D 619 .3 .ns 1919b Copy 1 1 ^IBRflRY OF CONGRESS II 1 1 021 395 572 n « 9b y 1 1st Session J oi:.i>.'vxi:i ^ No. 61 GGth Congress \ SENATE f Document BREWING AND LIQUOR INTERESTS AND GERMAN AND BOLSHEVIK PROPAGANDA REPORT OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY UNITED STATES SENATE PURSUANT TO S. RES. 307 and 436 Sixty-fifth Congress RELATING TO CHARGES MADE AGAINST THE UNITED STATES BREWERS' ASSOCIATION AND ALLIED INTERESTS WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1919 ^ ' ■^, ^ , •' ' ' / UH^ :3 SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 136. (Submitted by Mr. Nelson.) In the Senate of the United States, July 28, 1919. Resolved, That the report of the Subcommittee on the Judiciary who were directed to report the result of their investigation relating to charges made against the United States Brewers' Association and allied interests be printed as a Senate document. Attest : George A. Sanderson, Secretary, n D« Of J, AUG 13 1919 BREWING AND LIQUOR INTERESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA, AND BOLSHEVIK PROPAGANDA. Mr. OvEBiiAN, from the Subcommittee on the Judiciary, submitted the following REPORT. [Pursuant to Senate Resolutions 307 and 436.] The Subcommittee on the Judiciary having under consideration the resolution directing the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate to call for certain evidence and documents relating to charges made against the United States Brewers' Association and allied interests and to report the result of their investigation to the Senate, have concluded their duties. The chairman appointed as a subcommittee to investigate the mat- ters and things named in said resolution the following Senators: Overman (chairman), King, Wolcott, Nelson, and Sterling. The resolution directing the committee to make this investigation is here printed in full, as follows : Whereas Honorable A. Mitchell Palmer, Custodian of Alien Property, on or about September fourteenth made the following statement: " The facts will soon appear which will conclusively show that twelve or fifteen German brewers of America, in association with the United States Brewers' Association, furnished the money, amounting to several hundred thousand dollars, to buy a great newspaper in one of the chief cities of the Nation ; and its publisher, without disclosing whose money had bought that organ of pubUc opinion, in the very Capital of the Nation, in the shadow of the Capitol itself, has been fighting the battle of the liquor trafiic. " When the traflic, doomed though it is, undertakes and seeks by these secret methods to control party nominations, party machinery, whole political Ijarties, and thereby control the Government of State and Nation, it is time the people know the truth. " The organized liquor traffic of the country is a vicious interest because it has been unpatriotic, because it has been pro-German in its sympathies and its conduct. Around these great brewery organizations owned by rich men, almost all of them are of German birth and sympathy, at least before we entered the war, has gi'own up the societies, all the organizations of this country intended to keep young German immip-ants from becoming real American citizens. 1 2 BREWING A:N"D liquor interests and GERMAN PROPAGANDA. ** It Is around the sangerfests and sangerbunds and organizations of tliat Ifind, generally financed by the rich brewers, that tlie young Germans who come to America are taught to remember, first, the fatherland, and second, America " ; and Whereas it has been publicly and repeatedly charged against the United States Brewers' Association and allied brewing companies and interests that tliefe is in the Department of Justice and in the office of a certain United States district attorney evidence showing: That the said United States Brewers' Association, brewing companies, and allied interests have in recent years made contributions to political cam- paigns on a great scale Avithout precedent in the political history of the country and in violation of the laws of the land ; That in order to control legislation in State and Nation they have exacted pledges from candidates to office, including Congressmen and United States Senators, before election, such pledges being on file ; That in order to influence public opinion to their ends they have heavily subsidized the public press and stipulated when contracting for advertising space with the newspapers that a certain amount be editorial space, the literary material for the space being provided from the brewers' central office in New York ; That, in order to suppress expressions of opinion hostile to their trade and political interests, they have set in operation an extensive system of boycot- ting of American manufacturers, merchants, railroads, and other interests ; That, for the furthering of their political enterprises, they have erected a political organization to carry out their purposes,; That they were allied to powerful suborganizations, among them the German-American Alliance, whose charter was revoked by the unanimous vote of Congress ; the National Association of Commerce and Labor ; and the Manufacturers and Dealers' Associations, and that they have their ramifica- tions in other organizations apparently neutral in character ; That they have on file political surveys of States, counties, and districts tabulating the men and forces for and against them, and that they have paid large sums of money to citizens of the United States to advocate their cause and interests, including some in the Government employ ; That they have defrauded the Federal Government by applying to their political corruption funds money which should have gone to the Federal Treasury in taxes ; That they are attempting to build up in the country through the control of such organizations as the United States societies and by the manipulation of the foreign-language press, a political influence which can be turned to one or the other party, thus controlling electoral results ; That they, or some of their organizations, have pleaded nolo contendre to charges filed against them and have paid fines aggregating large sums of money : Therefore be it Resolved, That tlie Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate, or any subcom- mittee thereof, is hereby authorized and directed to call upon the Honorable A. Mitchell Palmer, Alien Property Custodian, and the Department of Justice and its United States district attorneys to produce the evidence and documents relating to the charges herein mentioned, and to subpcena any witnesses or documents relating thereto that it may find necessary, and to make a report of the result of such investigation and what is shown thereby to the Senate of the United States as promptly as possible. The subcommittee began its investigation on September 27, 1918. At the request of the subcommittee the Secretary of War very kindly detailed from the Judge Advocate General's Department, United States Army, to aid the committee, Maj. E. Lowry Humes, formerly United States district, attorney for the western district of Pennsyl- vania, and from the Military Intelligence Division, United States Army, Capt. George B. Lester, an attorney of New York, and also the Attorney General very kindly detailed from the Department of Justice Mr. William R. Benham, all of whom rendered most valuable assistance to the committee in the collection of evidence, the produc- tion of testimony, the examination of witnesses, and in the prepara- tion of rex)orts. BREWING AND LIQUOR INTERESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA. 3 BREWING AND LIQUOR ACTIVITIES. The allegations and charges made in said resolution No. 307, here- inbefore set out, in regard to the brewing and liquor activities, were substantially sustained, as will appear from the printed record, volumes 1 and 2, herewith transmitted. Your committee in entering upon the investigation directed by said resolution No. 307 interpreted that resolution as requiring an inquiry into two subjects, to wit : 1. The conduct and activities of the brewing and liquor interest political and otherwise Avas specifically demanded; and 2. A general inquiry into pro-German propaganda and activities was required. The testimony taken having been printed, a review thereof is deemed unnecessary. Complying, however, with the man- date of the resolution requiring a report of the results established by the investigation the following findings are herewith submitted for the information and attention of the Senate. I. With regard to the conduct and activities of the brewing and liquor interests, the committee is of the opinion that the record clearly establishes the following facts: (a) That they have furnished large sums of money for the pur- pose of secretly controlling newspapers and periodicals. (6) That they have undertaken to and have frequently succeeded in controlling primaries, elections, and political organizations. (c) That they have contributed enormous sums of money to politi- cal campaigns in violation of the Federal statutes and the statutes of several of the States. (d) That they have exacted pledges from candidates for public office prior to the election. (e) That for the purpose of influencing public opinion they haA^e attempted and partly succeeded in subsidizing the public press. (/) That to suppress and coerce persons hostile to and to compel support for them they have resorted to an extensive system of boy- cotting unfriendly American manufacturing and mercantile con- cerns. (g) That they liaA'e created their own political organization in manj^ States and in smaller political units for the purpose of carrying into effect their own political will and have financed the same with large contributions and assessments. (A) That with a view of using it for their own political purposes they contributed large sums of money to the German-American Alliance, many of the membership of which w^ere disloyal and un- patriotic. (i) That they organized clubs, leagues, and corporations of vari- ous kinds for the purpose of secretly carrying on their political activities Avithout having their interest known to the public. (j) That they improperly treated the funds expended for political purposes as a proper expenditure of their business and consequently failed to return the same for taxation under the revenue laAvs of the United States. 4 BEEWING AND LIQUOR INTERESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA. {7c) That they undertook through a cunningly conceived plan of advertising and subsidation to control and dominate the foreign- language press of the United States. (I) That they have subsidized authors of recognized standing in literary circles to write articles of their selection for many standard periodicals. (m) That for many years a working agreement existed between the brewing and distilling interests of the country by the terms of which the brewing interests contributed two-thirds and the distilling inter- ests one-third of the political expenditures made by the joint in- terests. GERMAN PROPAGANDA. Your committee has conducted a large number of hearings and there has been produced before your committee a large amount of in- formation through the testimony of witnesses and the production of documents in which is shown in considerable detail the system of propaganda carried on in the United States by the German Govern- ment and its sympathizers after the beginning of the European war. The purpose of this inquiry has been to make a public and perma- nent record of the important facts and surrounding conditions which have made possible the creation and maintenance of ' a system of violence, espionage, and distribution of propaganda literature by the German Government during the period of our neutrality, in order that the public might be informed and that proper legislation by the Congress of the United States may render impossible the creation and maintenance in the future of a similar system, whether conducted by the German Government and its sympathizers or by any other foreign power. Without going into the detailed activities of the ag'ents and repre- sentatives 01 Germany and those who were aiding and assisting them in their purpose, it is clear from the evidence that the following may be accepted as the established facts: For many years prior to the outbreak of the European war the Central Powers, especially Germany, had contributed largely to the populating of the IJnited States, and according to the United States census of 1910 there were resident in the United States 1,337,000 males who had been born in Germany, and after the United States entered into the war with Germany there were registered as German alien enemies, pursuant to the President's proclamation of November 16, 1917, 254,000 males of the age of 18 years and upward. There were in addition a vast number of residents within the United States who were the immediate descendants of German parents, and it has been variously estimated that the so-called Ger- man-American population within the United States total upward of 10,000,000 persons, or approximately one-tenth of our population. Of this vast number it is in evidence that a considerable part main- tained and designedly perpetuated the language, customs, and racial ideals of Germany, and through and by means of the introduction and maintenance of the German language in the common schools of the various States and in the parochial and religious schools, semi- naries and colleges, in conducting religious services in their churches in the German language, in the Avide dissemination of German liter- BREWING AND LIQUOR INTERESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA. 5 atiire through the German language press, and in the publication, both in Germany and in this country, of books and writings in the German language, this portion of our population has been educated along lines of German thought. In addition, these Germans and German-Americans have main- tained a system of social segregation through numerous local socie- ties and organizations which come under the general head of vereins and verbunds, the object and purpose of which have been to preserve the language and customs of Germany and to bind together those of German lineage. Many of these various societies and associations are subsidiary to or a part of so-called staatsverbunds, which in turn became subsidiary to and part of the German-American Alliance, a national organization incorporated by act of Congress of the United States, the charter of which has, however, been revoked by act of Congress since the United States entered the war. This organiza- tion, with its 1,200 local vereins and verbunds, claimed to have at the time of the outbreak of the European war a membership of approxi- mately 2,000,000 persons. The members of the alliance never con- cealed their main aim, which was to keep their own nationality sepa- rate from that of their fellow citizens m the United States, and by means of the dissemination of literature by the National Alliance, as well as by the State alliances and the local societies, their objects were accomplished. At the outbreak of the European war the German-American Al- liance, through its auxiliary societies, became particularly active in its efforts to bring all citizens and residents of the United States of German extraction together and to work publicly and privately for the aims of Germany. In the Official Bulletin the propaganda committee of the German- American Alliance, by Joseph Keller, chairman, makes the following declaration, which gives a fair idea of the attitude of these Germans and German- Americans toward the rest of the country (Bulletin of January, 1916) : The leaders and lecturers of the German-Amei'ican National Alliance have, since the establishment of this organization, never failed to' emphasize the fact that the greatness, the strength, and the influence of Germanism in this country lies in appreciation of itself, in the recognition of an inviolable union of ideals which knows no limits, but only progi-ess and upward aspiration, a union whose activity lies in the United States, protecting German style and manner and strengthening them. That the hyphenated American, as the German-American is now scornfully called, must run the gauntlet of the pro-British English press and the Angli- cized Americans is largely to be asci'ibed to the fact that the concentration of the strength of the entire Geraianism, or, rather, of the descendants of the great German race in this land, for which such efforts were made, especially during the years just preceding the outbi-eak of the Great War, had not yet been realized, inasmuch as in certain circles, especially in German church circles, there was to a certain extent a hesitation at forming a union of forces with the national alliance. Let us in this critical epoch for us German-Americans remember the words of Prof. T. Lindsey Playner, of the Central University, Kentucky, who said in his time : " Here in the New World, which possesses so much good and so much for the blessing of humanity, we believe that we are in no wise untrue to our fatherland if we, in contemplation of all that you have conferred on us, our spii'itual mother, cry, ' Hail Germania.' " As guiding principle and source of teaching, courage and hope, we may quote the words of the German pastoi". Otto Wappler, of Monona, Iowa, who speaks in the name of his synod : " As German pastors we should no longer 6 BKEWING AND LIQUOE IISTTERESTS AND GERMAIfT PROPAGAiNDA. look as silent spectators on the conflict of political truth and social righteous- ness, but enter the arena in full sight of friend and foe, and with the talents which we possess serve in conflict the bold champions of the German cause as well as we are able. Too long already have we, German pastors, at any rate most of us, Lutheran pastors, lain inactively in well-protected trenches as little more than passive spectators of the conflict. But, praise God, we are finally shaken from our indolence and have determined to take oui' stand in the open and take an active part in the struggle for truth and righteous- ness before the forum of the public. Heretofore our elforts at reform were confined to the tranquillity of the church and the limited circle of the congre- gation. But from now on we propose to help in shedding the rays of German truthfulness, German honor, and German loyalty, among the masses as far as we are able." The propaganda committee of the German-American Alliance urges there- fore that the beginning of the new year that all German-Americans, forgetting all separate interests, build, operate, and exercise their creative ability on the rock of true, inviolable union, on which all German life rests, on which all the higher ideals of the Germans can securely rest. This is the rock on which unfortunately the German-American National Alliance was established too late, although the latter can look back upon many fine achievements in the German-American struggle for the promotion of its peculiar culture and may be regarded in this storm-swept period as a veritable Gibraltar standing oiit against all vulgar, malicious insult and ridicule of the German name and against the unjust persecution of the German race and its offspring in this land provoked by British gold. In addition to the German- American Alliance, with its extensive ramifications, there existed in the United States for many years various secret and semisecret organizations, more or less local in their character, that were devoted to the same general object, namely, that of preserving the language, customs, and ideals of Germany. Among these may be noted the Schlarrafia, a secret organization which had its inception in Germany many generations ago and which has been transplanted to this country. While it is largely a social secret organization, one of its principal objects is the maintenance of the respect for the Prussian military ideals and loyal adherence to Germany. Another organization is the Sons of Herman, a secret organization similar to the Masonic fraternity. This organization has lodges in various parts of the United States. Its membership is almost exclu- sively made up of men of German birth or parentage. Another organization is known as the Kriegesbund, a society of German Army veterans. The only men eligible to the society are men who have served in the German Army. It is in evidence, through documents produced by Prof, von Mach, that in 1916 an offer was made