Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image

AMERICAN OPINION.

The most effective agents of Germany in persuading the American public that their sympathies should be with the Kaiser are not the " hyphenated Americans " of whom we hear so much, but those whose nationality is apparently above suspicion. A very considerable number of American publications—some of them selling freely in British countries— fail to twist facts and manufacture inferences in favour of German}'. It is said that Germany subsidises a large number of American journals and magazines, but it would be impossible to thus saturate news and comment with these falsifications and innuendos without the active sympathy of editorial staffs. There are other American publications which are so " neutral " that they carefully avoid all condemnation of the most monstrous German atrocities, though they are not anti-British in tone. Still other American publications denounce Britain and Germany as equally guilty disturbers of the world's peace, and display their patriotism by frequently demanding how long the Washington Government intends to 'tolerate British interference with neutral trade. The difficulty is,-of course, that the great mass of the Americans are singularly ignorant of the world's history and strangely indifferent to anything that happens beyond their own frontier. They still believe that size and numbers are dominating international factors—Asiatics excluded—and that, while their own political methods are perfect, no difference whatever exists between Prussian Kaiserism and British monarcbism. This archaic and benignted American mind lends itself guilelessly to the subtle iu&Viieeß of pro-German propagandists.

This article text was automatically generated and may include errors. View the full page to see article in its original form.
Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19160426.2.31

Bibliographic details

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16213, 26 April 1916, Page 6

Word Count
241

AMERICAN OPINION. New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16213, 26 April 1916, Page 6

AMERICAN OPINION. New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16213, 26 April 1916, Page 6