The daily progressive-miner., 1918-09-07
PRESS USED AS
 WEAPON BY HUNS
German Newspapers No Test of Public Opinion. as They Are
 Directed by Bureaucracies
ey VICTOR S. CLARK.
dn the Atlantic Monthly)

tll the AlldlllC MOItuls
 Attempts to gauge the public opin- ion of Germany from its newspapers lead to but qualified conclusions. Though the press of that country probably mirrors the views of the peo- ple more accurately than many Am- ericans imagine it is by no means an infallible index of popular senti- ment. The government censors mill rarv facts. discourages unauthorized discussions of military measures, en- forces courtesy usages in reference to persons in high authority and publish es a mass of what is known in Ger many as tendenz literature, which is intended to shape the opinion of readers and to maintain national mo rale. Nevertheless, the Berlin papers attacked the Prussian food admins tration last winter quite as savagely as any American papers attacked the mistakes of the war department. Peace policies. economic measures. political reforms and social move ments are argued with vehemence and abundant citation of facts.
 These facts are sometimes of kind 10 encourage Germany's enemies. The Czechs are accused Of disloyalty and charged with deserting en masse; an attempt of wealthy men 10 stIpulate for food favors in return for loan sub sc-iptions receive comment; soldiers ar the front are said to be refuesd fur loughs unless they subscribe to the war loans: the immense profits of au- tomobile makers and other manufact- urers of military supplies are criti- cied. and comparisons are made to prove that the United States has sue ceeded better than Germany in check ing the extortions Of government con- tractors. Writers of standing pub fish sweeping condemnations Of the bribery and other official corruption that has enormous headway in the public service. on account Of the temp tations Of war-speculation and the great war conditions.
 Depressing Statistics.
 Depressing statistics find their way abundantly into the newspapers. A well known authority publishes fig ures showing that two ni.:iion fewer tabies were born in the German en- pire during The first 40 months Of the war than during the last ic months of peace; precise data are given of nigh mortality caused among the civ !lian population by deficient nourish- menr: statistics are printed indicat- ing that the amount of lanc under cul- tiyation in the empire has decreased l0 per cent since 1913; the breakdown O: in erailway system is ventilated by interviews with complaining shippers and manufacturers; and budget de fcics and insecure financial policies are discussed and attacked with the greatest freedom.
 N ar events issued by Germany's enc mics are given equal publicity with these of it's own higher command. odd Y distortel descriptions or American conditions are occasionally printed.
 Ignorance of America. --..----
 Let it be remarked in passing that the war has made no change Tn the minor place that American news holds .n European newspapers. Only oc- casiona!ly does a telegram, repeated from the United States find corner among current items. The single ex, c.ption 10 this rule is that the presi- dents message on the war receive e1 tended editorial comment. But, 10 return to current news from America yorwarts. which is sufficiently inter national in it's sympatiies to be awake to items of foreign interest, re gently enumerated Texas among the Spanish-Anerican countries that had been commercially and financially
 subjugated by the United States 1T
 tne course Of the war, On the othel
 hand. the German papers printed cor
 Iectly Secretary Bakers testimony be
 fore congress at to the present anC
 prospective strength of our army a