by Dr. von Mach to the Secretary of War of the United States to list and send to the Secretary of War the names and addresses of upward of about 400,000 men of German birth resident within the United States who had served at one time or another in the German Army. The plan was conceived by Her- man Ridder, the publisher of the Staats Zeitung, the leading New York German language daily paper, who undertook, as stated in his letter to Von Mach, to make this census, compile lists, and forward them to the Secretary of War. Mr. Garrison, then Secretary of War, declined the offer on the ground that the War Department could not accept the service. It is in evidence before the committee that certain branches of the Lutheran Church were particularly active in defending the German cause during our period of neutrality, not only by means of religious BREWING AND LIQUOR INTERESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA. 7 teachings, but by work through the secular societies, especially tho subsidiary organizations of the German-American Alliance. Prior to the outbreak of the European war the Hamburg-Ameri- can Steamship Co. and North German Lloyd, and the Atlas Line, a subsidiary of the Hamburg- American Line, handled a large part of the carrying trade between the LTnited States and European countries. The Hamburg- American Line maintained a large commercial organi- zation in the United States with offices in most of the principal cities of the country. Many of the agents and representatives were German citizens temporarily resident in the United States. This whole organization is semiofficial in that all of these lines were under sub- sidy of the German Government and subject to its control and use if required. At the outbreak of the European Avar the German Government had in the United States a very strong and well-trained diplomatic corps. The German Embassy in Washington was the headquarters of the German diplomatic system and the center of its directing influ- ence. This system included the German consuls and consular agents V\ho had headquarters and who were stationed at various of the larger cities in the United States. The commercial field in many industries was dominated by Germans or those of German extraction and sym- pathy. These included many of our largest banking institutions and many of the large export houses. The chemical and textile industries at many of the large centers were owned outright or dominated by Germans, many of w^iom were resident in Germany. The brewing interests of the country were largely owned and controlled by citizens of German extraction. There had been built up in the United States a German language press with ramifications in practically every part of the country, which German language press was represented by large dailies in the principal cities of the United States. This German language press was supplemented by a vast number of periodicals and maga- zines printed in the German language and widely distributed, the official newspaper directories showing that upward of 1,100 German language publications were in existence in the United States at the outbreak of the European war. With this situation before them the Imperial German Government had some reason to feel confident in August, 1914, that there was a powerful German influence in America, and if taken in hand and organized and properly directed b}^ skilled agents of the German Government, the American Government's policies could be molded to suit the interest of Germany. To this end the German Govern- ment inaugurated within the United States a propaganda system, the main objects of which were — First. To prevent the shipment of munitions of war and supplies of various kinds to the allied Governments who were at war with Germany, by peaceful or other means; and Second. To keep the United States on a peace footing and at all hazards prevent the LTnited States from entering into the European war as an allj'^ of France and England. Third. To maintain its solidarity of the German and Austrian elements of our population and to retard their assimilation. Almost immediately after the outbreak of the European war tho German Government sent to the United States Dr. Heinrich Albert, S. Doc. 61. 66-1 2 8 BREWIlJfQ AND LIQUOE INTERESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA. a privy councilor of the German ministry of the interior, as a special commercial agent to have charge of the financial affairs and general direction of the German propaganda in the United States, Dr. Albert arrived in August, 1914, and at about the same time Dr. Dernberg, who was secretary of state for the colonies in Germany, Dr. Isaac Straus, Meyer Genardt, and Capt. Hecker, arrived, all of the above being members of a so-called German commission, the ostensible object of which was to purchase supplies of various kinds for transshipment to Germany, including munitions of war. This group brought with them $150,000,000 in German treasury notes, with the expectation that these would find a ready sale in the United States. As a matter of fact, only $5,000,000 of these notes were actually used and these were used for the purpose of collateral in raising money. Later on other financial arrangements were made by the German representatives in this country by means of the sale of German bonds and other Government securities and the transfer of credits, and the evidence shows that at least $35,000,000 was raised and expended by the German Government in the United States for various purposes during the period from August, 1914, to February, 1917. Upon the arrival of Dr. Albert and Dr. Dernberg and their group there was an immediate organization of the German representatives, including the embassy forces, and the work of the various depart- ments was laid out along the following lines : Dr. Albert established headquarters in the offices of the Hamburg- American Line, 45 Broadway, New York City, took over one Carl Heynen, agent of the Hamburg- American Line at Tampico, Mexico, as his main assistant, established financial connections with a number of important private banking houses and trust companies, and, with Count Von Bernstorff, the German ambassador, proceeded to get in touch with important and influential people and concerns in the United States who were considered favorable to the German cause. American agents and representatives were employed to negotiate the purchase of ships, grain, cotton, rubber, and supplies of every nature and description ostensibly for shipment to Germany. Under Albert's and Yon Bernstorff's direction, Capt. Hans Tauscher, representative of the Krupps in Germany, with the assist- ance of certain Americans, inaugurated the Bridgeport Projectile Co., which was financed by the German Government. This company built and partially equipped a large munition plant at Btidgeport, Conn., at an expense of upward of $3,500,000. The ostensible pur- pose was to manufacture shells and other ammunition, which later on could be shipped to Germany. The real purpose was to deplete the country, for a period, of machinery and mechanical devices and to concentrate labor, and by the manipulation of wages to cause disturb- ance in other munition factories, and to buy up and control, tempo- rarily at least, the available supply of powder. This enterprise started in the summer of 1915 ; the plant was built, a large quantity of powder was bought and held for a while, and certain labor disturb- ances were brought about in American munition factories located at Bridgeport, Conn., during the summer of 1915. Carl Heynen was treasurer of the Bridgeport Projectile Co. and, with Tauscher, di- rected its operations. BREWING AND LIQUOB INTERESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA. 9 In connection with the work of Dr. Albert, Count von Bernstorff, the German ambassador, detailed Capt. Carl Boy-Ed, the naval at- tache of the German Embassy in Washington, and Capt. Franz von Papen, the military attache or the embassy, for special work, the pur- pose of which was to prevent the shipment of munitions and supplies to the Allies. Boy-Ed, as the naval attach^, used the organization of the Hamburg- American Line, especially Paul Koenig, head of tlie investigating bureau of this line, and his assistants to obtain informa- tion concerning the shipment of munitions and supplies, and to pur- chase or acquire by option to purchase various articles, such as rubber and copper, and it is in evidence that Boy-Ed employed certain American agents to endeavor to purchase large numbers of combus- tion engines and small boats. In the early period of Boy-Ed's activities a certain group of Ger- man aliens and others were indicted by the Federal authorities for violating the neutrality of the United States by delivering supplies to German ships at sea. Shortly thereafter an effort was made to prove that the British had violated the neutrality of the United States by similar practices. One witness before the committee, Avho admitted that he was an agent of the German Government and in the pay of Boy-Ed, claimed that he had undertaken to and had obtained the evidence showing that vari- ous affidavits and statements made by certain tugboat captains and others that supplies had been sent to British ships were untrue. Whether or not he did this at the instance of Boy-Ed does not appear. In April, 1915, the German Government sent to the United States one Franz Eintelen, who undertook active work to prevent the ship- ment of munitions from the United States to the Allies. Boy-Ed was suspected of complicity in various acts of violence per- petrated by Franz Eintelen, and his activities were so pronounced that it was requested by the United States Government that he be returned to Germany, and he was relieved as the naval attache of the German Embassy on the 4th day of December, 1915, and subsequently returned to Germany. Immediately upon Eintelen's arrival in the United States he was put in touch with David Lamar, " the notorious wolf of Wall Street," anda plot was conceived to stop the production of munitions by or- ganizing labor employed in munition factories, and an organization was formed known as Labor's National Peace Council. Prominent Americans, including one United States Congressman, were enlisted in the movement. Meetings were held in various of the large cities of the United States and resolutions were adopted recommending that the manufacture, sale, and shipment of munitions to the belligerent powers, as well as all materials used in the production of the same, be prohibited by Executive proclamation. A convention was held in the latter part of July, 1915, in the city of Washington, at which were present some 200 delegates from various parts of the United States, and determined effort was made to induce the President and Congress to declare an embargo upon the manufacture and sale of munitions to the Allies. This scheme was financed by the German Govermnent, approximately $500,000 being turned over to Lamar. The organization was broken up and never 10 BREWING AND LIQUOR INTERESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA. accomplished anything of consequence for the German Govern- ment. The failure was in a great measure due to the action of Mr. Gompers, of the American Federation of Labor, who refused to give the movement any support. The leaders in the movement were all indicted by the Federal authorities for violation of the Sherman law in conspiring to instigate strikes in munition plants. Rintelen, Lamar, and one Martin were convicted and sentenced each to one year in jail. Rintelen was engaged in attempting to further hinder the ship- ment of munitions by the placing of fire bombs on ships, in which work he was assisted by Dr. Walter Theodore Scheele, a German agent who had resided in the United States sinc« 1909. Scheele was an expert chemist and has a complete knowledge of explosives, and prior to 1915 had operated a drug store in the city of Brooklyn. In 1915 Scheele started a business in Hoboken, N. J., under the name of the New Jersey Agricultural Chemical Co., which was a cover up for the manufacture of bombs, which were placed by employees of the North German Lloyd Line on various ships. Scheele and Eintelen were assisted in this work by Capt. Otto Wolpert, pier superintendent of the Atlas Line, Avho had the im- mediate charge of distributing and planting the fire bombs. Rin- telen, Scheele, and Capt. Wolpert and a number of others were all iiidicted by the Federal authorities and convicted. Associated with Kintelen was a man by the name of Steinberg, who is said to have come from Germany with tetanus germs to be used for poisoning horses which were being shipped to the Allies. Paul Koenig, who was the head of the Hamburg- American Line secret investigators, entered the employ of the German Government very shortly after the war began, and served as head of the German secret service in New York City, working for Dr. Albert, Boy-Ed, Count Von Papen, and the German consul and Austria-Hungarian consul. Koenig maintained a great force of men. Von Papen and Hans Tauscher, the Krupp agent, undertook a plan to blow up the Welland Canal in order to prevent shipment of grain from the Northwest to the Allies by way of the Great Lakes. A German agent who went under the name of von der Goltz had im- mediate charge of the plot. Von der Goltz and his immediate asso- ciates, as well as Tauscher, were indicted by the Federal grand jury. Von der Goltz made a confession to the effect that he was sent by Capt. Von Papen, Von Igle, Von Papen's assistant, and others with dynamite to blow up the Welland Canal. They found the canal guarded and abandoned the enterprise. Von der Goltz was used as a Government witness. Von Papen was a diplomatic agent and was immune from prosecution, and Tauscher was acquitted. All others involved in the plot were convicted. Von Papen was also responsible for an attempt to blow up the Vanceboro Bridge, using for this purpose a man by the name of Werner Horn, to whom he supplied money, and arranged for a supply of dynamite, which was carried from New York City by Horn to Boston and from Boston to Vanceboro, Me., which attempt was only partially successful. Von Papen was responsible and directing head of practically all of the violence work done by the German agents in the United States, BREWING AND LIQUOR INTERESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA. 11 and it was through his agents and under his direction that numerous fires and explosions in munition factories were brouglit about and attempts at labor disturbances. In a communication sent from the Central Purchase Co. (Ltd.) to the Prussian ministry of war under date of October 3, 1917 (see the record, p. 1930), Dr. Albert's statement of account of his dealings with Von Papen is set forth, in which he takes credit for payments amounting to $280,000 as money being turned over to Von Papen while in America. From a copy of a letter sent by Boy-Ed to Von Papen on the 3d of March, 1917, which letter is written by his excellency Von. Igle Schwerin, the following is quoted : Herr Von Papen's career closed with quite a disaster. He was charged with being concerned in many explosions in munition factories, in so far as that he had given the money for the procuring of materials and instructed the people. It appears, too, that some really childish arrangements were made, which every one capable of forming an opinion could have seen beforehand could not have the slightest use for us, whereas if the affair went askew a great injury must result. For example, the destruction of the Welland Canal, as well as the attempt to destroy a railway bridge in Canada. Even if both these had been successful, there were a lot of other ways for transporting the corn to the seaports, and the bridge, too, could only have upset the traffic for a few hours. Both attempts ended in absolute fiasco. The people who were involved in the affair will meet with a sentence and one, of the name of Horn, had become a cripple and will have to spend a year locked up in prison. All that could have been forgiven since failures in such things can not always be avoided, also much has been performed by Herr Von Papeu advantageous to us. It is clear that plans were made by the German Government for extensive and far-reaching acts of violence, much of which was frustrated by the activities of State and Federal officials and lack of cooperation by trusted German agents. Capt. Tunney's testimony gives a fair account of the violent work of the Germans in and about the city of New York, which can be taken as a fair example of attempts in different parts of the country. The German Government, no doubt, counted largely upon the fact that in the various munition and other manufacturing plants in the United States there were employed a large number of German and Austrian subjects, whose sympathies would be for Germany, and who would act in accordance with the wishes of the German Government, even to the point of destructive methods. In conjunction Avith the activities of the German Government, through its representatives Von Bernstorff and Von Papen, to pre- vent the production and shipment of munitions during the year 1915, there was inaugurated by direction of Ambassador Dumba, the Austro-Hungarian minister to the United States, and Count Von Bernstorff what was known as the Liebau Labor Relief Bureau, which M-as an employment agency or bureau run by one Hans Liebau and organized and maintained for the purpose of taking Austro-Hun- garians and Germans out of munition and other factories. This bureau had its headquarters in the city of New York, and branches in Philadelphia, Pa., Bridgeport, Conn., Chicago, 111., Pittsburgh, Pa., and Cleveland, Ohio. In a communication from the German Embassy to the foreign office in Berlin, under date of March 24, 1916, a review of the activities of 12 BREWING AIS'D LIQUOR INTERESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA, the bureau is given and the necessity of a continuance of the bureau is made evident. This report says, in p^rt ; I take the liberty to refer to the communication of the imperial and royal Autro-Hungarian chargg d'affaires, dated Marcli 4, concerning the Liebau bureau, copy of which was sent here. I see from that communication that noth- ing is known to the imperial and royal charge d'affaires relative to the arrange- ments of the imperial and royal Ambassador Dumba, which included, a subsidy of the aforesaid bureau for a lengthy period. My inquires have disclosed that in the course of a conference with Capt. Von Papen, Messrs. Rittmeister Hecker, Dr. Von Kleinwaechter, and Consul Otto, the Attache Prince Hohenlohe, as representative of the imperial and royal am- bassador, advised that the Imperial and Royal Government, as well as the Ger- man Government, would support the undertaking. On the strength of that an- nouncement the activities of the bureau were also extended to subjects of the Imperial and Royal Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. This communication then goes on to state that the bureau after being in operation for six and one-half months had received over 8,000 applications and had filled 4,466 positions permanently, one- third of whom were Austro-Hungarian subjects. The report then continues : Patriotic sentiment and allegiance for the fatherland among the workmen has undoubtedly been awakened through the activity of this employment agency. Repeatedly people have visited the central and branch offices in order to express their thanks for the assistance furnished them. However, I will not go into the question now as to whether or not the continuation of the bureau after the war appears desirable. At any rate, for the period of the war the continuation of this institution is desirable and will be maintained for military reasons by the German Govern- ment even if the Imperial and Royal Government should withdraw its support from the bureau. Many disturbances and vacancies suffered by the war- material concerns, which could not always be removed quickly, but on the contrary often resulted in long-drawn strikes, can be traced back to the energetic propaganda of the workmen's relief. This bureau was financed jointly by Germany and Austria and continued up to about the time M^hen the United States entered the war. Germany paid two-thirds of the expenses and Austria one- third, and there is evidence that Germany's foreign office authorized a charge to be made by the embassy of $25,000 toward