WORKING THE PRESS

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 41, 16 August 1918, Page 7

WORKING THE PRESS

GERMANY'S SKILFUL METHODS

BERNSTORFF'S SMOOTH SYSTEM.

Among to-day's cablegrams is a message referring to the activity of proGerman newspapers in Sweden in vilifying England by • means of scurrilous articles. The point of the message is not the pro-German work of the press, but the alleged bias of the law in favour of it; nevertheless the item gives point to the following article written by an English journalist, Mr. H. Bailey, and telegraphedl from London to the American newspapers:—

Now that the importance of the work of propaganda has been recognised by the Government it is to hoped, writes Mr. Bailey, that some drastic change both in the extent and in the methods of this work will shortly ensue. Whether, however, it is realised that modern propaganda is more or less a secret service matter and whether the lessons of our propaganda failure in Russia have been thoroughly learned remains to be seen. Certainly in this matter, as in others, we can derive much enlightenment from a study of how Germany has made propaganda a potential instrument of diplomacy, if not of warfare.

Secrecy of origin and the employment of subjects of the country in which the propaganda is conducted are the leading characteristics of the German system. But every oountry is favoured with an organisation peculiarly suited to its conditions, and this is well illustrated by the propaganda carried out by Bernstorff at Washington before the entry of America into the, war.

Washington is the great news centre of America. In no other place in the -world win you find such keen competition among journalists for exclusive news as at the American capital. Bernstorff realised this as he realised the impossibility of winning the favour of American journalists by bribing or by social attention. His inventive mind quickly suggested the opening of a news bureau at the German Embassy, where at any time of the day or night the journalist hungry for news could call in the expectation of hearing something that would give him that happy feeling that only a journalist hastening to the telegraph office with a "tit-bit" ever knows. But the news was not German news. It was apparently chiefly American social or political- news, a forthcoming marriage or a.n impending appointment. The confidence of the journalists was thus won, but in course of time Bernstorff skilfully coloured the news to further German propaganda or inserted items that were calculated to create a tiro-German atmosphere.

Meanwhile he utilised every other means that came to hand for wreventing that unity of conviction of the people of America, that alone could insure America's entry into the war. Where the stories of atrocities in Belgium aroused the horror of America. Bernstorff was content to issue a general denial of their truth. At last a woman was convicted in England of giving false information as to these atrocities, and Bernstorff saw that this case became known to every town in America as a typical case, as he said, of the foundations for British stories of German atrocities. The rffert was remarksible. Henceforth the Middle West and the West refused t.jp believe anything about the rape of Belgium. Bernstorff also employed a number of men to watch the newspapers outside the great Eastern cities. Charles Edward Russell, who unearthed ..and exposed Bernstorff's propaganda, told me of a typical case of one of Bernstorff's agents fooling a Western editor. This agent represented to the editor, whose knowledge of Europe was, as is the case in the Middle West and West of America, Very meagre, that he had just returnpd from a visit to Reims Cathedral, and that the story of its partial destruction was absolutely false. He produced, indeed, photographs of the. cathedral showing it standing intact. The editor requested him to write an article on the. subject, and forthwith there appeared, with photographs, a complete and detailed denial, several columns in length, of the report of the shelling of Reims Cathedral.

These agents travelled throughout Western America in the guise of either bona fide journalists or as world travellers. They offered "exclusive" stories to the editors and were received with mark-, ed> attention. If their scheme was detected and a pro-Ally newspaper refused v their offers, then that paper was blacklisted and German firms were secretly requested io withdraw their advertisement contracts.

lit this manner did Bernstorff seek to prevent or at least delay the outbreak of American hostility to Germany. It was, indeed, propaganda on a great scale. But Germany has been wise enough to perceive that propaganda in Scandinavia is certainly a different proposition from propaganda in America. In Copenhagen and Stockholm it is through Socialist and trade union organisations that she directs her propaganda.. Socialist newspapers ■, are financed and controlled for her purposes. News agencies are subsidised and corret, pondents are bribed. While we merely issue a catalogue of photographs of our war activities that one never sees outside the waiting-rooms of ouv legations, Germany supplies coal to the Socialists as the price of assistance in the work of her propaganda. Swedes and Danes write in her favour at her instigation. But the hand of Germany is seldom revealed and the work of convincing Scandinavia that she is invincible and" that she is wronged goes secretly on .through multitudes of newspapers and various organisations, not only in the capitals, but throughout the whole countries.