The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-12-14
HEARST EMPLOYE
IN NEWS BUREAU
WAS HUN AGENT
OFFICER TESTIFIES EDWARD
LYELL FOX WROTE FOR
GERMAN EMBASSY.
WAS SENT TO BERLIN
From There He Wired Stories Cir
culated Through international
News Service in America to Off
set Reports of Teuton Atrocities.

Washington. Dec. l5-Testimony
that Edward Lycll Fox, a writer.
was sent 10 Germany in 1915 by the
German embassy to write German
propaganda which was distributed
by the Hearst international News
Service, was presented today to the
senate committee investigating the
brewers and enemy propaganda. by
Capt e.. Il. Lester of the army in
tclligence service.
In response to questions, Captain
Lester said there is nothing in the
army intelligence records showing
whether either Mr.. Hearst or man
ayers OF the International News
Service knew that Fox was in the
employ of the German government.
Says Fox Confessed
Captain Lester said that Fox con
feSscd to him that while in Ger
many he had an understanding that
he would write anything he was
told to write by the German pub
licity bureau at Berlin.
The witness said he obtained from
Fox an admission that an article ap-
pearing in the New York Ameri-
can Sept. Is, 1915, dealing with al
legged atrocities by Russian cossacks,
was written by him under instruc-
tionS from German officers as
means OF oftsetting the stories OF
German atrocities in Belgium that
had begun to come out about that
time.
Il obtained from Fox his original
notes written in lead pencil on the
Cossack story Captain Lester said.
and he admitted he never saw anv
Of the atrocities referred to, and that
to his knowledge none of them ever
was committed. Fox was given cour-
tesies from German officers that no
other correspondent was able to OBJ
tain
Movie" Was Modified.
Captain Lester said that as re-
suit of a request by President Viii
son, at personal interview with
William Randolph Hearst, changes
were made in the film play "Patria,'
produced serialy in the United
States early in 1917, picturing Japan
and Mexico in an alliance against
the United States. The witness cited
tins film as one bearing the ear
marks OF German propaganda.
The army officer explained that
he did not feel justified in giving
the name of his informant on the
ground that this man might wish
to return to Germany after being
released from interment.
Pan-German propaganda was
started by Germany in 1894 as
means OF carrying German ideas
to every country in the world, Cap
tain Lester told the committee. This
propaganda he said was to be car
ried to south and central Amer5ca.
Japan and China, and to the United
States.
The propagandists were chosen
by the German government, Capt
Lester testified, because OF their
knowledge OF foreign languages.
their ability to virtue and their
knowledge Of legal and public mat
tiers in general.
The witness read telegram sent
from the German embassy in Wash
ington to the German foreign office
Sept. 9, 1914, saying: Chicago
Tribune friendly paper"
War Prepared Beforehand.
The German government on July
10, 1914, informed about l30 Ger
man civilian employees at confer
ence in Berlin that u world war
would be started soon, Capt. Lester
testified. These employees then were
dispatched to all parts OF the world,
thirty-one coming to the United
States, 10 stimulate pan-German pro-
paganda, Captain Lester declared.
He said his information came from
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