New-York tribune., 1919-01-15
BernstOrff's s
Paper Deals
Are Described
Got Control of Two Colorado
Publications to Assure
Square Deal for kaiser'
Cerman-Americans Aided
Circulation Manager Tells
of Policy to Discredit
Wilson and Roosevelt
Ncto York Tribune
IFGsIlinOtOu B1tren7l

NcW OrH r,bLUc
Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, Jan. 14.-A direct,
first hand account of deal by Ambas-
sador Won Bernstorff for the control OF
American newspapers was given tod V
before the Ovcrman propaganda in
vestigation committee by the man who
omitted that he handled the deal. The
papers involved were "The Pueblo
Chieftain" and "The Grand Junction
News" both OF Colorado, and the wit
mss was Austin J. Smith, formerly cir
culation and advertising manager of
the two papers.
Bernstorff's control of the papers, he
testified, extended from November,
1915, to the breaking off of diplomatic
relations. Through it papers were cir
culated through four Rocky Mountain
states and pro German policies were
backed continuously by the papers.
These included, besides defence of all
German actions, opposition to both
Roosevelt anu Wilson.
The witness supported his statements
with minute details, giving the com
mlttee the first description of Just how
such deals were conducted. lie men
toned the sums paid. the orders from
Won Bernstorf and Baron Zweidcnecl,
the Austrian Charge d'Afaires, the
cooperation of local German Ameri-
cans, and presented letters and tele-
grams to bear out a part of his state
ments
Dickinson To Be Heard
Mr. Smith was the only witness be-
iore the committee. Major J. J. Dick
inson, who was to have been called. was
asked to wait till Friday because of a
request from Abram Grill, formerly an
associate Of Nereck's. to be present
when Major Dickinson testified. A. j..
Arnold and Mrs Darden, involved in an
inquiry IN Texas, asked delay until
tomorrow SO former Senator Bailey,
OF Texas, their counsel, could be pres
ent. At an executive session the com
mlttee decided to incease the number
or copies of the report of the hearings
which Will be printed from 900 to at
least 10000, because Of the intense
interest the hearings are arousing and
the many demands for copies which
have reached them At this session
also Major iiumes withdrew the motion
ne made Saturday for the expunging
from the record of the atlidavits re-
gardlng the relations between William
II. Hearst, Won Bernstorff and Bolo
Pacha, which were submitted by Alfred
H. Becker, and the ross-eXaminati0n
by Senator Reed based on these afi
aaaVlts. The whole Hearst case there
lore wlll remain in the record
The Pueblo Chieftain." Mr.. Smith
testified, was owned by Colonel l. NJ.
stevens, but was leased by him in 1916
to Alva A. Swain, editor of "The Grand
Junction News" "Thc News" he said.
had suspended publication. but "The
Chieftain" was still appearing under
the same management. The deals with
the Germans began in the spring of
1918, when he was ordered to start a
CIRCULATION campaign, in which he got
first aid from local German language
paper. then from Godfrey Schirmer.
president of the GermanAmerican
Trust Company, of Denver. and finally
from Mr.. Kurt Zeigler and Herr Won
Fischer German and Austrian consuls.
Square Deal for Kaiser
The object was to boom "The Chief
tain" as the "only paper in the Rockies
that was giving the Kaiser square
deal" and to get it into the homes
Of German Americans and as many
straight" Americans as possible. An
editorial by Dr.. Charles f. Aked was
one of the means used, he said
"The matter of submitting the crcu-
lation proposition to the ambassadors
at Washington was put off until the
latter part of the summer of 1915"
Mr. Smith went on, "as Mr.. Swain
remarked that it was too risky a prop
osition to handle at that time but
DR.. Zeigler kept on insisting that no
one would be the wiser, that he would
furnish the list and arrange every
thing in such manner that it would
never be detected
"About the very latter part of Sep
tcmber, 1918. Nh Stevens and MIR.
Swain called mo on the carpet and
criticised the success we were having
with the Germans and that the matter
OF personal solicitation must be
dropped, and that | must get the
prominent Germans of the city to-
gether and tell them that Mr.. Stevens
desired all of them to make up a $4,000
pot. and that if | could not turn the