supporting the Liebau Bureau, or the workmen's relief, as it was sometimes called. Mr. Bielaski has testified that there were, approximately, a million German and Austrian reservists in the United States, and that the agencies of the Department of Justice, supplemented by various other governmental investigating bureaus, and the local police offi- cials of the various cities and towns of the United States aggregated, approximately, 700,000 men. With such a force and the protection it afforded, a wholesale destruction of property would be almost im- possible. There is in addition one very potent factor which militated against the plans of the German agents, that is the high wages paid to the employees in munition factories and the natural aversion which the average man has for destruction or damage to the plant in which he is working and from which he is deriving his living. The fact re- mains, however, and is clearly established that well-defined plans were made to prevent the manufacture and shipment of munitions and supplies by destructive and violent methods which were only partially successful and covered only a short period of time. BEE WING AND LIQUOR INTERESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA. 13 Shortly after the arrival of Dr. Albert and Dr. Dernberg in tho United States in August, 1914, there was established under their direction an organization for the di&somination of German propa- ganda through newspapers and the public press. This organization was known as the German Information Service and has been referred to as the German Information Bureau. It had its headquarters at 1123 Broadway, New York City, and was in the immediate charge of Dr. Carl A. Fuehr, together with a corps of translators, writers, and assistants, who conducted the operations of the bureau from the fall of 1914 down to about the 1st of February, 1917. Dr. Bernard Dernberg was sent by the German Government to the United States ostensibly as a private citizen, but in reality to have general supervision of the publicity propaganda in the United States. Dr. Carl A. Fuehr was the former commercial attache of the Ger- man embassy in Tokyo, Japan, and came from Japan to New York shortly after the outbreak of the European war. The bureau employed Mathew B. Claussen, who had been pub- licity agent of the Hamburg- American Line, as the ostensible man- ager of the bureau under Dr. Fuehr, and in the early stages of the bureau's operation publicity was given to the fact that the bureau was " conducted by M. B. Claussen," at the request of a number of American citizens who believed that the public desired to be informed as to both sides of the war, that it may form its own opinions from the facts. That, of course, was done to deceive the public, because the bureau was organized, financed, and directed by the official rep- resentatives of Germany. The main functions of the bureau were to prepare daily what was known as an information sheet, which contained articles on" the war strongly favoring Germany and giving information which tended to uphold the German cause. These sheets were sent gratis to news- papers all over the United States, from five to eight hundred news- papers being supplied with this service. In addition the bureau printed and distributed a large quantity of pamphlets, books, and leaflets, and in this connection worked in close conjunction with George Sylvester Vierick, editor of a weekly paper called the Father- land, which was stronglj'- pro-German and which had a wide circula- tion among Germans and German- Americans in the United States. Dr. Deniberg's work was largely supervisory, so far as the bureau was concerned, he devoting a great deal of his time and energies to delivering lectures in different parts of the country and in get- ting in contact with men of prominence in literary and educational circles and enlisting the efforts of newspaper representatives to give a favorable comment on the German cause. Dr. Dernberg and Dr. Albert undertook to negotiate the pur- chase of a great daily newspaper in the city of New York, and through ao^ents and representatives made plans for the acquisition of some 01 the prominent nevvspapers, resulting finally in the pur- cha.se of the New York Evening Mail and the placing of Dr. Edward A. Eumely in charge as managing editor. Dr. Dcrnberg's work as a propagandist in the United States came to a termination as a result of a speech which he made immediately following the sinking of the Lusitania, in which speech he justified the action of the German Government. 14 BREWING AN^D LIQUOR INTERESTS AND GERJMAN PROPAGANDA. Dernberg was never credited as a diplomatic representative to the United States by the German Government, and he returned to Ger- many in June, 1915. In December, 1914, the bureau engaged the services of Dr. Wil- liam Bayard Hale to take charge of the publication of the daily in- formation sheet. Dr. Hale was well known as an author and writer. Hale continued as head of the German Information Bureau from December, 1914, to December, 1915, receiving a salary of $15,000 a year. In addition to Dr. Hale and Vierick, Dr. Fuehr had the coopera- tion and assistance of Dr. Isaac Straus, who had charge of the Jewish propaganda, and Dr. Hecker, who had been sent from Germany to take charge of the German Eed Cross. He was also assisted by Mej'er, one of the directors of the Hamburg- American Line, and Privy Councilor Dr. Meyer Gehardt, who accompanied Dr. Albert from Germany. In addition there was Dr. Carl Mechlenberg and a group of translators and readers, who assisted in compiling the material for publication. The scheme of propaganda was to write up each day a series of articles strongly pro-German in their character, which articles were compiled from the daily press, from German newspapers, German magazines, German books, and American books. For the purposes of the bureau there were transported to them from Germany quantities of German literature, consisting of books, maga- zines, illustrated periodicals of various kinds, scientific publications, books on the war, and war articles. From these were built up the articles which appeared in the news sheets and in the various books and pamphlets distributed directly by the bureau or through the BTmierous organizations which were created for propaganda purposes. The evidence shows that in Dr. Fuehr's files there were records of 3,906 different topics, out of which Fuehr had made use of 1,430 items, by either giving them to the newspapers through the German information sheets or otherwise. In addition to the German information news service, the bureau maintained what was known as the Irish press and news service. This was maintained in separate offices at 42 West Forty-second Street, New York City, but was under the control of Dr. Fuehr and his agents. The active manager of the Irish press and news service for the Germans was one James K. Maguire, who, with his corps of assistants, sent out news-service bulletins two or three times a week to 18 or 20 newspapers in many of which he personally was interested and also to various daily newspapers. Copies of all propaganda material supplied by the Irish press and news service was sent to Dr. Fuehr. Throughout the German propaganda work in the United States use was made by the Germans of the disaffection of the Irish toward England and common cause was made by the adroit German agents with the Irish- Americans, and throughout the various associations and societies inaugurated by German propaganda will be found the Irish-American element strongly affiliated, as in the early stages the German agents convinced numerous people prominent in the Irish-American groups in the United States of the justness of the German cause and the advantage of a close alliance of Germany and the Irish sympathizers as against England. BREWING AND LIQUOR INTERESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA. 15 Dr. Albert's part in the propaganda Avork of the German repre- sentatives was to attend conferences with Dr. Fuehr, Dr. Hale, and others, advise on the general plan of propaganda and to himself de- liver talks and lectures in clubs and in more or less exclusive circles of literary men and educators. Part of the system was to enlist the aid and assistance of profes- sors in American colleges as writers in favor of Germany, so that their personal influence and influence of their reports could be used to the iidvantage of the German cause. There is in the record a list of men prominent as professors and teachers in various of the American universities whose services were enlisted in the cause of Germany and Avho wrote and lectured in favor of the German cause. Many of their writings Avere published in Verick's Fatherland in the first instance, and then widely distributed in pamphlet form. A list of a number of the books distributed by the Fuehr bureau will be found on pages 1410 and 1415 of the record. The Jewish propaganda, as stated, Avas conducted by Dr. Straus, who was sent here by Dr. Dernberg and Dr. Albert from Germany especially for the purpose. It appears to have been the idea of the German GoA^ernment that inasmuch as Russia was fighting against Germany, the Jews would naturally affiliate Avith Germany, Russia having oppressed them for many years. Dr. Straus devoted himself to that work. Dr. Straus was assisted by a translator by the name of L. S. Malamecle, who was sent from Germany for the purpose. In a letter written by Dr. Straus to Dr. Albert, under date of Oc- tober 20, 1914, the following is quoted : The manipulation of tlie Jewish press in America, formerly casual, has now been changed by me into a regular systematic information service and organized on a firm basis. This was extremely necessary considering the peculiar nature of the Jewish press and the difficult conditions in other countries where Jews have not full citizenship. The confirmation of this opinion is furnished by the follow- ing article from Die AVarheit, of which I spoke to you recently. You see that the pro-German attitude of the Jews here has put the times into a tremendous rage. The bureau began business yesterday and I spend several hours there daily. Dr. Malamede works according to my instructions and under my supervision. In another communication sent by Dr. Malamede about the same time is a report on his work in the JeAvish press, showing the distribu- tion of A'^arious pro-German articles in different Jewish publications in various parts of the United States. The report shows that from the period of June 14, 1915, down to January 4, 1916, Dr. Straus receiA^ed approximately $28,000 from the German Government, presumably for a small part of the Jewish I^ropaganda, for other records show that Straus received from Dr. Albert's office between four and five million dollars. In further connection with the expenses of the German propa- ganda the following should be noted : That the German Government had spent up to June 21, 1915, on press propaganda in the United States the sum of $786,000 and in addition to the sum of about $1,700,000 expended in the purchase of the Evening Mail and its manipulation. In addition to the money spent in New York, the S. Doc. 61, 66-1 3 16 BRBWIKG AlfD LIQUOR IIJ^TKBESTS AMD GERMAN PROPAGANDA, German consnls througliout the country were furnished various sums by Von Bernstorff for different purposes, and the aggregate amount expended by the German Government for the purpose above stated is believed by your committee to be greatly in excess of the amounts disclosed by the evidence. A press bureau was maintained at Stui Francisco by the German consulate, and the evidence shows th:it large quantities of propaganda literature were sent by the Fuelir Bureau into Mexico. As part of the information service there was operated and main- tained what was known as the Trans-ocean News Service, which was operated under the direction of Dr. Fuehr and his assistants, which was a wireless news service from New York to Berlin by way of Sayville, Long Island, and the Nauen wireless station in Germany. Bv means of this service the German agents operating under the d i lection of Dr. Albert and Dr. Fuehr were kept in direct coromuni- c:\tion with Berlin at all times and news information covering exerj conceivable phase of American activities was collected, classi- fied, and forwarded to Berlin, and it was by means of the wireless service that a great deal of the current information concerning war happenings that went to make up the German information sheet was received. .At the commencement of the European war there were wireless plants located at Sayville, Long Island, and Tuckerton, N. J., owned and controlled by German interests, capable of receiving and trans- mitting messages to and from Berlin. Through this means of com- munication material received from Germany was forwarded to various centers for distribution in Central and South America and the West Indies by cable. The expenses of the New York bureau conducted by Mr. Fuehr for such cable service amounted to many thousands of dollars a month. A letter from the German propagandist agent at Corumba, Brazil, dated May 27, 1916, which was intercepted by the British secret serv- ice, reads, in part, as follows : It would be very fitting if immediately after the war a commission of wireless telegraphy was sent to all the States of South America to obtain concessions from the different governments for the establishment of wireless stations and to start constructing the same immediately. The Sayville-Tuckerton station has been invaluable and without it South America would have been in the hands of the Anglo-French news service. The establishment of wireless is certainly cheaper than cable and impresses Creole governments about its sim- plicity and modernity. All of the propaganda work in the United States, Mexico, and South America was conducted under the immediate direction of the German foreign office at Berlin by the central section for foreign news service, or Zentralstelle fiir Auslandsdienst. This section of the foreign office was under the immediate direction of Dr. Thiel, and was the bureau to which Dr. Fuehr reported. It was charged with the preparation of news matter, films, books, etc., for war propa- ganda in foreign countries and was the principal source from which foreign newspaper correspondents in Berlin obtained material for their dispatches. One of the principal and most important means of disseminating German propaganda was through the medium of moving pictures, and early in the year of 1915 the German Government organized in BBEWING AND LIQUOR INTERESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA. 17 the United States a film corporation known as the American Cor- respondence Film Co., with headquarters in the city of New York, for the purpose of receiving from Germany moving-picture films of various war scenes and civil life in Germany for dissemination through the moving-picture houses in the United States In a letter of Zimmerman, secretary of foreign affairs of tlie German Government, dated March 1, 1915, addressed to Count Von Bernstorff, directions are given for the carrying on of this type of propaganda. The letter states, in part, as follows : I beg to advise your excellency that 5 copies of a film 1,200 meters long will shortly go to the German Burt*au of Information in New York. As propaganda through pictures has shown itself to be remarkably effective in neutral foreign countries, it seems expedient to place this work of publica- tion on a greater basis than heretofore. In consideration of the fact that the sending of larger packages to the United States at this time encounters insuperable difRculy, the establishment and extension of a central place in New York, organized on a large scale, seems imi>eratively necessary. In this case particularly sharp proofs of all photo- graphs and films received here should be sent in two exemplifications in letter form by different routes to the central point in New York. The latter could then, by calling on experts and persons well informed of conditions there — 1. Have produced from the original photographs there on the spot dupli- cates, enlargements, stereotype plates, illustrated writings and compositions, stereopticon pictures, etc. 2. Undertake the exhibition of this entire picture and films in the whole country through agencies to be established in all the larger cities. In a report of Dr. Fuehr to Dr. Albert under date of April 20, 1915, the former states : As I had the honor to explain briefly at the session of tlie press bureau on the 12th of this month, it seems settled that an especial registered company will be formed to obtain good war films in Germany adapted to propaganda in this country and to circulate the same in the United States. According to the wireless received here yesterday, the plan mentioned has been officially approved in BerUn. The company, whose incorporation under the firm name "American Corre- spondence Film Co." has been accomplished to-day under the proper authori- ties, is in need of a capital of nominally $10,000, divided into 1,000 shares of $10 per share. The interest of the Imperial Government in this undertaking consists in the facts that the company should not work for the greatest possible financial profit from the disposal of tlie war films, but lay chief emphasis on the greatest pos- sible circulation of them in the most respectable film theaters of the land. The company was incorporated with a nominal capital of $10,000, which was shortly increased to $140,000. The enterprise was placed in the hands of Mathew B. Claussen, of the Hamburg- American Line, associated with whom were Felix Malitz, Adolph Ingel, and Dr. Fuehr, the latter retaining control of the company. The enter- prise was largely financed by German money, and a scheme was adopted of smuggling films into the United States by way of neu- tral countries through arrangements made with the chief stewards of certain steamships. As a result of these activities, Malitz and Ingel were indicted by the Federal authorities, convicted, and sen- tenced to terms of imprisonment. A great many films were brought over, the company having sent two men to Germany to take the pictures and write the scenarios, 18 BKEWING AND LIQUOE INTEKESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA. and there was considerable distribution throughout the moving-pic- ture houses of the United States. An effort was made to interest the Hearst Film Service in handling all of the films obtained and pro- duced by the American Correspondence Film Co., but the proposition was not consummated. Under date of December 3, 1915, Dr. Fuehr makes a report to Von Bernstorff which indicates that the display of films was considered by him to be effective. The letter, in part, is as follows : Our opponents now seem to liave recognized the effectiveness of this propa- ganda and are exhibiting films from their fronts, whicli do not fail to make an impression, with extraordinary outlays for extensive advertising and under the patronage of the highest personalities. Some of the films exhibited are quite excellent ; others are obviously maneuver pictures, which, however, have a thrilling effect upon the public. He ^ 4i :ii 4: :{! sj: Would it not be possible to secure similar pictures of our fronts for distribu- tion to the American Correspondence Film Co.? We have far more celebrated men to introduce than any of our opponents; we have the most varied fronts; we have a much grander organization. With the films which we have heretofore received, mostly from Austria and much from Germany, our business manager, with a skill highly worthy of recognition, has made up four good film dramas, but there is no doubt that he would do much better if our people were given more opportunity to take inter- esting views. According to the books of the American Correspondence Film Co., it had received up to October 31, 1915, from the German Government the sum of $78,600. In May of 1916 the assets and property of the company were turned over by the German Government to Malitz and wound up their direct connection with the film business. As part of the German propaganda system in the United States, Dr. Albert, Count Von Bernstorff, and other German representa- tives and agents were particularly active in the organization of and subsidizing of innumerable societies and leagues formed for the pur- l.