Germany, The Next Republic?Ackerman, Carl W. (Carl William)
History
Germany, The Next Republic?
Ackerman, Carl W. (Carl William)
World War, 1914-1918 -- Germany
When the Overseas despatches first reached the United States the
newspapers printed them in a spirit of fairness. They gave the other
side, and in the beginning they were more or less accurate. But when
international relations between the two countries became critical the
news began to be distorted in Berlin. At each crisis, as at the time
of the sinking of the _Arabic_, the _Ancona_, the _Sussex_ and other
ships, the German censorship prevented the American correspondents from
sending the news as they gathered it in Germany and substituted "news"
which the Krupp interests and the Imperial Foreign Office desired the
American people to believe. December, 1916, when the German General
Staff began to plan for an unrestricted submarine warfare, especial use
was made of the "Overseas News Agency" to work up sentiment here
against President Wilson. Desperate efforts were made to keep the
United States from breaking diplomatic relations. In December and
January last records of the news despatches in the American newspapers
from Berlin show that the Overseas agency was more active than all
American correspondents in Berlin. Secretary of State Zimmermann,
Under-secretaries von dem Busche and von Stumm gave frequent interviews
to the so-called "representatives of the Overseas News Agency." It was
all part of a specific Krupp plan, supported by the Hamburg-American
and the North German Lloyd steamship companies, to divide opinion in
the United States so that President Wilson would not be supported if he
broke diplomatic relations.
Germany, as I have pointed out, has been conducting a two-faced
propaganda. While working in the United States through her agents and
reservists to create the impression that Germany was friendly, the
Government laboured to prepare the German people for war. The policy
was to make the American people believe Germany would never do anything
to bring the United States into the war, but to convince the German
public that America was not neutral and that President Wilson was
scheming against the German race. Germany was Janus-headed. Head
No. 1 said:
"America, you are a great nation. We want your friendship and
neutrality. We have close business and blood relations, and these
should not be broken. Germany is not the barbaric nation her enemies
picture her."
Head No. 2, turned toward the German people, said:
"Germans, President Wilson is anti-German. He wants to prevent us from
starting an unlimited submarine war. America has never been neutral,
because Washington permits the ammunition factories to supply the
Allies. These factories are killing your relatives. We have millions
of German-Americans who will support us. It will not be long until
Mexico will declare war on the United States, and our reservists will
fight for Mexico. Don't be afraid if Wilson breaks diplomatic
relations."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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