The Washington herald., 1922-10-08
Northcliffe Planned to Invade
Berlin With an English Newspaper
Aimed in 1913 at Appeal to German People
With Purpose of Averting War.

, epitomized II, was to stop q war
by starting a newspaper-a Daily
Mall. to be published every morn
ing in the English language At
Berlin Thus he hoped he might
avert the crisis destined TO over
take Europe In the red summer
Of 1914.
Northclifre believed. he explained
that straight English talk TO the Ger
man people. day after day. might rad
ically alter the distorted conception OF
Britain and British policy which they
were getting from a wilhelmstrasse-
controlled press. "A Berlin Daily
Mail" argued Northcliffe, will open
German eyes; show them the madness
OF their theory that John Bull is try
ing TO encircle them; teach them that
there is room enough in the world for
both the Hamburg-American Line and
the Cunard: let them know the British
Empire isn't a house OF cards ready
to tumble down at the KaiseTs
frewh-and a lot Of other things the
Germans don't know"
l spoke Of the uphill fight a Berlin
Daily Mail would have 20 face from
a financial standpoint IN an atmos-
phere filled with the bitterest hos
tlity.
Ready TO Spend MONEY.
We'll. we'll try It out" said North
cliffe You shall be editor and gem
eraI manager. I'll give you a proprie-
tary interest besides. It may cost US
a couple of hundred thousand pounds
to get established. but it will be worth
many times that much II we can
knock the war mazda out OF German
heads
returned 10 my post at Berlin, won
dering skeptically what responsible
Germans would have TO say about
Northcliffe's daring scheme. To my
surprise. confidential soundings in
authoritative quarters indicated that
1t would not be unwelcome. Assur-
ances were given that Il would not
only be a politically desirable thing
but in time a commercially successful
one as well No war party leaders
were consulted. As to circulation Dos
sibilities, / was reminded that all
educated Germans read and speak
English, or profess to. and a daily
lesson in that language at a cost Of
five pfennige would be an undoubted
attraction. Besides, Berlin edition
Of The Daily Mail could reach all
paris OF germany on the DAY or PUBL
cation, and even penetrate Switzer-
land. Holland. Belgium and Russia
within twenty-four hours. An ade-
quate Berlin printing plant was avail
able and news facilities presented no
obstacles. Advertising experts fore
shadowed an ample clientele.
Berlin once Raided.
That was at Christmastime. 1913,
seven months before Germany un-
leashed her thunderbolts What oc-
CURED in the meantime TO dissuade
the chief from starting a newspaper to
stop a war ! never learned Beyond
an occasional and whimsical assur-
ance that the idea remained dear to
his heart, the idea never materialized.
When the Berlin office of The Daily
Mail was seized and sacked by the
Prusian police in August. 1914, they
found half a dozen copies OF the orig
inal dummy edition. which hitherto
had never been disclosed TO any Ger
man eyes. 1 have often wondered
what nefarious Northcliffe plot they
scented when first they glimpsed that
physical evidence Of the British pub
lisher's plan to talk the Germans out
OF war.