>ose of spreading German propaganda, and one at least for the defi- nite purpose of influencing national legislation. A review of all of these organizations and their various ramifica- tions would be impracticable, but reference may be had to the most important ones as typical of this part of the system. The most important and far-reaching of the efforts made by the German Government and its sympathizers was the organization of what was knoAvn as the American embargo conference, which was organized in the summer of 1915. Those in direct charge of the move- ment were William Bayard Hale, then in the employ of the German Government and cosnected with the Dr. Fuehr Bureau; one G. H. Jacobson, from Chicago; Carl E. Schmidt, of Detroit, Mich.; Rev. Charles F. Aked ; Will E>. McDonald, a newspaper man, who was en- gaged as press agent; and George F. Hanscher, president. The organization was incorporated in September of 1915 under the laws of Illinois. The organization and its activities are described in a report made by Jacobson to William Bayard Hale, which reads in part as follows: The organization of the American embargo conference was first formally discussed at a meeting held in Detroit on July 10, 1915. This meeting was attended by representative men from Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Minne- sota, and several other States. BREWING AND LIQUOR INTERESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA. 19 At this meeting numerous plans were canvassed in an effort to adopt one tliat would be most likely to brinj: about the success of the embargo movement, and when the plans had been outlined the committee adjourned to allow the representatives to consider them all thoroughly, with the understanding that they would be again canvassed at a meeting to be held in Chicago on July 24. A meeting was held in Chicago, and the plan adopted was to endeavor to influence the voters of the United States, particularly tlie German-American voters, to use every effort with their Congress- men and Senators to pass a resolution which would be introduced prohibiting the shipping of munitions and supplies to the Allies. The plan adopted was exceedingly comprehensive, in that it con- templated a local organization in every town and city in the United States and the obtaining of signatures to individual declarations by voters who either were opposed to the shipment of munitions and supplies to the Allies or who could be persuaded to oppose the shipment. The report of Jacobson to Dr. Hale states : The first weeks of the campaign taught us that it would be necessary for the conference to depend in many ways upon the worlcers in the different localities, and this brought about the plan to establish local branches of the conference in all of the cities, towns, and villages of the United States. This work has been pushetl rapidly during the past two weeks, and already the conference has found that the local organization plan will make it possible to have the vote lined up and under orders in time to make it possible for the voters to show the Congressmen a strength that they will be afraid to ignore. The method of doing this has been to secure the name or names of persons in different localities who are known to be strongly in favor of an embargo. We have secured these names in different manners. In one way we sent out letters to the editors of the different German papers of the country asking them to supply us with names. Again, we took the names of writers who had se- cured some of our postal cards and had not contented themselves with sending in their pledges, but had written for more cards or had sent in contributions to help the movement or had written to ask in what nianoer they could give their services. And further on the report states : In addition to all this, a staff of German-American speakers, under the direc- tion of Dr. Herman Gerhard, has been at work among the German-Americar^ organizations of the States of Illinois, of Indiana, of Michigan, of Wisconsin, and of Nebraska, and these speakers have been teaching the doctrine of organi- zation until we can say that it has been well drilled into the German-Americana of these sections, and already they are at work lining up the voters of other nationalities. « * 4: * * * * To aid in the initial work in Illinois, Dr. Gerhard, an excellent speaker and a most successful organizer, was brought to Chicago from Texas, and, as has been said before,, was placed in charge of the speakers of our German-American bureau. Dr. Gerhard first devoted his time to the German-American societies of Chicago, and his success in securing their hearty support and offers of as- sistance was such as to lead the conference to add other speakers, and these men are now being sent out as rapidly as our funds will permit. The report then goes into more detail about describing the distri- bution of literature of various kinds, including pamphlets and copies of editorials from certain prominent American newspapers which Avere in favor of the embargo, and then says : To-day J. J. Tobias, of the Friends of Peace, in an interview in the Chicago Herald, declared that the Teutonic voters of the country to the number of five million were " going to raise hell with any party not in our favor." One mouth ago this statement w^ould have called down the wrath of a score of editorial writers. To-day the editorial w'riters and the politicians are wonder' 20 BREWING AND LIQUOR INTERESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA. Ing just how close to the right number of voters Mr. Tobias was when he put the figure at five million. And if the American embargo conference's success continues to grow as it has been growing during these early and trying weeks of its short career the politicians of the country will find that the Teutonic voters of the country are not standing alone but are lined up with other Americans in a body of Ameri- cans who are all real Americans and of so many nationalities that no one will attempt to drag out one nationality and attempt to hold it up to scorn as the friends of the munition forces have been attemping to do with the German- American vote. The report shows that the embargo conference was particularly- active in the States of Illinois, Indiana, New York, Arkansas, Ala- bama, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Texas, Iowa, and Michi- gan. As a result of the activities of this group which composed the embargo conference the members of Congress were flooded with numerous prepaid telegrams from all over the country, all of which telegrams were prepaid by the embargo conference in different forms and made to appear as though coming from separate groups of people who were solely prompted by their own views in sending the request. The embargo conference continued its activities through 1916 and into the early part of 1917. It was financed in part by contribu- tions made by citizens, many of whom were of German extraction, and a partial list of these contributions appears in the record on pages 1508 to 1512. Confidential communications which passed between Von Bern- storff to the foreign office in Berlin and from other German agents, show that the movement was financed in a large measure by the Ger- man Government. E,eiswitz, the German consul at Chicago, under date of December 21, 1915, sent a cipher message to the German ambassador requesting financial assistance for the embargo conference to the extent of six or seven thousand dollars to continue its activities, stating that the embargo conference has rendered service worthy of acknowledgment. In September, 1916, Von Bernstorff sent a message to the foreign office, Berlin, in part, as follows: The embargo conference in regard to whose earlier fruitful cooperation Dr. Hale can give information, is just about to enter upon a vigorous campaign to secure a majority in both Houses of Congress favorable to Germany, and requests further support. There is no possibility of our being compromised. And later, on January 22, 1917, just prior to the breach in diplo- matic relations, Count Von Bernstorff sent the following message to the foreign office in Berlin : I request authority to pay out up to $50,000 in order, as on former occasions, to influence Congress, through the organization you know of, which can per- haps prevent war. I am beginning in the meantime to act accordingly. In the above circumstances a public ofiicial German declaration in favor of Ireland is highly desirable in order to gain the support of Irish influence here. It was about this time that the embargo conference, which had been continued by popular subscription as well as by German subsidy, was causing telegrams to be sent to Congressmen and Senators from all parts of the country, urging them to stand firm against any declaration of war. Specimens of these telegrams are as follows : Your constituents urge and expect you to stand like a rock against the pass- ing frenzy of insane and criminal folly on the part of the small jMjrtion of Interested persons who are clamoring for war. We want peace. Nothing warrants any other action. BREWING AND LIQUOR INTERESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA. 21 Another reads as follows: If warlike rumors coming from Washington are true, will you let me reassure you that the great majority of your constituents stand for peace, believe war now unnecessary and uncalled for, and will resent being precipitated into the European conflict. In the early stages of the activities of the embargo conference, in 1915, Dr. Hale organized a women's auxiliary known as the League of American Women for Strict Neutrality, which had its headquar- ters in the city of Baltimore. The object of this association was to enlist the women of the United States against war and the shipment of munitions and supplies to the Allies. At one of the conferences held at Dr. Fuehr's office, written report of which is in the record at page 1394, the following appears : Mr. Hale then reports concerning the progress of his negotiations with the Baltimore ladles concerning the propaganda against the export of arms. All preparations were made for carrying through the project of poster adver- tising. A pamphlet entitled " Thou ehalt not kill," written by Mr. Hale, has been printed and will be sent out. Signatures to a petition to Congress collected by the ladies now number 200,000 and will in time perhaps reach 600,000. The ladies have applied for assistance in their campaign to a number of persons named by Mr. Hale. It is suggested that it be put up to the ladies to address the petition to the President and Congress and not wait until the collection of signatures is complete before sending it to Washington, but send them at once In batches of about 10,000. The League of American Women for Strict Neutrality received $20,000 from the German fund for poster advertising, which sum was paid through Dr. Hale. In the same report the following is stated ; Mr. Claussen proposes to have a film prepared for propaganda against the exportation of arms, which shall exhibit the manufacture of American shrapnel munition and afterwards show in drastic style the results of the use of this munition. Mr. Hale reports that Mrs. Hale is busy upon propaganda against the exporta- tion of horses. Mr. Claussen undertakes to have a correspondingly touching scenario (story of former fire-brigade mare slaughtered in Flanders) written. At this same conference, which took place on May 24, 1915, the report states: Mr. Hale calls attention to the interview, printed in the evening papers, with the surviving passenger of the Lusitania, Dr. Foss, who has arrived here. It is resolved that Mr. Claussen have the said Foss interviewed as to whether the Lusitania had any guns mounted on the deck at the time she was torpedoed. Mr. Meyer undertakes to prepare a collection of newspaper clippings in his office containing statements of passengers, etc., which show the blame attached to the Cunard Line. Mr. Fuehr will also prepare a similar collection. The evidence shows that an attempt was made on the part of the German Government to prove by various false affidavits of pas- sengers and those who claimed to be passengers that the Lusitania carried guns mounted on her forward deck, all of which was after- wards disproven and admitted to be false by German representatives in this countr3^ However, as a result of Dr. Fuehr's work, enor- mous publicity was given to the claim of the Germans that the Liisi- fania was armed and consequently the act of the German submarine in sinking her was justified. As part of the German propaganda system there was incorporated by one Jeremiah A. O'Leary, an American citizen of Irish extrac- tion, what was known as the American Truth Society, which had 22 BKEWIFG AliTD LIQUOR INTEEESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA. a very large membership, made up principally of Germans and German- Am.ericans and American citizens of Irish extraction. This association had its headquarters in the city of New York and had among its prominent members and organizers such men as George Sylvester Viereck, Bernard H, Eitter, of the New York Staats Zie-. tung ; Frederick F. Schroeder, associated with Viereck in the publica- tion of the Fatherland ; and JeremiaK" A. O'Leary , who was the presi- dent of the society. O'Leary's activities were mainly directed to lectures and address- ing public meetings in New York and in various parts of the United States, writing articles for the German propaganda publications, and conducting a publication of his own known as The Bull. O'Leary's writings and speeches were violently anti-British and up- held the cause of Germany as against England. The society published a large number of pro-German and anti- British pamphlets and books, which had a wide distribution, a list of which is found on page 1541 of the record. An examination of these pamphlets and books show their violent anti-British and pro- German character. Just how much the German Government assisted in financing the American Truth Society has never been developed, but the records show the transfer of approximately $10,000 to the society through a banking house in New York, which money came from the German Government, and a direction by Dr. Albert in a letter of April 19, 1915, to another banking house to pay over to the treasurer of the society the sum of $500 and charge the same to his account. The society was maintained in a large measure by financial contri- butions of its members, 80 or 90 per cent of the contributors being German or German extraction. O'Leary is under indictment by the Federal authorities for viola- tion of the Federal statutes on account of his activities. This society was particularly active during the year 1915 in the concentrated effort being made to induce Congress to place an em- bargo upon the shipment of munitions and supplies to allied Govern- ments, and to the formation of a large association of various pro- German societies which went under the name of the Friends of Peace, which was organized through the assistance of the German- American Alliance of the city of New York, of which Henry Weissman was president. The Friends of Peace held two large meetings in 1916, one in Madison Square Garden, in New York, and one in Chicago, which meetings were addressed by prominent Americans who were in favor of peace for the United States at any price and who were particularly in favor of an embargo on shipment of munitions to the Allies. These addresses were widely distributed by the various pro- German organizations throughout the United States. In their efforts to create a sentiment in the United States against the manufacture and shipment of munitions to the Allies, the German agents under the direction of Dr. Albert, acting through Dr. Eumle3^, undertook the preparation and publication, in April, of 1915, of what was known as an appeal to the American people, which was published in most of the foreign language newspapers of the United States on or about the 5th of April, 1915, and in about 70 of the principal BREWING AND LIQUOR INTERESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA. 23 daily papers published in the English language. This propaganda was handled by Louis N. Ilammerling, president of the American Association of Foreign Language NeAvspapers, -which has its head- quarters in the city of New York. A great deal of evidence has been given concerning the operations of this association in connection with the propaganda conducted for the United States Brewers' Associa- tion. Mr. Ilammerling appeared before the committee and was ex- amined at length, as well as other witnesses who testified on the same subjpct. The American Association of Foreign Language Newspapers is a corporation of which Mr. Hammerling had the controlling interest. It is, in fact, an advertising agency of the foreign-language ]:)ress of tlie United States, and through the parceling out of advertising con- tracts and business by Hammerling its so-called membership was held together and was used by Hammerling and others who retained him for political and propaganda purposes. Hammerling's clients consisted of a considerable number of large national advertisers, whose annual appropriations for advertising purposes ran up into very large amounts of money. This advertising was distributed among the foreign-language papers by Hammerling, who received a commission for placing the advertising contracts with the newspapers that belonged to his association. This association, in existence since about 1908, embraced between six and seven hundred newspapers published in various parts of the United States in about 30 foreign languages, exclusive of the German language, and including Bohemian, Italian, Jewish, Polish, Hun- garian, Servian, etc. It is quite clear from the testimony of witnesses and from the prac- tices shown by the arrangements made between Hammerling and the brewers' association that most, if not all, of the foreign-language papers accepted and printed practically anything that they were requested to do by Hammerling in the way of news and propaganda articles. The plan of publication of articles was as follows: The Associa- tion of Foreign Language Newspapers published a bimonthly maga- zine known as the American Leader, in the English language and to which various writers contributed articles. Many of these articles were translated into the various foreign languages, printed in proof form, and sent to the foreign-language newspapers who were mem- bers of the association for publication. In the case of the brewers who used the Hammerling association extensively a long series of articles on personal liberty were published- first in the American Leader, translated into 27 different foreign languages, and sent in proof form to the newspapers, and republished in the language of the individual paper. Mr. Percy Andreae, rep- resenting the brewers, prepared these articles which were signed by Hanunerling. In March, 1915, Hammerling was approached by Dr. Eumely with i> proposition to publish in the foreign-language press an appeal to the American people against the manufacture and shipment of muni- tions to the Allies. Hammerling denied knowledge of the fact that Eumely was working for the German Government, claiming that he went into the proposition purely from the standpoint of financial S. Doc. 61, 66-1 4 24 BREWING AND LIQUOR INTERESTS AND GERMA.N PROPAGANDA. profit. This, however, is denied by one of his former associates, who had assisted in the preparation of the article. The appeal was pre- pared and arrangements were made to publish the same in some five hmidred of the papers who were members of the association, as well as in some seventy English-language papers. The consideration agreed upon was $205,000. The appeal was published, as arranged, on or about the 5th of April, 1915, in the daily papers and continued to be published in the weekly papers at intervals during the month of April. This appeal appears on page 568 of the record- and reads, in part, as follows : We appeal to the American people, to the high-minded and courageous Ameri- can press, and to the American manufacturer of powder, shrapnel, and cartridges, and we appeal to the workmen engaged in the plants devoted to the manufac- ture of ammunitions for use of the nations at war to immediately cease making powder, shrapnel, and cartridges destined to destroy our brothers, widow our sisters and mothers, and orphan their children, as well as destroy forever the priceless possession handed down by our ancestors. We appeal particularly to the American