. Mclean. Inf, gentleman had given his newspaper an entire anti-English character. 50 that his death left a great gap which the National Courier can unfortunately never hope to fill. The Washington Post has since then been fairly neu- tral, but may be entirely lost to us If 1t cannot, as it very much desires be put Into the hands of MT. Hearst. :,
 Under date of August 2, 1916, MT. Bic laski said, this communication was sent to the Berlin foreign office and was signed by pr. H. K. Feuhr, a former German consular agent in the Orient who came to the United States early in 1914:
 CHANGED TONE
 The Washington Post, whose neutral attituoe toward the belligerents during the present war has won for if warm recognition from the German side. has of late materially changed its tone in questions of Europtan politics and seems fairly on the way to join our enemies.
 From reliable sources I learn that this change of front is due to the Rus- sian ambassador in Washington. After the death of fits former owner, John R. Mclean. the Washington Post, together with the Cincinnati Enquirer, came into the hands of the son first mentioned. on W Q Do said to have great influence
 Mir. Mclean, Jr., inaugurated his ownership by naming as editorial di- rector one Bill Sturgeon. who Is said to be British subject, and nephew of Robert Porter. one of the chief lead CTS of the Northcliffe ring,
 WANTED NEW YORK SUN Another communication produced py MT Bielaski, and alleged to have been written by Samuel Untermeyer of New York. to Albert in February, 1916, dealt with the purchase of New York pape. for $2,0oo,000. The name of this paper was not mentioned. but MT. Bielaski said there were indications that 1t was the New York Sun. Tie letter said:
 T have received word that our oppor- tunity has now arrived to acquire that morning and evening paper about which we have been talking. and that 1t can be had at a price slightly under g, 000.000 for four-sixths of the capital stock. which includes valuable real estate on Park Row. but that action must be taken immediately.
 Under proper conditions my friends would be willing to take a one-fourth interest. providing some arrangement could me made giving them the option to acquire the majority interest at q future date. say after the eiapse of one or two years from the close of the war, which would afford every opportunity that could be possibly wanted. T under stant that the project is now breaking about even-that is. that it is neither losing nor making money: but my Hiendu are satisfied that t can be made ! sub