The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1918-08-23
AFTER THE PROGERMAN

/, proGerman propaganda VIII com
manee on August 26th to continue
a. two weeks. Forty thousand -Four
Minute Men will take active part In
m. work Of warning the people
AGAINST the proGerman propagandist
syplaining his methods, and furnish
iug a weapon with which to combat
him.
In the bulletin of information issued
sor the use of Four Minute speakers
nv the Committee on Public Informa.
lion. It is stated. on the authority oil
high official of the Department oi
.1Istice, that nine-tenths of all Ger
man plotting against this country has
taken the form of printed and spoken
propaganda
In this work full advantage has
been taken of statements made by
German sympathizers Of American
birth, the propagandists realizing that
greater consideration might be antici-
pated for such works than for materi-
al originating from more obviously
prejudiced quarters.
The bulletin for speakers quotes an
example of this type taken from an
address by an American minister who
was very much of militant paci-
fist.
Reprinted in pamphlet form by the
Germans, the more bitter and de-
nounciatory parts of this address have
since been repeatedly scattered over
the American and British lines by
German aviators.
This particular example is given
special significance because of the
fact that precisely the same propa-
ganda has reappeared verbatim in a
book published in America, purport-
Ing to be the posthumous work of
Pastor Russell, well-konwn Ameri-
can preacher who died considerable
time before the original address ap-
peared.
The title of this work is "The Fin
ished Mystery" and the seven pub
fishers, who interpOlated some dozen
or fifteen pages of matter taken
pieeemeal from the propaganda PAM
phlet, exactly as scattered over the
allied lines by German aviators, are
now serving twenty year sentences in
the Atlanta penitentiary, imposed un-
der the espionage act.
It is pointed out that the danger
in such work consists not so greatly.
in the amount of damage each pro-
pagandist is able to accomplish in
person before he Is arrested, but in
the repetition of his propaganda by
the Idle and. curious.
Quoting from the Four Minute Men
ITO arrest the propagandist with
out arresting also the progress of his
is of little greater value
than to uproOt the dandelion after all
its winged seeds have been scattered
over the lawn"
The point Is made that the Depart
ment Of Justice is thoroughly or,
ganlzed to catch the propagandist,
and, II the people will combine to put
stop to his propaganda, this phase
of the German offensive also will meet
complete defeat.
To accomplish this, it is recognized
that It will not be possible for the
public to memorize all the facts
upon the war and so be in a position
10 give official denial to each and any
rumor.
The volume of such rumors is too
great and, in addition, new subjects
Tor propaganda are being uncovered
laily.
A single simple test question to be
applied to everything that sounds
like proGerman propaganda, is the
weapon now to be placed in the hands
of the people by the Four Minute Men.
The nature and application of this
Test question may be best illustrated
Dy the reproduction of one Of the
illustrative four minute speeches
given in the bulletin.
This example is of unusual inter-
est because of the fact that it has
peen pronounced by authorities of ma
llonal standing to be the most perfect
example of four minute speech ever
produced.
Ihere are two illustrative speeches
gwen in the bulletin, entitled re-
Working for the Kaiser"
and Working for the U. 8. A."
Ihe one in question deals with the
subject Working for the Kaiser"
md Is particularly noteworthy in the
possession of the so-called shocking
quality" deemed essential in arrest
hg the attention of a movie audience,
many members of which may be al
ready In the aisles as the Four Min
nte Mans slide appears on the screen.
The speech follows
Is there anyone in this audience
VINO Will give the kaiser one hundred
w bt Uotd III h6htiho "'-~
United States?
Before you decide. please remem-
Der that the money may be paid In
coid cash; in currency; by check oI
lraft; or it may be paid in services
Just as the farmer may work off hif
road tax instead of settling it in cash
Perhaps more people could pay 10
mat way: so let me re-state the
question:
VIII anyone in this audience DC
one hundred dollars worth of wort
[or the kaiser?
No one? Not a single soul in al
[his great gathering?
But perhaps you wish to know th'
kind of work before you decide.
1T is to spread proGerman propa
ganda.
u am not authorized to speak OIL
cially for the German Government
put | feel quite safe on promisin,
mat 1t would pay at least one hun