manufacturers and their workmen engaged in manufacturing any of these articles to suspend at once the manu- facture of powder and bullets, which are being made for the cruel and inhuman purpose of mutilating and destroying humanity. We appeal individually to the workmen of such factories, even at the sacrifice of their positions, to go on record as being unalterably opposed to being employed for the purpose of manufacturing ammunition to shatter the bodies and blot out the lives of their own blood relatives. It appears from the evidence that Hammerling had sent agents and representatives to the principal munition manufacturing centers prior to the publication of the appeal in order to ascertain the nationality of the various workers in the munition plants. Men were sent to Bridgeport, Conn.; Illion, N. Y. ; Bethlehem, Pa.; and to munition plants in Brooklyn. Hammerling denied that these men were sent to stir up any labor troubles, but were merely sent to ascertain the extent of the foreign element employed in the plants. This appeal had an enormous circulation, and, of course, was de- signed by the German agents to reach the foreign-born element outside of the Germans and to add the weight of this element to the general propaganda being conducted at the same time by the various propa- ganda organizations throughout the country. The extent of the circulation of the foreign-language press con- trolled by Hammerling at about this time is described by Percy Andreae in a report made to the brewers' association on October 15, 1915, as follows: The personal-liberty articles appearing In the American Leader are being re- published in 30 languages in whole or in part by about 800 newspapers, with a total circulation of 6,000,000 copies. There are thus being reached through this channel 18,000,000 readers biweekly. The organization of this press and the elements surrounding it by the American Association of Foreign Language Newspapers has now reached the stage at which practical results can be ob- tained throughout the country by the application of proper organization meth- ods in any locality where this press is represented. This has been proven beyond question in Ohio, where in the last campaign, through the instrumental- ity of the foreign-language press, registration of voters of foreign origin or foreign extraction exceeded in one county alone by over 20,000 anything ever known in the political history of the county. It developed in the examination of Hammerling that, although the latter at times claimed to be an American citizen by naturalization and to have been bom in the island of Hawaii, in fact he was bom BREWING AND LIQUOR INTERESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA. 25 in Galacia, under the sovereignty of the Austrian Imperial Govern- ment; that he had made a false affidavit upon his application for naturalization in the State of Pennsylvania in 1901 and upon his own admission had only resided in the United States for a period of three years prior to his application for naturalization papers. He admitted that his principal property interests were in Galacia, and, wliile denying all knowledge of the fact that the German Gov- ernment had employed hmi and his association for propaganda pur- poses, admitted that he could see no harm in the appeal, as it was done purely for financial profit. It appeared from Hammerling's statement and from other evi- dence that all of his personal books, papers and documents, and the records of his association, covering tne years 1915 and 1916 have been destroyed. No other evidence on the use of the Foreign Language Press As- sociation for German propaganda purposes was obtained, but it is clear from the evidence that Hammerling was employed for a defi- nite purpose by the German agents and the record indicates that he knew at the time the purpose for which he was being employed. It appears from the evidence that there are several thousand for- eign-language publications in the United States, of which a large number were unpatriotic and disloyal to the United States, its prin- ciples and institutions, and it has been established that some of these were subsidized by the German and Austrian Governments. Nor was the foreign language press alone responsible for all pro- German propaganda. Many English newspapers, both before and for months after America entered the war, while not shown to have been actu- ally subsidized nor charged with actual violation of the espionage act, persisted in the endeavor through editorials, news columns, and cartoons, to create a popular prejudice against the war and against effectual action on the part of the United States. The effect of this attitude on the part of these English newspapers was to encourage Germany and German sympathizers. One of the most effective organizations of the German propagandist system was the German University league, an organization formed in the city of New York by a group of Germans, German-Americans, and American citizens who were strongly pro-German in their sym- pathies, including Dr. Edmund Von Mach ; William K. Shepard, of Columbia University; M. E. Hine, George Viereck's father-in-law; Dr. Hugo Schweitzer, chief chemist of the Bayer Chemical Co., and others. The constitution states the purpose of the league to be — 1. To establish in tlie United States a well-organized center for former students at German Universities and other German institutions of similar standards in Germany, Austria-Hungary, and other countries. 2. To cooperate with every effort to strengthen the regard for the Germans and for their aims and ideals, and to secure for them fair play and proper appreciation. 3. To correct misinformation about German conditions and problems by placing before educated Americans and before the press of this country reliable material bearing on German affairs. This organization had branches in New York City ; Boston, Mass. ; Philadelphia, Pa.; Richmond, Va. ; Atlanta, Ga. ; Chicago, 111.; St. Louis Mo. ; Milwaukee, Wis. ; Kansas City, Kans. ; Dallas, Tex. ; and 26 BREWING AlTD LIQUOR INTERESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA. San Francisco, Calif. Its membership Avas made up of college profes- sors, writers, publishers, clergymen, scientists, and, generallj^^, men of higher education. There is little evidence of the actual activities of this mem.bership as a group, with the exception of the work of Dr. Edmund Yon Mach, who wrote several books in favor of the German cause, wrote continu- ously for the newspapers, and presented a petition to Congress on the 2d of April, 1917, urging Congress to refuse to declare war against Germany. This petition is found on pages 1532 to 1536 of the Record. The only evidence contained in the record that the German Uni- versity League was subsidized by the German Government agents in the United States is contained in a message of Count Von Bernstorff to the foreign office, dated November 1, 1916, in which Von Bernstorff states as follows : Since the Lusitania case we have strictly confined ourselves to such propa- ganda as can not hurt us if it becomes known. The sole exception is perhaps the peace propaganda, which has cost the largest amount, but which also has been the most successful. Latterly I have been using the embargo association and some entirely reliable private intermediaries. I have also made use of the German University League, founded since the war. This has done its best to take the place of the German • Association, which has been of no use during the war on account of its management. The league has published under my collaboration an excellent collection of reports on the war, which will be of great service to our cause. The support which I have already given the league is entered in the first quarter's account for 1916, item No. 208. On the occasion of later installments to them I will refer to this report. I ask that this be sanctioned. It would be difficult to write a full and complete history of the ramifications of the German propaganda in the United States from the time of the beginning of the European war down to the date of the departure of the official German group in February, 1917. Much of the material available discloses connections of various individuals and firms now under investigation by the Department of Justice and other information of persons now under indictment and awaiting trial. It is needless to say tha,t perhaps only a comparatively small part of the whole system will ever be known. Sufficient evidence has been produced before this committee to es- tablish the fact of the inauguration in the United States of a wide- spread system and most of its principal ramifications and activities. There is a sharp line of clemarkation to be drawn between legiti- mate commercial enterprises conducted by a foreign power within the United States and propaganda conducted for the purpose of influencing public opinion and official action. In order to prevent the assimilation of the aliens coming to this country, the Austrian Government organized the large financial institution, having branch offices throughout the country, and the active endeavor of this institution was to secure the funds and earn- ings belonging to aliens for transfer to their native country. In this way as much as $400,000,000 was annually sent out of this country. In connection with these financial activities, this institu- tion promoted the separatist movement, having for its purpose the holding together in nativistic groups the alien elements of our population. BREWING AND LIQUOR INTERESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA. 27 BOLSHEVISM. On the 4th day of February, 1919, the Senate adopted the follow- ing resolution, No. 436, and in pursuance to the directions therein contained your committee proceeded to make the inquiry requested, and the testimony taken by your committee is contained in the printed record, entitled " Bolshevik propaganda," which is herewith transmitted. Resolved, That the authority of the Committee on the Judiciary conferred by S. Res. 307 be, and the same hereby is, extended so as to include the power and duty to inquire concerning any efforts being made to propagate in this country the principles of any party exercising or claiming to exercise authority in Russia, whether such efforts originate in this country or are incited or financed from abroad, and, further, to inquire into any effort to incite the ovei'- throw of the Government of this country or all government by force, or by the destruction of life or property, or the general cessation of industry. In order to determine the possible connection and relation between the principles of government advocated by those claiming to exercise authority in Russia and the several activities now being carried on in the United States, it was deemed essential that a careful inquiry be made to determine the exact nature of the so-called principles of government now being applied in Russia. The record includes the constitution and a compilation of many of the so-called laws in force in Russia from which the nature of the paper government can be de- termined and the testimony of many eyewitnesses of the attempted application of this paper government discloses the character and nature of the actual government in practical operation. The investi- gation which your committee has conducted convinces it that few of either the advocates or opponents, in this country, of the present Rus- sian Socialist Federal Soviet Republic, are familiar with the funda- mental principles upon which this Government is attempting to per- petuate itself. Consequently the agitation growing out of develop- ments in Russia has largely degenerated into appeals to the prejudices and the animosities that are inherent in the selfish natures of most individuals and little or no appeal has been made to the intelligence of the people. It is therefore not surprising that the word " Bolshevism " has now become merely a generic term, and in America is nothing more than a slogan of the elements of unrest and discontent. By reason of their ignorance as to what Bolshevism as a code of political and social morals in Russia means, almost every dissatisfied element, from the radical anarchist to the theoretical idealist, has seized upon it as approaching something of a Utopian nature. It is interesting to note that every witness called before your committee as a champion of the cause of the principles of the Russian Socialist Fed- eral Soviet Republic admitted that he or she had never read the con- stitution of the government of which he was the champion. The word Bolshevism has been so promiscuously applied to various political and social programs that we feel that it is of paramount im- portance that the delusions and misconceptions as to what it really is, as it exists to-day in Russia, should be, as far as possible, removed and that the people of the United States should be thoroughly in- formed as to just what this much-discussed institution really is, both in theory and in practice. 28 BREWING AND LIQUOR INTERESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA. Your committee is of the opinion that the best answer that can be given to the argument of the champions of this Eussian institu- tion is a true explanation of its real nature and the actual principles upon which it is founded as well as the unavoidable consequences that would follow its adoption. The word Bolshevik is the name of the party that controls the Russian Socialist Federal Soviet Repub- lic and that dictated its constitution. We are, therefore, justified in using this name to identify the constitution which it dictated and m accepting that constitution and the laws that have been prescribed under it as the platform and program of Bolshevism. The following are a few of the fundamental facts descriptive of Bolshevism and the form and character of the government established and operated by the Bolshevilri in Russia under the name of the " Rus- sian Socialist Federal Soviet Republic." It is the dictatorship of a class and is not a democratic form of gov- ernment. In its actual application it has become an autocracy of a few individuals who exercise their authority and suppress all opposi- tion by fear, terrorism, and force. It has developed into as much of an autocracy, though more cruel in its methods, as the monarchial government of the Czar's regime. Under the provisional government of Kerensky an effort was made to establish a democracy and to in- augurate a socialistic state under that form of government. With a view to establishing such a democratic government the provisional government, on July 22, 1917, ordered the election of the constituent aKstimbly to be voted for by all of the people of Russia on September 30, 1917. Prior to this time general elections in Russia on an equal suffrage basis were unheard of, and it therefore became necessary for the provisional government to create the necessary election machinery and to secure a complete and impartial registration of the newly created electorate. The difficulties encountered in this undertaking made it necessary in August to postpone the election of the constituent assembly from the 30th of September to the 25th of November. This postponement was seized upon by the Bolsheviki as raising an issue through which they could attack the provisional government, and they charged that government with having an ulterior purpose in directing this postponement. In raising this issue they appealed to the people to arise in defense of a democratic form of government by overthrowing the provisional government and securing for themselves thereby, through the Bol- shevik Party, the benefits and advantages of a democracy and the election of a constituent assembly as an instrument which would make possible the establishment of a constitution based upon the equality of man and secure to all Russian citizens equal participa- tion in the affairs of government. With this issue, among others, the Bolshevik. Party overthrew the provisional government in the Octo- ber revolution and immediately issued a decree (Exhibit 1, appendix of record of hearing) ordering "that the elections to the constituent assembly shall be held on November 25, the day set aside for this purpose " by the provisional government and ordering that the free- dom of the ballot should be adequately safeguarded. At the ap- pohited time the constituent assembly was elected and a canvass of the personnel of that assembly established the overwhelming defeat of the Bolshevik Party and the supremacy of other socialist parties, BREWING AND LIQUOR INTERESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA. 29 Avliereupon the attitude of the BoLsheviki toward the constituent as- sembly underwent a complete chanj^e, and from that time their antagonism toward a constituent nssembh^, universal equal suffrage, and a democratic form of government has been manifested in every official act of the government and in the actual application of that government to the several activities of the nation. In the original call for the election of the constituent asseml)ly, December 12, 1917, had been fixed as the time of its meeting. It was not, however, until January, 1918, that the Balshevik autocracy permitted the constituent assembly to convene. When it did meet the Bolshevik Party submitted to this representative body for adop- tion a set of resolutions denouncing the election at which it was elected, repudiating itself as representative of the electorate, whose commission it held, and declaring that there was no proper function for it to perform in the proposed new government of the Russian nation. (Exhibit 16, appendix.) As might well have been expected, the constituent assembly declined to pass this resolution, whereupon the Bolshevik members withdrew, and the constituent assembly wag forcibly dispersed by the Red Guard, and a democratic form of gov- ernment was lost to the Russian people. In its place has arisen the dictatorship of the small minority — headed by Lenin and Trotsky. Lenin, president of the Soviet of Peoples Commissaries, frankly; admits this in the following Avords : Just as 150,000 lordly laiulowners dominated the 180,000,000 of Russian peasants, so 200,000 members of the Bolshevik Party are imposing their pro- letarian will on the mass. * * * Nor is this dictatorship the result of a usurpation of power on the part of the officials of the Bolsheviki, but it is the recognized founda- tion upon which the whole governmental structure is erected, as is evidenced by paragraph 9 of the Bolshevik constitution, which pro- vides as follows : The principal aim of the constitution of the Russian Socialist Federal Soviet Republic in the present transitory period is to establish the dictatorship of the city and rural proletariat and of the poorest elements of the peasantry in the form of a powerful all-Russian soviet government for the purpose of completely suppressing the capitalistic class. * * * [Note. — Under Bolshevism, the capitalistic class includes all persons who do not perform manual labor for a livlihood, or who employ any person in their business, or who own any property or receive any income, no matter how small the amount. The words " parasitic class " and " boursooisie " are popularly used by the Bolsheviki aa synonymous with " capitalistic class."] It is perhaps difficult to realize that it has been possible to per- petuate a dictatorship of such a small minority through the many months which have passed since it came into power. Without some understanding of the nature and character of the actual activities of the Bolsheviki the casual observer would be persuaded that the tyranny of this autocracy would in a short time bring down upon its head the wrath of the majority, who with reasonable effort would have no difficulty in overthroAving the usurpers. A study of the actual methods and practices of the dictatorship, however, clearly establishes the helplessness of the great mass of the Russian popu- lace. The Bolsheviki have inaugurated a reign of terror unparal- leled in the history of modern civilization, in many of its aspects rivaling even the inhuman savagery of the Turk and the terrors of 30 BEE WING A]!0 LIQUOR INTERESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA. the French Eevolution. Under the evidence your committee has been compelled to impose the responsibility for this terrorism upon the government itself rather than attribute it merely to the excesses of individuals and