Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-14
TALK
AM0NGLUTHERANS
|NPULP|T CHARGED
Capt. Lester Says Instruc-
tions Were Given Before
U. S. Entered War.
SOME WERE DISL0YAL
AFTER JOINING ARMY
Hale Cablegrams to Newspaper
Read at Propaganda
Hearing.

Hearing.
German Lutheran pastors were in
structed to preach pro-German SER
mons before the United States en-
tered the war, Capt. Lester Of the
| Army intelligence service told the
Senate propaganda investigating
committee today. and some of the
pastors who Joined the Army later
and continued preaching favorably
to Germany now are in the Atlanta
penitentiary.
Others Loyal to Country.
| On the other hand. Capt. Lester said,
other Lutheran ministers were wholly
loyal and aided In giving the govern
ment Information. He said represent
atives of the larger German Lutheran
synods informed the intelligence serv-
ice that unfortunately some ministers
were disloyal, and that steps were
being taken to get them out of the
church.
| Describing unsuccessful efforts of
German propagandists among Amerl-
can negroes, the witness said word
was passed among the negro re-
cruits that II Germany won and oc-
cupied the United States a portion OF
the country would be turned over to
them exclusively.
Conference Of Negroes.
This propaganda became so annoy
ing to the federal government that
conference of leading negroes was
called for in July, 1918, in Washing
ton, and a movement Immediately
started, through the committee on
public information. to offset that
propaganda. AS result of the work
of that conference here the work of
the German agents soon ceased, he
said.
| Shortly after the Washington con-
| ference Of the negro leaders, President
Wilson issued a public statement dep
recating mob violence and calling on
the loyalty of the negroes for support
| Of this country.
The German agents also caused the
word to get to the colored soldiers
that negroes on the battlefield were
| to save them. They were also in
formed that in Germany no color line
was drawn and that blacks and whites
were all considered equal
Refers to Newspaper Attack.
Capt. Lester opened the session to-
day by referring to an attack on his
testimony published this morning by
tributed by the Universal Service. a
Hearst organization. Capt. Lester ex-
planned that in his testimony yester-
day he made no statement that Ed
ward Lyell Fox, an American writer.
rbn on the German government q
pay roll, was in the employ of the
Hearst organization.
| But that Fox did receive creden-
tiaIs from Merrill (then manager of
| Hearts New York Amertcan); that
he, received letters from Gustav
| Schweppendick, the Hearst manager
| in Berlin. and that he wrote articles
for the New York American and that
hteSe articles were published In the
| American"
Capt. Lester stated further that he
| had documents showing why the In
ternational News Service, a Hearst
institution. was barred from cable
in 1915 and the reason for restora-
| ton Of this service. He said he would
| present the evidence II the committee
| asked 1t.
Telegram From Hale.
Ono telegram from Hale to the New
York American, dated March l. 1917.
after the severance of relations. said:
Precisely what is Mr.. Wilson's idea
armed neutrality present day un-
known here Thus suddenly to
assert rights of neutrals apparently
against Germany after having two
years submitted British pretensions
rule seas confuSes European minds
| Presidents idea arm merchant ships
| arouses profound astonishment. as
| arming merchants undoubtedly places
them in category of combatants.
| which legitimate prey.
Berlin isn't without Information of
famous Sullivan law, and wonders
why American President SO far de-
parts from usages deemed necessary
even by Tammany as to legitimatize
possession and use private weapons"
piained hhe suan was .a New Yoss oss'sI state ate
statute forbidding carrying OF con-
cealed weapons.
Moro Hale Messages.
cablesrams from William Bayard Hale
to the New York American late in 1916
and early in 1917 were read by Capt.
Lester. in an effort to prove Capt. Les
ters assertions that Hale's utterances
were "pro-German. anti-English and
anti-American."
Many of these messages were sent
IcfIudIl WhCioSS W ZIG
erton, N. J., wireless station after the
severance Of diplomatic relations be-
tween the United States and Germany.
They sought to give the German atti-
| tude toward the United States and
toward President Wilson's notes.
Capt Lester selected them from
great pile of dispatches and submit
ted them by request Of Senator VOL
colt.
Referring to the messages, Senator
Nelson inquired;
paper service which got the use Of the
German wireleesT
There was no other thaf ! know
of" the witness replied
Propagandists Hero IN 1914.
Can't. c. E. ester of the Army in
teilieence service yesterday afternoon
| laid before tho Senate committee more
evidence of German propaganda in
| This country. Describing further the
sending of 131 trained German propa-
randists to this country on July 10.
1914. nearly a month before the war
began in Europe. Capt. Lester said the
delegation on arriving In this country
es.a blished headquarters at 1913
broadway, New York. arrangements
having been made in advance. Capt.
Lester said. by George Sylvester
Viereck. then publisher OF a weekly
known az the vaterland. Matthew B.
Clauseen. publicity manager for the
Hamburg. American interests, tho Wit
ness testified, directed work Of the