The Washington herald., 1922-03-14
PAPERS SHOWHOWGERM
LEADERS DECEIVED PEOPLE
Documents Reveal How Press Was Ordered to
Minimize Americas Entry Into War.

summary of conditions sent by
Count Bernstorff Is handed to the
press:
According to a letter from
Bernstorff. the general feeling has
become worse in America on ac-
count Of the steamship Persia incl
dent. Congress Is more favoratly
inclined than expected. and there
fore the government seems in
clined 10 take energetic steps
against England. Similar Incidents
make this very difficult, since the
Anglo-American, press tries every
thing Il keep the U-boat problem
the main point of public interest"
Order of November 10. 1916:
The quarrels beween Germany
and America will probably be set
tied in satisfactory way. The
press Is allowed to stress the fact
that we will use the U-boat arm
as strongly as we see fit. But no
details of the proposals must be
given. IL is forbidden to deny
that the American government has
the best intentions. nor must II
be accused of partially towards
our enemies"
Discounts 4. =. Entry.
Order of April 2s, 1916:
No decision. as to the reply to
the American note has been taken.
Since this step will probably b..
the most important one the gov
crnment will make until the end
of the war the press must not try
to bind the government in any
direction whatever"
Order OF May %. 1916:
Our relations to America still
require extreme reserve on the part
of the press. Wilson's policies are
influenced by the election he won.
1t is very possible that inner po-
litical conditions In America will
take turn in our favor. One of
the precOnditiOns of this is that
the German press show no sign Of
impatience."
already began 10 discount the en-
try Of America into the war. They
began by a series of orders to the
press minimizing American naval
and land power. February the
following note was given out at
the ofhcial press conference:
"America's coming into the war
would mean little from the naval
point Of view. America could
probably send only a few torpedo
boat destroyers and a few small,
slow cruisers which could be used
as conveys. The United States has
built no armored ships which
would be decisive in battle Sew
enty-five steamers of 1000 tons
each are needed for the transport
of an army corps of 10000 men.
For the transport of only 100000
men with their equipment 100000
tons are needed 1.-TWO trips)."
sIur Americas Strength.
order of March. 1917:
Destruction of German ships in
American ports have been COM
plcted in a satisfactory way. For
instance. the big liner VaterIand
has been made utterly useless to
America The sketches of the tur-
bines have also been destroyed.
Order of April IL, 1917:
Lately the press has published
American record figures on Amer
ican capacity in manufacturing
war material. You should not
make your readers believe that
these quantities can really be
manufactured. The American navy
cannot scare US The mine sweep
lHE uetdcnmentS ana Otner naval
German groups should be men,
toned in a complimentary way as
well as the C-boats."
A CONFIDENTIAL report on gen
eral feeling in the United States"
was issued to the German press in
March, 1917, in which President
Wilson, whose election was hailed
once as a turning point in Ger
many's favor, is called an enemy.
Again American military strength,
now generally acknowledged the
army which won the war, is
slurred. The general report fol-
lows:
Wilson has more autocratic
power than any one OF the Euro
pean sovereicns. Since he was
brought up in the English style
he knows nothing of Germany and
has no sympathy for Germans. Al
the bottom of his heart he has al
ways been against us. 1t is true
, that he very often has to consider
the interests of American high
finance.
III War Comes:"
Wilson himself is an incorrupti-
BILE character. He certainly has
not been working directly for a
war with Germany and he is no,
animated by any positive desire
for war. The general impression