groups undisciplined and untrained in the personal liberty acquired by them with the overthrowing of the centralized autocratic government of the old monarchistic regime. Terrorism and excesses in a state are either attributable to the encouragement of the state or the weakness and inability of the state to restrain the same. In Bolshevik Russia every instrument available for the ex- ercise of force and power is in the possession of that government, and those opposed to the government or who fail to render it whole- hearted support are completely suppressed and absolutely powerless. The government is more highly centralized and less restricted in the exercise of that centralized power than was the government of the Czar. The agencies used by the dictators in imposing their will upon the masses are less restrained and restricted in the exercise of their power by law, custom, or humanity than were the agencies utilized by the old regime. ' Economic domination unheard of and unsought in the past has been seized upon and usurped by the dic- tatorship. All these facts negative the suggestion of the existence of a degree of weakness which makes the government impotent to exercise the necessary restraint. On the contrary, every act of terrorism is justi- fied by the affirmative pronouncement of the Bolshevik government, either through its constitution and laws or the authoritative utter- ances of its officials. The government is founded upon class hatred, its avowed purpose is the extermination of all elements of society that are opposed to or are capable of opposing the Bolshevik party. " Merciless suppression " and " extermination " of all classes except the present governing class are familiar slogans of the Bolsheviki, and confiscation is adopted as an essential instrument in the govern- mental formula. As a guaranty of its perpetuation in power its underlying policy is that " the end justifies the means," and in the application of this policy the government denies the existence of any inalienable right in the Russian citizen and respects neither the right to life, liberty, or property. In its so-called declaration of rights the government adopts a policy which it hopes will result in " the destruc- tion of the parasitic classes of society," and as an aid to this end has decreed as an essential part of its fundamental law the principle of arming one class and disarming another, with a view of making the extermination and destruction more effective. In practice, this gov- ernment has classified all of those people who fail to sympathize with and support the existing dictatorship as the bourgeoisie, and has proclaimed the doctrine that their refusal to bow to the edict of the dictatorship should be answered by " violence toward the bour- geoisie." A careful survey of the innumerable acts of violence and terrorism committed in Russia will fail to disclose scarcely a single offense that has not been participated in either by their Red Guard, by Commissars, or by others having an official and governmental status. The dictatorship, utilizing Lettish troops and Chinese laborers as well as to some extent German and Austrian prisoners and criminals BREWING AND LIQUOR INTERESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA. 31 discharged from the jails as its so-called Red Guard to enforce its decrees, promptly secured possession and control of: (a) All arms and ammunition. (h) Practically all foodstuffs and commodities essential to the maintenance of life. (a) All clothing and household goods necessary for warmth and health (d) All gold, silver, and specie, including jewcilry, ornaments, gold and silver plate. This was accomplished by means of confiscation followed by tho nationalization and monopolizing by the State of all commercial, in- dustrial, and financial enterprises. Having secured possession of all of these instruments of physical and economic power and domina- tion, this dictatorship was enabled to enforce the submission of most of the population to its will. The rank and file of the people of Russia had no other choice. They could not resist os- oppose the Bolsheviki Avith force as they were without firearms and without ammunition. They could not refuse to obey its dictates else they would be starved to death. They could not defy the dictators, as they would be left without raiment. They could not sustain life with money possessing an intrinsic value, for they had none, and thousands have been starved to death and murdered as a result oi this regime. Possessing, therefore, every instrument necessary for the exercise of the forcible persuasion of the populace it became expedient to reinforce the dictatorship with an increased man power. Recog- nizing the state of the public mind it was necessary to guard against betrayal by those who were drafted into the service of the State, and the most effective weapons selected to secure the faithful execution of the will of the dictators were fear, terrorism, and a system of host- ages. By this system of hostages the relatives, family, and loved ones of the drafted subject were held as prisoners. Their food sup- ply, their clothing, even their lives, depending upon the fidelity with which the dictatorship was supported and its orders executed. Having professed an adherence to the democratic form of govern- ment to assist in securing control of Russia the Bolsheviki, in estab- lishing its paper government, sought to maintain its dictatorship under color of a representative political system. A recognition of the democratic principle that all men are created equal, however, would have necessitated the equal participation of all citizens in the affairs of government. Such universal participation in political af- fairs woulci have made impossible a dictatorship of the minority, but would inherently have been a rule of the majority and have accom- plished just what the dissolution of the constituent assembly was intended to prevent. The following of the Bolshevik government being more numerous in the cities, and these by reason of their con- centration within more restricted territorial limits, being more readily led and dominated, it was prescribed by constitutional direc- tion that representation from cities in the government should be five times as great as the representation from the provincial districts. In other words, representation from cities is in the ratio of 1 to every 25,000 of the population, while from the rural districts and the terri- tory of the peasants, who constitute a large percentage of the Russian S2 BREWING AND LIQUOE INTERESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA. population, representation is 1 to every 125,000 of the population. Even this discrimination did not adequately safeguard the domina- tion of the Bolshevik minority. Disfranchisement of large groups of the population was necessary. By constitutional provision they de- nied the right to participate in the government and disfranchised the following classes: (a) All persons employing others in connection with the conduct of their business. (5) All persons receiving interest, rents, dividends, or an income from financial or industrial enterprises. (c) All merchants, traders and dealers. (d) All clergymen, priests, and employees of churches and re- ligious bodies. (e) Certain persons connected with the Czar's government, per- sons mentally afflicted and persons convicted ox certain crimes against the Bolshevik government. Even with these restrictions upon suffrage the Bolshevik govern- ment has refused to undertake the election of a constituent assem- bly. The elections that are permitted are conducted under supervi- sion of the Ked Guard and local bodies or Soviets that are not satis- factory to the dictatorship are removed and in some instances so- called commissars or officials of unquestioned loyalty to the govern- ment are imported from the cities to govern the affairs of the politi- cal unit (the local soviet) sought to be dominated according to the Bolshevik faith. Confiscation on a wholesale scale has been used as a means of undertaking to create and maintain tangible assets that could be used as the economic foundation upon which could be built the industrial and financial superstructure of the Bolshevik state. By constitu- tional edict and by a series of decrees issued by the dictatorship all land, forests, and natural resources of Eussia have been confiscated by the government in order that the Bolshevik government may be- come the landlord of the entire population and exercise the control incident thereto. Where a man shall live and toil and till the soil is determined by the State and the right to determine the nature and extent of each man's domicile, and the power to compel the migra- tion of the peasant from the locality of his birth or adoption, even to the extent of separating families as the population of the various communities expands or contracts, is exercised by the Bolshevik government through the laws which it has decreed for the control of the people. The alleged purpose of the seizure of land by the government was that the right to the land might be transferred to the rank and file of the people of Eussia in order that the individual Eussian peasant might become the unrestrained and unrestricted architect of his own future economic development, but the methods adopted by the Bol- shevik! have merely transferred the landlordship from the large land- owners, and in many instances from the peasant groups themselves, to the Bolshevik government, and the present control by that govern- ment is not confined to the land itself, as was the control of the land- owners under the old regime, but extends as well to the persons and even the tools, implements, and products of the peasants. The aged and infirm are deprived of all right to utilize and enjoy during their BREWING AND LIQUOR INTERESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA. 33 declining years the soil their efforts may have enriched, because their physical strength makes them powerless to perform all of the labor incident to its full cultivation. They, thereupon, become mere pen- sioners of the State. This system guarantees to the peasant only the present enjoyment of a given piece of land, and consequently only warrants him in so utilizing the beneficence of the State in according him the right to use the sairie as to insure the maxinmm present production to the exclusion of a scientific development that will enure to future advantage. In other words, an uncertain tenure is naturally accompanied by an exploitation rather than by a systematic develop- ment of the leasehold interest. Under this system, the peasant can never become the owner of the land he tills or of any other land. To aid in the system and to establish a larger control of peasant activities by the government the principle of confiscation has also been invoked in the case of all live stock and all agricultural implements, and as a consequence these essential instruments of land cultivation, these chattels necessary to the production of both meat and vegetable food- stuffs have become, without regard to the rights of former owners or the advantage to the individual of future ownership therein, the property of the Bolshevik government, and the only right thereto that the peasant can in the future acquire is a use upon such terms and conditions as the government may prescribe. As may well be expected, there seems to be much difficulty in deter- mining the manner in which this policy is being carried into actual operation, and it is apparent that only by the application of arbitrary methods can the already existing articles in these categories be made useful to any portion of the peasant population or be adequately pro- tected and maintained so as to preserve their value. It is also inter- esting to contemplate, but dubious to predict, how meat- food products can under this system be maintained at a sufficient quantity to sustain life. The thrift, industry, perseverance, and intelligence which has enabled a portion of the Russian people in the past to acquire and save mone}^ has also been penalized by the confiscation of all banks and banking institutions and their transformation into a state monopoly. Confiscation under the milder term of nationalization has elimi- nated from all industrial establishments such as factories, mills, and mines the business acumen and scientific methods necessary to success- ful operation and competitive methods. The absolute control of their operation and management is placed in the hands of the employees. This has been followed by the stagnation of the industrial life of the country, and even those nationalized industries which have been able to operate under government control have operated at an enormous percentage of loss, the deficiencies being met from the unlunited issue of fiat paper money printed by the government. The nationalization of the enterprises essential to the production and delivery of raw materials has so handicapped their production as to restrict the quan- tity of raw materials available for the maintenance of industrial en- terprises, and the whole economic condition of Russia has made it im- possible to secure relief from foreign sources. These industrial con- ditions can only continue so long as the government can succeed in monopolizing the means of subsistence, maintain an adequate military 34 BEEWING AND LIQUOE IFTEKESTS AND GEEMAH PEOPAGAN'DA, force to enforce the decrees of the dictatorship, and force the recog- nition of worthless fiat paper money as the basis of its financial system. As the economic formula of the Bolsheviki prescribes the confisca- tion of the property rights of others, likewise it proclaims the doc- trine of the repudiation of financial obligations and the debts of Eussia have been renounced. Eepudiation is also invoked to secure the government against the incumbrances upon and liabilities of the property and assets of the enterprises, land and chattels seized by it under its confiscation program. This repudiation also aided mate- rially in suppressing and exterminating the creditor class, which naturally constitutes a part of the element that the Bolsheviki are pleased to call the Bourgeoisie, or capitalistic class, by depriving them of the right and ability to recover and utilize the earnings, savings, and accumulations of the past. As it affected them it was a form of confiscation. Eepudiation is, therefore, a consistent accom- paniment of confiscation and an essential element in the process of destruction. The financial condition of the dictatorship, however, required the adoption of some constructive policy that would finance it. It was necessary to maintain at least a color of legitimacy", an appearance of honest business methods, in supporting its so-called Eed Army and in securing control of the articles necessary to sus- tain life. Further than that it was desirable to devise ways and means by which service in the Eed Army and employment in na- tionalized enterprises might appear sufficiently attractive, and at the same time give an appearance of prosperity to the government itself, in order that hope as well as fear might assist in maintaining the Bolshevik government. The policy adopted was the printing of un- limited amounts of fiat paper money unsecured by any reserve. This naturally furnished to the government a cash capital limited only by the capacity of the printing presses of the government, which, in turn, had been confiscated and nationalized. Already it is estimated that a sum in excess of 30,000,000,000 rubles has been put into cir- culation. This has created a ridiculously inflated circulating medium of no material value to the public but of enforced value to the gov- ernment. The populace are compelled to accept this paper money from the Bolshevik dictatorship, but can secure little for it in transactions between one another. Barter and exchange have, therefore, become the only satisfactory means of conducting commercial transactions and the breakdown in the industrial life and transportation facilities of the country has made practically impossible the bringing together in the same community of the articles of trade and commerce neces- sary to the health, comfort, and life of the various elements of so- ciety. In consequence, many Eussians are faced with starvation while possessing large sums of the money of the government that, in their extremity, avails them nothing. There can be no perma- nence to a government whose financial system is founded upon such a method. The destruction of all effective military and naval power and the removal of the leadership of capable officers was essential to the establishment of a powerful dictatorship as well as to the complete abandonment of the eastern front during the war. By the safe con- BREWING AND LIQUOR INTERESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA. 35 clnct of Lenin from Switzerland through the German Empire into Kussia, regardless of the question as to whether he and his confreres were financed, as seems probable, in their revolutionary undertak- ing by the German Government, an obligation was incurred to de- moralize and destroy the existing Russian Army wliich had been more or less effectively maintaining the eastern front. How com- pletely this was accomplished is now history. They promptly de- creed in their so-called declaration of rights that " the soldiers and sailors are liberated from the power of autocratic generals, because (he generals will now be elected and they may be removed." All titles and degrees of rank and the authority incident to superiority were annulled and discipline was discontinued. Instantaneously the army and navy degenerated into a mere mob with everj' soldier i\ law unto himself. Demobilization was directed and the demorali- zation was completed. The organization of the Red Army was un- dertaken around the nucleus which the Lettish troops and sailors in the Red Guard of the October revolution provided. By similar means the organization of the Red Fleet was under- taken. Chinese laborers without other means of subsistence were easily enlisted. The opportunity that service in the Red Army and Red Fleet afforded for pilfering and looting under color of author- ized confiscation presented a sufficient invitation to the lawless and criminal elements that had become conspicuous through the open ing of the doors of prisons by the Bolsheviki to join those bodies and participate in the confiscation and seizures that were a part of the program of terror, fear, extermination, and destruction upon which the Bolshevik government had entered. The food and cloth- ing situation was desperate, and the government had acquired, through the application of its formula, a generous supply, and was using its Red Guard to gain a monopoly. In consequence the one reasonably certain way of gaining a livelihood was by affiliating with the Red Armj. This brought into the Bolshevik fold many people who otherwise would have been condemned to starve. Host- ages were held by the government to compel the submission of those who might otherwise have been recalcitrant. Thus a Red Army and a Red Fleet has been created, and they are charged with the execu- tion of the decrees of the dictatorship and the sentences of the so- called courts or revolutionary tribunals, and they are afforded a large degree of personal discretion in the exercise of duties which practically constitute a rule of martial law. Repudiating the doctrine of all radical revolutionary groups throughout the world that have claimed for the individual of all lands the right of conscientious objection for religious or other reason against the bearing of arms and the participation in armed conflicts, the Bolsheviki have adopted as the essential safeguard of their political fabric compulsory military service. As Prussianism found it essential to world domination by the autocracy of the Hohen- zollerns, so Bolshevism seized upon it as the mainstay that would weather its autocracy of the dictatorship through its campaign of confiscation and repudiation. All of the established courts and judicial institutions have been abolished and in their place have been created revolutionary tri- bunals. Under the dictatorship these new judicial tribunals dis- <36 BREWIIfG AND LIQUOK INTEEESTS AITD GEEMAN PROPAGAISTDA. regard all laws that "contradict the revolutionary conception of right." In actual operation these revolutionary tribunals have tried and condemned men in their