The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-09-25

preservation.
Tor the Germans, Mr.. Roose-
4 welt felt at that time, there
could be nothing but praise
and admiration due a setrn, virile
and masterful people" and hear
~ respect for their patriotism ana
far-seeing self-devotion."
The truth Was-and how could
the American people have so COM
pletely overlooked it?-that the
militarists were by no means con-
fined to the German army COM
mand.
The statesmen Of the Central
Powers, on their side, were utterly
unprepared to meet these tremen-
douS engines Of publicity so sud-
denly modified against them.
Only gradually did there dawn
upon them the ominous inpor-
lance of what Count Burian (soon
to succeed to the Austrian For
eign Office called the American
riddle"
Count BernstOrff, who had been
on leave in Germany when the
crisis broke, was rushed back to
Washington with hardly more in
structiOns than that he was to
4tpnlIn0fnfl tlNn
the people on the German stand
point"
WET by the time Count Bern
i storff landed at New York on
Aug. %, it was already clear that
the task of presenting the Ger
man standpoint" to a strongly
hostile opinion would be a large
one.
The sole means of untrammeIed
communication with Germany was
through the two German owned
wireless stations at Sayville, L. l.,
and TuckertOn, n. J., and these
the United States government
seized.
On Sept. the New York Times
printed a Berlin dispatch received
direct through Sayville, it was the
first report from the Central Pow
erS not filtered through the AL
lied cenSOrships which that mighty
journal had published since the
cutting of the cables a month be-
fore.
In time it was possible to de-
velOp a fair-Sized trickle of direct
news by wireless. helped out by the
mail and Geographic matter which
could be got past the Allied CEN
SOrS from the neutral countries.
The whole never approached in
volume the vast flood which con-
tinuOusly poured out from every
allied source.
A AMBASSADOR BERNSTORFF
L n had barely landed N the
United States before ne had be-
gun his long and aStute campaign
through the American press.
Reporters were delighted to find
cigars, refreshments and unfail-
ing helpfulness and courtesy per-
petually on tap at the German
Embassy in Washington and at a
special news bureau set up in the
Ritz-Carleton Hotel in New York.
The ambassador. at a time
when ambassadors were still
clothed in sanCtity, was the most
accessible of men.
UncOmfortabIy factual interviews
with him. even articles over his
signature, began to flower in the
American press. and the Allies
Whose own ambassadors were I'M
der no necessity of adopting such
tactiCSl were furious at so gross a
violation of diplomatic etiquette.
Their difficulties we're from the
first appalling. The invasion of
Belgium was soon expedited to a
point at which it was useless even
to attempt a defense.
When the appeals for aid for
the starving Belgians began to
come in. offering a sudden prac-
teal outlet for the overweight
American emotions. the response
was immediate-and the Allies
found themselves in possession of
still another incompatible propa-
ganda weapon.
MONTH in and month out
NA thereafter American mil
lions we're to flow into the Belgian
Relief. every penny doing its part
to cement the emotional alliance
with the Entente Powers.
The prompt organization Of the
American Ambulance in Paris and
of the even more spectacular La
fayette EScadrille worked power
fully to the same end.
Secretary Bryan. almost alone
seems TO have been worried as TO
the correctness of Mr.. Herrick'S
neutrality. and on one occasion
sent query as TO whether the
American hospital service was
taking care TO Succor German
wounded as we'll as French.
BY a remarkable coincidence
it was discovered that there was
not German in the hospital: but
the ambassador rushed out one of
his military attaches with a
searching party. and by good luck
they found three mangEed but still
living Germans.
One died on the way in and was
dumped unceremoniously upon the
roadside; the other two survived,