What Germans Are Told

Te Aroha News, Volume XXXIII, Issue 15706, 6 December 1915, Page 4

What Germans Are Told

A study of tho German newspapers in war time is a delight to anyone gifted wi{,h a sense of humour. When the war broke out it was stated * that the G erman Army would be in Paris ia six weeks. When that attempt failed, remarks a London piper, were explanations of the failure attempted ? Not at all ; the fact that the prophecy has not been fulfilled was simply ignored. When it was stated that the German armies would be in possession of Warsaw before last Christmas. The' German armies did not fenter that city before Christmas, and to this second falsified prophecy there wa3 no further reference, It was buried in silence. A few weeks ago the Hambui’ger Nachrichteu ” stated that the blockade of England by submarines was an accomplished fact, and that the British counterblockade of Germany hid been entirely barren of success. It was. a commonplace of German journalism that Great Britain is on her last legs ; that starvation is rampant in the land, that the Zeppelin raid j have caused such terrible havoc that men s’alk about in terror of the next visit of the airships; that rßritish trade is all but ruined, but it is not necessary tomarrate the whole rale of the English misfortunes as seen through German eyes, The Kitchener army, the German people are told is a myth ; in numerical strength, at least, it is contemptible, while it it is not, and never can he equipped. On the other hand, Germany, it is stated, is successful everywhere and in everything; its financial position is unassailable, ajnd that it has reduced France to impotence. Of the true facts of the situation there is no hint in any German newspapers, save an occasional llusion to the fact that if Germany’s financial position is not as good as it might be, all will be well when the enemy foots the war bill of the Central Empires.