absence. No right to bail is recognized and the penalty imposed depends largely upon the caprice of the court. The death penalty, the reestablishment of which under the provisional government was vociferously denounced by the Bolshe- viki, has been invoked for all sorts of crimes and misdemeanors. In fact, the procedure in the courts is a mere travesty on justice and most summary in its nature. Every activity of the Bolshevik government indicates clearly the antipathy of the Bolsheviki toward Christianity and the Christian religion. Its program is a direct challenge to that religion. The Christian church and Bolshevism can not both survive the program that is being developed by the Russian dictatorship and which it is undertaking to extend throughout the world. Not only have they confiscated all church property, real and personal, but they have established the right of anti-religious propaganda as a constitu- tionally recognized institution. Church and school have been di- vorced even to the extent of suppressing the Sunday school and the teaching of all religious doctrines in public, either in schools or edu- cational institutions of any kind, is expressly forbidden. Religion can only be taught or studied privately. All church and religious organizations are prohibited from owning property of any kind. All recognition of a Supreme Being in both governmental and judi- cial oaths is abolished. The clergy and all servants or employees of church bodies are expressly disfranchised and deprived of all right to hold public positions. The full significance of the attitude of the Bolsheviki toward Christianity is most fully manifested in the fact that, though by Russian custom and decree under the old regime, every newspaper or periodical published on Easter Sunday in the Russian Empire was required to carry the headline, " Christ is risen," on Easter Sunday in 1918, all Bolshevik papers substituted for this sacred sentiment the headline and slogan, " One hundred years ago to-day Karl Marx was born." Thus the issue has been framed be- tween the gospel of Karl Marx and the teachings of Christ. We reiterate, therefore, that Bolshevism and the Christian religion can not both survive. Bolshevism accords to the family no such sacred place in society as modern civilization accords to it. Conflicting reports have been passing current during the last few months relative to the nationaliza- tion of women by the new Russian government. Two or three local Soviets have apparently thus degraded the womanhood of their particular districts, but the central government has refrained from adopting any such policy in the whole nation. They have, however, promulgated decrees relating to marriage and divorce which practi- cally establishes a state of free love. Their effect has been to furnish a vehicle for the legalization of prostitution by permitting the an- nullment of the marriage bonds at the whim of the parties, recog- nizing their collusive purposes as a ground for the severance of the matrimonial state. The freedom of the press and of speech, though heralded by the advocates of Bolshevism as necessary to the intelligent particijDation of the people in popular government, has been abrogated in Russia, BREWIITG AND LIQUOR INTERESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA. 37 and by the usual confiscatory method of the accepted formula all of the mechanical devices and materials necessary for the publication of periodicals and all places of meeting and public assemblage hava been seized by the Bolshevik government. To make the control more complete and effective the publication of all advertisements, whether in regularly j)ublished periodicals or on handbills or programs, is made a monopoly of the govermnent. As a consequence the people of Russia are deprived of all facts, literature, and public expression, through the medium of the press or public meetings, except such as is approved by the dictatorship and has been passed by its censorship. In the attempted establishment of an educational system it is to bo expected that mucli difficulty would arise because of the large per- centage of illiteracj'' that afflicts Russia, and it is not surprising that this S3''stem is largely on paper and of little practical value. It is interesting to note, however, that under this system age rather than attainment determines the admissibility of the student to a given school or grade, and that to require the production of evidence of the qualification of a student for such admission is a criminal otfense. This again reflects the Bolshevik theory that equalization can ba accomplished by dictatorial decrees. The apparent purpose of the Bolshevik government is to make the Russian citizen, and especially the women and children, tha wards and dependents of that government. Not satisfied w-ith the degree of dependency incurred by the economic and industrial con- trol assumed by its functionaries, it has destro5''ed the natural am- bition and made impossible of accomplishment the moral obligation of the father to provide, care for, and adequately protect the child of his blood and the mother of that child against the misfortunes of orphanhood and widowhood. To accomplish this it has by decree expressly abolished and prohibited all right of inheritance, either by law" or will. Upon death all of the decedent's estate is confiscated by the State, and all heirs who are physically incapable of working become pensioners of the State to the extent that the assets confis- cated by the government make such pensions possible. Insurance of all kinds has been, nationalized, the assets of insur- ance companies confiscated, and the business of insuring life, prop- erty, accident, old age, and unemployment made a State monopoly. In the attempted liquidation of existing companies and associations the liquidating representatives of the goverimient seem only con- cerned in securing possession and record of all of their assets and fail to recognize the propriety of accurately adjusting their liabili- ties. As a consequence, those insured and the beneficiaries under existing policies find themselves without the protection for which they have been paying premiums. There has been much discussion with reference to the policy and motive of the associated Governments in landing troops on Russian soil. It is interesting to note that the combined military force at Archangel was landed at the solicitation and request of the estab- lished and de facto government of the northern Provinces of Russia to aid that government in protecting its citizenship fi-om the murder, cruelty, and confiscation of the approaching Red Army of the Bol- shevik government. 38 BREWING AND LIQUOR IITTERESTS AI^D GERMAIST PROPAGAISTDA. The salient features which constitute the program of Bolshevism, as it exists to-day in Eussia and is presented to the rest of the world as a panacea for all ills, may be summarized as follows : (1) The repudiation of democracy and the establishment of a dictatorship. (2) The confiscation of all land and the improvements thereon. (3) The confiscation of all forests and natural resources. (4) The confiscation of all live stock and all agricultural im- plements. (5) The confiscation of all banks and banking institutions and the establishment of a state monopoly of the banking business. (6) The confiscation of all factories, mills, mines, and industrial institutions and the delivery of the control and operation thereof to the employees therein. (7) The confiscation of all churches and all church property, real and personal. (8) The confiscation of all newspapers and periodicals and all me- chanical facilities and machinery used in the publication thereof. (9) The seizure and confiscation of all public meeting places and assembly halls. (10) The confiscation of all transportation and communication systems. (11) The confiscation of the entire estate of all decedents. (12) The monopolizing by the State of all advertisements of every nature, whether in newspapers, periodicals, handbills, or programs. ■ (13) The repudiation of all debts against the government and all obligations due the non-Bolshevik elements of the population. (14) The establishment of universal compulsory military service regardless of religious scruples and conscientious objections. (15) The establishment of uniA^ersal compulsory labor. (16) The abolition of the Sunday school and all other schools and institutions that teach religion. (17) The absolute separation of churches and schools. (18) The establishment, through marriage and divorce laws, of a method for the legalization of prostitution, when the same is engaged in by consent of the parties. (19) The refusal to recognize the existence of God in its govern- mental and judicial proceedings. (20) The conferring of the rights of citizenship on aliens without regard to length of residence or intelligence. (21) The arming of all so-called "toilers," and the disarming of all persons that had succeeded in acquiring property. (22) The discrimination in favor of residents of cities and against residents of the rural districts through giving residents of cities five times as much voting power as is accorded to residents of rural districts in such elections as are permitted. (23) The disfranchisement of all persons employing any other person in connection with their business. (24) The disfranchisement of all persons receiving rent, interest, or dividends. (25) The disfranchisement of all merchants, traders, and com- mercial agents. (26) The disfranchisement of all priests, clergymen, or employees of churches and religious bodies. BKEWING AND LIQUOR INTERESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA. 39 (27) The denial of the existence of any inalienable rights in tho individual citizen. (28) The establishment of a judicial system exercising autocratic power, convicting persons and imposing penalties in their absence, and without opportunity to be heard, and even adopting the death penalty for numerous crimes and misdemeanors. (29) The inauguration of a reign of fear, terrorism, and violence. This is the program that the revolutionary elements and the so- called " Parlor Bolshevists " would have this country accept as a substitute for the Government of the United States, w^hich recognizes that " all men are created equal," and that " life, libei't}^ and the pur- suit of happiness " are the inalienable rights of all its citizens. This is the formula they would have adopted to supersede the Govern- ment which was established by all the people of the United States " in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity," and " promote the general welfare," The mere recital of the program is a sufficient denunciation of it and of the individuals and groups which advocate and defend it. During modern times the effort of civilization has been directed to lifting mankind to the highest possible level of intelligence and social and material well-being in order to attain the highest degree of social equality between man and man. For the first time since the dark ages has an organized government undertaken to invoke a process of equalization by establishing as the basis of social equality the minimum rather than the maximum degree of existing educa- tional, industrial, social, and moral efficienc}'-, yet such is the policy of the Bolshevik government. It recognizes that the psychology of even the most illiterate elements of the Russian people is such that it can not perpetuate this doctrine in practice unless the same reac- tionary methods of equalization are simultaneously destroying tiie social fabric, the efficiency, the individual initiative, the ambition, and the material prosperity of the peoples of all other nations, whose competition and accomplishments would necessarily result in odious and destructive comparisons. Not content therefore in fathering in Eussia this retrograde method of establishing the equality of man- kind on the basis of the lowest strata of society, it has undertaken to arouse in the United States and in all other countries resentment, rancor, and hatred against those elements of society which have, by reason of their aptitude, perseverance, industry, and thrift at- tained that superior degree of intelligence and prosperity that has made possible the accomplishments of twentieth century civilization. The effort of progressing civilization has always been the uplifting of man to a higher and higher plane of living and a loftier place in society. The activities of the Bolsheviki constitute a complete repudiation of modern civilization and the promulgation of the doctrine that tho best attainment of the most backward member of society shall be the level at which mankind shall find its final and victorious goal. Tlie pulling down of the progressive rather than the lifting up of the retrogressive is presented as the doctrine of their new^ kind of civili- zation. To carry this message to the uttermost parts of the earth they have appropriated enormous sums of money, and, incidentally, their process of equalization in Russia was promoted by the starva- tion which the funds thus expended might have been utilized lo 40 BREWING AND LIQUOR INTERESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA. alleviate. Their messengers and their friends have afflicted this coun- try, and their new civilization has been represented as Utopian in its nature. Many well-disposed persons have been deceived into the be- lief that they were promoting a social welfare movement in advocat- ing it. They have even given their substance that it might be per- petuated and extended. Yet, while these people who have been popu- larly called " parlor Bolshevists " are contributing to these Bolshevik agents, these same agents are appealing to the hatred and the lowest instincts of the more ignorant elements of the population, reinforced by the criminally inclined, to whom the doctrine of confiscation fur- nished a form of legalized robbery and a means of livelihood without physical or mental effort, to rise en masse and destroy our civilization and the so-called bourgeoisie with whom, of course, must be classed these same " parlor Bolshevists " who are assisting, by lending funds and respectability to the movement, in bringing tne temple down upon their own heads. It is significant, however, that in the United States only a portion of the so-called radical revolutionary groups and organizations ac- cept in its entirety the doctrine of the Bolsheviki. They have, how- ever, all seized upon Bolshevism as a rallying cry and are under- taking to unite all of these elements under that banner for the pur- pose of accomplishing the initial step in their common formula, to wit, the overthrow of existing governmental institutions and the complete demoralization of modern society. With this accomplished each group hopes that it can muster sufficient strength to maintain a supremacy in the new social order and invoke the policies of its particular creed. Most of these groups accept the common ground that forcible, as distinguished from political, action should be used as the instrument to secure the overthrow of the present government and in so doing defy and repudiate the democratic form of govern- ment which guarantees under our Constitution the rule of the ma- jority. Like the Bolsheviki in Russia, these groups recognize in the destruction of life, property, and personal security the neces- sary preliminary to the establishment of a government founded upon the violence of the minority. They realize that riot, disorder, and hunger breed hatred, blood lust, and desperation, and that with- out these mankind can not be driven to the use of force to accom- plish an end attainable by lawful and peaceable political methods under the existing government. The radical revolutionary elements in this country and the Bol- shevik government of Russia have, therefore, found a common cause in support of which they can unite their forces. They are both fan- ning the flame of discontent and endeavoring to incite revolution. Numerous newspapers are openly advocating revolution. Literature and circular matter demanding a resort to violence are being widely circulated. Bombs and high explosives have been used in many parts of the country in an attempt to inaugurate a reign of terror and to accomplish the assassination of public officials. The demonstration of the consequences of this movement in Russia, no matter how graphic the description, is a distant, far-away picture to the average citizen of the United States. While entertaining and perhaps amus- ing him, much as the novel in modern fiction does, it fails to impress him as an actual existing institution, in a world growing smaller BREWING AND LIQUOR INTERESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA. 41 and smaller through the accomplishments in transportation and communication, that must be considered and met as an actuality. To understand and realize its real consequences it must be brought home to the citizen and applied to the life and institutions which he knows. With a view, therefore, of concretely illustrating just Avhat this new social order would accomplish if transplanted into the political, educational, industrial, and religious life of the United States atten- tion is invited to the following unavoidable consequences : 1. The application of force and violence, the shedding of blood and the destruction of life and property, the common incidents of all revolutions, and all this to destroy a democratic form of government, under which the majority can secure just the kind of government that it desires. The advocac}' of revolutionary methods is an admission, therefore, that minority rather than majority rule is the goal sought to be attained. 2. To make possible the control of the minority as the dictators of the majority, the disfranchisement of millions of substantial, pa- triotic citizens who would fall in the so-called bourgeois or capital- istic class. This would deprive of the right to participate in affairs of government — (a) Millions of farmers, merchants, and manufacturers, both large and small, employing persons in the conduct of their business, and all professional and business men utilizing the services of a clerk, bookkeeper, or stenographer. (b) All persons receiving interest on borrowed money or bonds, rent from real estate or personal property, and dividends from stock of anj'^ kind. (c) All traders, merchants, and dealers, even though they do not employ another person in the conduct of their business. (d) All preachers, priests, janitors, and employees of all churches and religious bodies. It is apparent with the millions of persons falling into these several classes, disfranchised and deprived of all right to participate in the affairs of government, accompanied with the immediate enfranchise- ment of all aliens who do not fall within these prohibited classes, and the opening of the doors of all prisons and penitentiaries, the domination of the criminal and most undesirable alien elements of the country would be a comparatively easy matter. To simplify the question of this control, however, the substantial rural portion of the population would be further suppressed and restricted, and under the revolutionary formula the voting power of the cities would be five times as great as that of the rural communities, the ratio of representation in cities being 1 to every 25,000 of the population, while that of the rural districts would be only 1 to every 125,000 of the population. In the United States the rural population under the 1910 census was considerably in excess of the urban. We must also remember that the application of the formula would include tlie disanning of all disfranchised classes and the arming to the teeth of these criminal and alien elements. 3. It would result in the confiscation by the Government thus con- stituted of the land of the United States including 6,361,502 farms of which 62.1 per cent, or 3,948,722 farms, are owned in fee by the 42 BREWIlil'G AND LIQUOR INTERESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA. farmers who cultivate them and represent the labor and toil of a life time. On the farms of the United States there are improvements, machinery, and live stock to the value of $40,991,449,090 (census of 1910), all of which would be confiscated with the land. The con- fiscation program would include the more than 275,000 manufactur- ing establishments, including the $22,790,980,000 of invested capital, much of which is owned by the small investor whose livelihood de- pends upon the success of the respective enterprises. The confiscation would also include 203,432 church edifices. Forests aggregating 555,000,000 acres would be seized by the government and an annual product of $1,375,000,000 would come under the control of the dic- tatorship. Dwellings to the number of 17,805,845, of which 9,093,675 are owned in fee, with 5,984,248 entirely free from debt, would be confiscated and the owners dispossessed at the pleasure of the gov- ernment. 