New-York tribune., 1919-01-19

object; followed an attempt to float Ger
man loans here. and simultaneous attack
on support of the Allied loans as unneu-
trail Then there was the effort to raise
sympathy for the "starving' babies of Ger
many, coakng the effort to break the Brit
ish blockade and get through munitions for
the slaughter of babies in Belgium and
France
Finally, as America refused to take these
BATS came the U~boat war and the mass Of
Misrepresentation spread in It's behalf.
There came peace drives, with stories
which we now know to have been ridicu-
lous about the spirit of democracy in Ger
many and the Weakening of the German
people to the desire for freedom that
would end militarsm. As America drew
nearer entrance into the war came the ef-
forts to create distractions. the fomentng
Of trouble in Mexico, in Cuba and of feel
ing against these countries and against
Japan. Along with all these was the cam
paign against preparedness for war. And,
once we were in the war, there were spread
the poisons of defeatism, of distrust of our
military leaders and of German invincibil-
ure calculated to impede our beated prep
arations for war.
To accomplish its ends, according to the
official testimony, the Reptile used what
ever means it could find, rejecting no pos
sible crime. 1t sought to buy men who it
believed would have influence in our public
councils. 1t made secret and corrupt use
Of all our avenues of publicity newspapers
and the sources of news, Advertising
writers of all classes, books, pamph lets, lit
erature of every imaginable kind, lectur-
ers, plays and even films 1t appealed to
every class hatred or distrust in America,
organized the COMMUNICATIONS reached
after the Irish and the Jews and the
Lutheran clergy, worked upon the Social
sts supported the l. w. W. at least a
little, attempted to control or disorganize
labor, and even stirred up discomfort and
laid the seeds for disorder among the
negroes in the South.
Nor did it stop in the United States Our
secret services have presented proofs that
the Reptile, from its lair here, reached far
abroad. Alfred l.. Becker, Deputy Attorney
General of New York, testified that his own
work had given proof of propaganda in
"the whole of South America, Mexico and
Central American countries Cuba, Porto
Rico, Spain, the Scandinavian countries,
Holland, Persia India and, in addition, all
the countries at war with GERMANY" For
this purpose there was a network of wire
less stations established mostly before the
war-and the German agents of all kinds
Joined vigorously in the work and enlisted
the men Of German blood, whatever their
legal and nominal allegiance to the coun-
tries to be corrupted might be.
The methods Of the Reptile were the
methods of Kultur, adapted as need arose
to the conditions in hand 1t told the
Catholic that the Church was with Ger
many, the Protestant that Germany hated
the Church. 1t decred miltarisrn to the
socialist, praised it to the imperiaist 1t
was always dishonest.
At first, in America, the Reptile lied
openly, circulated false statements over the
German name. But even from the first it
prepared and spread its poison anonymous
~ under other names than its own. And
when it appeared that America would have
none of its open propaganda it sugar-coated
all its doses and disappeared as a public
organ, though working more powerfully
than before.
It's greatest aim to get Americans to
father it's lies and its arguments. 1t en-
gagged men secretly, who should work
openly for "Amcricanism' made in Ger
many. 1t subsidized publications and bribcd
the employees Of those that could not be
reached. II organized threats against
others II put out false news reports, and
had two agencies for this-onc that was
semi olfcal' and another through which
it did not want to be connected. 1t filled
the land with spies and secret propagan-
dists, it organized all who could be reached
or deceived, it struck powerfully into our
politics, it enriched and protected its
friends and attacked its cncmies-who were
The friends Of America. 1t even "framcd
up evidence with intent to deceive the
state Department.
For this purpose it was powerfully
financed. How much was used by the Ger
man beasts Of all kinds in America may
never be known, and certainly is not known
today but it is known that this particular
Reptile handled over $35000,000 1t spent
more than $l7o0,o00 on single project. IL
had connections with more than "A score Of
American banks including some Of the big
Rest IN the country, and through them it
succeeded in using many others. BY shift
ing accounts AND tine use Of cashiers checks
to cover payments it was able to use ths
.,,l. 4