Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-05-31
AMERICA in THE WAR
Illinois Congressman Wants Belat.
ed Investigation.
HOW ENGLAND WORKED PROPAGANDA

Behind the Scenes in Bloody Drama
s While President Wilson Was Trying
to Keep the Country Neutral Scien-
tific Manipuators Worked People in
to Stampede.
Congressional Record. May 26.
Mr.. Michaelson. Mr.. Chairman and
gentlemen, I desire to-. use the time
allotted to me at this time in discussing
House resolution 95, which introduc-
ed May 20, asking for information
from the secretary of state and the
secretary Of war relative to the spread
Of foreign propaganda in the United
States prior to the declaration of war
by the United States against Germany
and asking investigation Of charges
made in public records and public
prints and calling the attention OF
congress first to statement made by
former Congressman Galloway, Febru
ary 9, 1917. appearing upon. pages 2947
and 2s4S of the Congressional Record.
in which he made the charge that.
In March, 1915 the ]. P. Morgan in
tcrests, the steel, shipbuilding, and
powder interests, and their subsidiary
organizations got together II men high
UP in the newspaper world and en-
pIoyed them to select the most influen-
! tial newspapers in the United States
and a sufficient number Of them to
control generally the policy Of the
daily press Of thet United States
Mr., Blanton. Mr.. Chairman =
The Chairman. Does the gentleman
from Illinois yield?
Mr. Blanton. Would the gentleman
like to have a quorum here? If so, /
will get him one.
! Mr. Michaelson / do not desire it.
The Chairman. Does the gentleman
from Illinois yield TO the gentleman
from Texas?
Mr.. Blanton. 1t is point of order
I am making. 1t does not require his
yielding.
Mr.. Madden. I hope the gentleman
will not do that.
Mr.. Blanton. will withdraw it, but
I am not in sympathy with the gentle
mans speech.
Mr.. Mchaelson. I thank you, sir.
These 12 men worked the problem
out by selecting 179 newspapers, and
then began by an elimination process
to retain only those necessary for the
purpose of controlling the general
policy of the daily press throughout
| the country. They found it was only
necessary to purchase the control OF
25 of the greatest papers. The 2s
papers we're agreed upon; emtssaries
were sent to purchase the policy, ma
tional and international, of these
papers; an agreement was reacned;
| the policy Of the papers was bougnt, 10
be paid for by the month; an edltor
was furnished for each paper to prop
erly supervise and edit information re-
garding the questions Of prepared
ness, militarism, financial policies and
other things of national and interna-
tional nature considered vital to the
interests of the purchasers.
This contract is in existence at the
present. time, and it accounts for tho
news columns of the daily press Of the
| country being filled with all sorts OF
preparedness arguments and mlsrepre-
sentations as to the present condition
of the United States army and navy
and the possibility and probability OF
the United States being attacked by
foreign foes,
This policy also included the sup
preston Of everything in opposition to
| the wishes Of the interests served. The
effectiveness of this scheme has been
conclusively demonstrated by the char
acter Of stuff carried in the daily press
throughout the country since March,
1915 They have resorted to anything
necessary to commercialiZe public SEN
timent and sandbag the national con-
gress into making extraVagant and
wasteful appropriations for the army
and navy under the false pretense that
/ it was necessary. Their stock argu-
ment is that 1t is patriotism They
are playing on every prejudice and
passion Of the American people.
Mr.. Blanton. Mr.. Chairman. l make
the point of order we have not quo
rum think it is time we should stop
all this mess and put it behind us, and
make a point of order that there is
no quorum.
Mr.. Haugen. Will the gentleman
kindly withdraw the point of order?
Mr.. Eianton withdraw it, as there
are very few here to hear it.
Mr.. Michaelson. If the information
and. charges contained In Mr.. Gala
ways statement are true and can be
proven, then the most heinous crime
in the worlds history was perpetrated
upon the peace-loving American peo-
pic, and while hostilities have ceased
and peace is sought by nations hereto
fore at war, the destruction and desc
lation, the sorrow and suffering, and
the debt imposed by that war are more
crushing than ever to the hopes, aspi-
rations, progress, prosperity, and con-
tentment Of our people; and. if it be
true and can be proven that this ma
tion's participation and other nations
continuance in the war was founded
upon fraud, intrigue, falsity, conspi-
racy. or manipulate as charged, then
that truth should be published to the
world in order to make it impossible to
repeat that crime in the future and
that the blessings Of peace may be
more confidently assured to afflicted
humanity everywhere.
In addition to the information and