4. Although clamoring loudly for a free and unrestricted press the revolutionary program would require the seizure and confiscation of the 22,896 newspapers and periodicals in the United States, to- gether with all mechanical equipment necessary for their publica- tion, and a control and ownership of the public press by the govern- ment. 5. Complete control of all banking institutions and their assets is an essential part of the revolutionary program, and the 31,492 banks in the United States would be taken over by the government and the savings of millions, including 11,397,553 depositors drawing interest on accounts in savings banks, and consequently belonging to the so- called bourgeois or capitalistic class, jeopardized. 6. One of the most appalling and far-reaching consequences of an application of Bolshevism in the United States would be found in the confiscation and liquidation of its life insurance companies. There is 20 per cent more life insurance in force in this country than in all the rest of the world and nine-tenths of it is mutual insurance. Almost 50,000,000 life insurance policies representing nearly $30,- 000,000,000 of insurance, the substantial protection of the women and children of the Nation would be rendered valueless. 7. The atheism that permeates the whole Russian dictatorship is clearly reflected in the activities of their revolutionary confreres in the United States and in. their publications they have denounced our religion and our God as " lies." This gives added significance to the revolutionary attitude toward the Christian Church and the Chris- tian religion. The prohibition of religious schools and the teaching or studying of religion, except in private, would necessitate the abolition of 194,759 Sunday schools in the United States and a great number of seminaries, colleges, and universities; 19,935,890 Sunday school scholars would be deprived and prevented from enjoying the institution that has become an important part of their lives and is one of the great moral influences of the Nation. Catholic schools,, colleges, and seminaries to the number of 6,681 would be suppressed.. Church property of the value of $1,676,600,582 would be confiscated and 41,926,854 (census of 1916) members of 227,487 church organi- zations would be subjected to the domination of an atheist dictator- ship. Notwithstanding the fact that every champion and defender of Bolshevism that testified before your committee unequivocally ad- BREWrN-Q AND LIQUOR INTERESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA. 43 niitted that the Bolshevik formula was not adaptable to the economic and social life of the United States, they and their cocvanjiclists persist in their appeals to the passion of the people in an attetn))t to provoke discontent and hatred. In cooperation with the revolution- ary elements, destruction of existing social and governmental insti- tutions by violent methods is being promoted. They must, therefore, be condemned as the mere champions of discontent and disorder, offering no practical and acceptable ideal, as they profess to have, with wiiich to soften and appease the wrath that thej' are undertak- ing to arouse. GENERAL STATEIklENT AND OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS. The testimony taken before this committee having been printed, a further review thereof is deemed unnecessary. A careful consider- ation of this record discloses certain well-defined abuses, prejudicial to the best interests of the Nation and calculated to undermine and destroy our form of government. The Nation having engaged in the greatest war in history with the purpose of saving the world for democracy, now emerges from that struggle confronted with the paramount duty of preserving democracy for the world. The disclosures before this committee concerned (a) the political activities of the liquor interests in their effort to control and dominate elections and public officials, {b) the propaganda of the agents, repre- sentatives, and sympathizers of a foreign government, the form of which and whose purposes, industrial, commercial, and political, were incompatible with and antagonistic to the form, ideals, and purposes of the Government of the United States, and (c) Bolshevism as it exists in Russia and the activities of its champions in the country. No useful purpose is to be served by reviewing and recounting the reprehensible activities of either of the elments whose conduct has been the subject matter of this inquiry. A perusal of the testimony furnishes adequate evidence of it. This testimony embodies such an exposure of all of these elements as to justify fully the investigation. The activities brought to the attention of tlie committee are so startling, however, that we believe that the real advantage of the inquiry will be lost unless Congress profits from the knowledge thus obtained by undertaking by appropriate legislation to make impos- sible a repetition of these activities, either on the part of the offenders who have been under investigation, and many of whose activities are still continuing, or by others who at some future time may seek to undermine the Government or pervert the popular will by the adoption of similar methods against which the Federal statutes seem to provide no adequate safeguard. With this end in view, therefore, this committee invites attention to certain abuses which are clearly established by the record of its hearings and a summary of proposed legislation the immediate adoption of which it earnestly recommends. That millions of dollars have been expended in elections, in con- nection with which Federal officers were voted for by special interests through organizations of their own creation and by methods of their 44 BREWING AEB LIQUOR INTERESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA. own adoption. That secrecy has surrounded these expenditures and the activities thereby induced. That the publicity and accounting sought for all political expenditures by the corrupt practices acts of the Federal and the several State Governments has been largely defeated. That the Federal corrupt practices statutes are entirely inadequate to meet present-day political methods and are easily evaded without involving a violation of the statute. Any effective corrupt practices act must provide — (1) For full publicity of all receipts and expenditures intended to influence in any way the result of an election. (2) To bring under legal control and supervision every committee and organization participating in a political activity. (3) To perpetuate and preserve for a reasonable time a complete record of the financial transactions of all individuals, candidates, committees, and organizations. (4) To define clearly the purposes and activities for which money can be legally expended. (5) To require publicity that will unequivocally fix responsibility for all paid and inspired advertising or publicity matter used and intended either openly or secretly to affect the result of an election. II. Newspapers printed in both English and foreign languages have been subsidized directly and indirectly for the purpose of undertaking to influence the minds, thoughts, and actions of the people of the United States without disclosing in any way the commercial or political influence financially interested. It is of great importance that every facility should be afforded to all elements of society and to every commercial, industrial, so"cial, ^ religious, and educational interest to present openly and frankly its views on every subject not aimed at the impairment of the sovereignty of the Nation or in dis- paragement of our form of government as established by the Consti-^ tution. But as the right to present these various contentions should be preserved as inalienable, so the public to whom the appeal is made have an inalienable right to know and to be advised as to who is the spokesman of a given cause. Newspapers have become such an educational medium that the public should be afforded an ample opportunity to know just who their instructors are. The act of Congress of August 24, 1912, undertook to accomplish this, but in the light of experience it is n'ow clearly established that this act is inadequate. It permits of the adoption of man^ sub- terfuges by which its purpose is defeated though its spirit is violated without the commission of a legal breach of its prohibitions. It is the opinion of this committee that this act should be amended and made more effective in several important particulars. III. The foreign-language press of the country as now conducted has the effect and in many instances is inspired with the purpose of dis- couraging the assimilation of the foreign elements with the American people and has been utilized by special interests for political and propaganda purposes. The financial condition of many of these BREWING AND LIQUOR INTERESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA. 45 newspapers has made them the easy and cheap victims of designing pei-soiis and interests whose financial advantage is best secured by retarding the Americanization of the alien and limiting him to tho use of the foreign-language paper as his sole source of information. The foreign-language press exerts a greater infiuenco upon its readers than an English newspaper does because of the limited educational facilities of the persons who can only read and talk in such foreign tongues, and consequently the subsidization and domination of this press is proportionately more vicious in its effects than similar practices would be in the case of English newspapers. The experience of the last few years has clearly demonstrated the necessity of Americ4inizing the residents of this country, and espe- cially those who from time to time are assuming the responsibility of citizensliip. The aliens now rasiding within our borders or hereafter iinmigi"ating to oiir shores must either be assimilated by the Ameri- cans or they will be held together in their several nativistic groups, each group adhering to its own language and customs, with the con- sequent adherence, either consciously or unconsciouslj^, to the land of their nativity. While it must be recognized that during the time when they are merely the guests of this Nation a knowledge of their native language is all that can be expected, the Government is justi- fied in requiring that before their status is changed to one of citizen- ship and before they can be permitted, to participate in the govern- ment of the United States there should be some evidence at least of a purpose on their part toward that assimilation which is essentiaj. to the unity of purpose and substantial adherence to our institutions necessary to the healthy development of the Nation, Foreign-language newspapers are a danger to the country unless they are utilized to assist in the assimilation of the alien element and to aid in the process of Americanization which is essential to the healthy development of the population into a homogeneous whole. This much-sought-for Americanization would be impeded by either depriving the alien of the educational value of a newspaper in the only language he can read or by withholding from him proper aid and facility for learning the English language and failing to encour- age him to acquire the educational advantages incident to the master- ing of the language of his adopted country. With this in mind, therefore, this committee recommends legislation to control and regulate the printing of foreign-language publications in this country. IV. For a number of years prior to our entry into the World War agents of the German Government persistently carried on a great propa- ganda in the United States, the purpose of which was to promote the interests of the German Government and to create a sentiment in this country in favor of that Government to the prejudice of this Nation. Every activity which tended to weaken our Government or to arouse antagonisms that would demoralize the unity and morale of our population and every movement that was aimed at involving us in foreign disputes or domestic difficulties was encouraged and fi'c- quently financed by the agents and representatives of the German Government. 46 BREWIITG AND LIQUOE INTERESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA. To-day the forces of anarchy and violence are utilizing the finan- cial resources plundered by them from the European people they have succeeded in exploiting, to import into this country money, lit- erature, and hired agents for the purpose of promulgating the doc- trine of force, violence, assassination, confiscation, and revolution. As an effect of these activities there has appeared in this country a large group of persons who advocate the overthrow of all organ- ized government, and especially the Government of the United States, who favor revolutionary movements, repudiate the Constitution of the United States, and refuse to respect our national emblem and our governmental institutions. There are found among the leaders of this group many aliens who unhesitatingly abuse the hos- pitality which this country has extended to them and who because of that leadership are able to retard the real Americanization of the m.ore ignorant residents possessing similar racial characteristics. These persons encourage and maintain a solidarity of the people of the several foreign tongues which is used to create and incite a class hatred that is quickly absorbed by and incorporated into the revo- lutionary movement led by them. The alien element in this coun- ti'y is the most susceptible and is the first to adopt violence as an effective weapon -for supremacy. More reprehensible than the alien element is that class of American citizens, whether native born or naturalized, who, having obligated themselves to support and defend the Constitution of the United States, lightly disregard their responsibilities and promulgate the doctrine that the form of Government established by the Constitution should be overthrown and that a government responsive to a class rather than to all the people should be forcibly substituted therefor. It is a significant fact that almost without exception the persons in this country who are to-day advocating revolution and violence and all of the suffering, pain, and bloodshed incident to such a movement, have during the great struggle of the past two years undertaken to handicap, check, and obstruct in every way possible the military operations of this Government under the pretext that their con- sciences would not permit them to take the life of their fellow men even in war. The destruction of life, property, and government has no horrors to them when directed toward the overthrow of the Gov- ernment of the United States, but the use of force in defense of our country they conscientiously object to. Prior to the enactment of the statute of June 15, 1917, as amended by the statute of May 16, 1918, our Government was without laws adequate even to protect its own sovereignty: It is indeed unfortu- nate that this legislation should have been called an espionage act. Much of the complaint and criticism directed at this act was aimed more at the word used to designate it than at the text of the statute. Many of the provisions of this act are applicable only during time of war and consequently the restoration of peace will leave the Govern- ment of the United States more helpless, and because of the growth of the revolutionary movement as a result of the World War, more powerless, than it found itself prior to our entrance into that struggle. It is therefore imperative that there be enacted before the re- establishment of peace an act adequately protecting our national sovereignty and our established institutions. BREWING AND LIQUOR INTERESTS AND GERMAN PROPAGANDA. 47 V. That the American people have been victimized and deceived by the activities of special interests and the subtle practices of de- signing- individuals, some of them the agents and representatives of foreign governments through the use of organizations having digni- fied and respectable names, which completely disarm all suspicion of the ulterior purposes of those who inspired their organization. By the use of euphoneous names given to supposedly patriotic, idealistic, and charitable organizations, patriotic and philanthropic citizens have been innocent victims of conniving representatives of foreign interests and governments and have been exploited by cor- rupt and dishonest elements. The Government of the United States long ago undertook by appropriate legislation to protect society from the fraudulent use of the mails commerciallj' . The public havo a right to some protection from deception being practiced by these mushroom organizations that have become so common. No legitimate organization is ashamed of its paternit}^, its pur- poses, or its activities, and a proper registration of all voluntai-j^ as- sociations or organizations appealing to the public through the mails for popular approval, financial support, and the propagation of its notions of govermnent, sociology, benevolence, or what not is a reasonable requirement that can be utilized to provide some security' to a much imposed upon public legislation is therefore recommended to this end. VI. Never have the Federal statutes provided adequate security against an unlawful and promiscuous use of high explosives. During the period of American neutrality, the representatives of the German Government, as well as many criminally inclined residents of our own country, resorted to the use of explosives for the destruction of life, property, and transportation facilities, and except for the pro- vision in the interstate-commerce act, which prohibited the shipping or carrying of explosives in interstate commerce, the offenses could not be reached by the Federal Government, and when reached under this act the penalties were entirely incommensurate with the offense. The act of Congress of October 6, 1917, entitled "An act to prohibit the manufacture, distribution, storage, use, and possession in time of war of explosives, providing regulations for the safe manufacture, distribution, storage, use, and possession of the same, and for other purposes," was enacted by Congress as a purely war statute, and becomes inoperative upon the restoration of peace. The efficacious effects of this legislation during the period of the war has not only justified its enactment as a war statute, but has impressed upon the people of the country the merit of its provision in times of peace as well as in times of war. All law-abiding persons recognize the necessity of controlling and regulating the manufacture, distribution, and possession of the instruments of death and destruction relied upon by the criminal and lawless elements of society. The obligation of the Federal Gov- ernment to protect the lives and property of its citizens would not be fully performed were Congress to permit the act of October 6, 1917, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 02 395 572 A • 48 BREWING AND LIQUOR INTERESTS AND GERMAN jr jivjr Auraj« i/a. to die by limitation without enacting in its place a peace-time measure. The committee wishes to again express its thanks to Maj. Humes, Capt. Lester, and Mr. Benham for their untiring zeal and great ability in aiding the committee in securing the great mass of testi- mony which, in our opinion, will be most useful to the public. AU of which is respectfully submitted. Lee S. Overman, Chairman, William H. King. josiah o. wolcott. Knute Nelson. Thomas Sterling. As a member of the subcommittee, I have joined in the above report; but while agreeing with many of the statements and recom- mendations appearing on pages 43 to 48, inclusive, I desire to state that I am not in full accord with all the committee's recommenda- tions. William H. King. / / D 619 .3 .P5 1919b Copy 1 LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS 021 395 572 Q WFWF 6 WFWF 7 l|l II 1|l 8 1 M 9 10 »" • .