WHO'S WHO.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 January 1916, Page 11

WHO'S WHO.

THE HUNS WE READ ABOUT. (By Frederic William Wile, late Berlin Correspondent of the Daily Mail). Who and what is Rcventlow? What manner of man is Harden? Whence came von Wiegand? Who aro Theodor Wolff, Major Sloraht, Captain Persius, Gcorg Bcrnhard, Hans Delbruck, Colonel Gaedke, Eugen Zimmermann t What is the "Wolff Agency"? What are we to understand by "German Wireless"? What manner of rage is the Continental Times? Where is the German Press Bureau, and who runs it? Hardly a week passes that the compiler of "Germany Day by Day" in the Daily Mail does not receive inquiries from Ihe public seeking light on these and kindred enemy subjects. It occurs to me that I cannot do better than compile a Him "Who's Who," confined to persons, papers, and institutions which have become almost as familiar ;to British readers during the war as names of people and things in Great Britain.

Berlin.?r Tageblatt.—Organ of democratic and Radical Liberalism; foremost mouthpiece of Judaism and commercial classes. Before the war it was anathema in Government and Prussian military and aristocratic circles. In Sir Edward Goshen's final interview with ,llie German Foreign Office it was denounced by von Jagow as "the pestilential Tageblattt," which issued an "extra" announcing war with England before Germany wished it made public. The Tageblatt for years was the only newspaper for which the Government had respect because of its courage in attacking aggressive foreign and reactionary domestic policy. It has printed the brilliant war correspondence of Bernhard Kellermann, a distinguished novelist; its editor is Theodor Wolff, who is hated and feared by the Government clique.

Bcrnhard, Georg.—Political editor of the Vossische Zeitung, ancient mouthpiece of classical Liberalism, known as "Aunt Voss" on account of its venerable history and once-dignified tone. Under Bernhard, the Vossische Zeitung has outdone its contemporaries in violence of language and views, especially towards Britain. It belongs to Ullstein Brothers, five young men who own a chain of popular newspapers, periodicals, and circulating libraries. Cologne Gazette.—The chief semiofficial organ. Owned by Dr. NevenDuraont, whose wife is a born Englishwoman. Formerly a pretended warm admirer of everything British, NevenDumont's journal has gone, under Government "inspiration," to wildest extremes in of attitude toward England. The Cologne Gazette's so-called Berlin representative is practically an attache of the German Foreign Office, which hands him his "copy" ready for the printer. Continental Times.—Established many years ago by a born Englishman named Block, now interned at Rulilcben; a journal for a long time the actual though innocuous weekly orgt>n of the Englishspeaking community. After incessant financial vicissitudes, it passed into the hands, a couple of years before the war, of a certain Fran Clotliilde White, the divorced Viennese wife of an Englishman. She advertises its ownership by a person named "White" as evidence of its being "an organ for Americans." The Continental Times has enjoyed the first period of its prosperity in its history since it became a mouthpiece of the German Government. Its editor is a reputed American named Orchelle; its "literary editor" a renegade Briton, Aubrey Stanhope. Sir Roger Casement is ail occasional contributor. Its columns are filled exclusively with rubbish abusive of Britain and sycophantic slobber over everything Hunnish. Frankfurter Zeitung.—Principal organ of financial classes. Its Berlin correspondent, August Stein, is frequently first with official news. Once sane of tone and a journalistic mouthpiece of the German money universe, it now froths with Anglophobia. Owned by brothers named Simon. Favorite organ of German diplomacy in Turkey and Near East. Its Constantinople correspondent, Weiss, was the notorious tool of the late Marschall von Bieberstein, who desired to bring Weiss to London for the purpose of manipulating Fleet-street. Hamburger Nachrichten.—Organ , of implacable Bismarehianism and defunct German shipping. The paralysis of Hamburg impels the Nachrichten to vie with Keventlow in the Gott strafe England policy. Before the war it rejoiced in assailing the Kaiser's excesses and eccentricities and the gyration of German diplomacy. Harden, Maximilian.—Protege of Bismarck. Editor of the vitriolic, iconoclastic weekly Zukunf-t (Future). Jixposer of social and political scandal, which he stirred up primarily with a view to liiuminating the rottenness of Prussian Court life. Hated and feared, Harden possesses the greatest fund of underground political information in Germany. Lokal-Aiizeiger.—Once Berlinis most popular halfpenny morning and evening daily, now a "kept" Government organ. Purchased in 1!)12 from its founder,' Schc-rl, by a ''patriotic syndicate," including Krupp von Bohlen and other war-party and political magnates. Its political director, Eugen Zimmermann, writes as the Foreign Office tells him. Captain Kuhhvetter, naval expert, consults Tiipitz's Press bureau before he discusses events at sea.

Moraht, Major.—Succeeded Gaedke as military critic of the Berliner Tageblatt. Middle-aged retired officer of formerly Conservative point of view. Now permitted in columns once devoted to implacable warfare oil Prussian militarism to eugolise it in unmeasured terms. Like other accredited experts, Moraht is permitted to visit all fronts and discuss the war from personal observations. Barring an inclination to "swank,'' Moraht produces the most reasonable military articles published in Germany. North German Gazette.—Called a newspaper by courtesy; actually an official document published daily by the Government for the purpose of moulding public opinion. Prints no advertisements; has no sale outside of limited official class which has inherited respect for what Bismarck called his "blank sheet of paper." The only copies of the . Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung ever read by anybody else are those laid on desks of editors'and foreign correspondents in Berlin.

Persius, Captain.—Retired officer, naval critic of the Berliner Tageblatt, enjoys unpopularity in the Navy because he used to advocate an armaments understanding with Britain. The only writer in Germany during war to discuss the sea situation sanely and repeatedly to warn the country of the Huns' inability to snatch naval supremacy. Recently admitted the failure of Tirpitz's submarine warfare. Press Bureau, German.—Like everything connected with the war, Germany's Press Bureau is a creation of years, not months. Founded by Bismarck to mislead opinion at home and abroad, the bureau during fifteen years

has boen managed by Dr. Otto Ilamtnann, who, a bom intriguer, possessed enormous influence over till Chancellors and Foreign Secretaries, under whom ho nominally ''served/' I-Ie and two satellites, Estonian* and Heilbron, are chiefly responible for the service of lies, extenuations, and subterfuges with which the Merman and neutral Press from time to time is drenched. Hamnianu'a eminent services before and during' war earned him high promotion. Formerly a mere super of the Foreign Secretary, he now enjoys the rank of ''Ministerial Director." Once indicted for perjury, Reventlow, Count Ernst zu. —Of Danish extraction, like the Moltkes. Retired from Navy while a young officer; became a nnva.) and political pamphleteer and propagandist. Shining light of German Navy and Pan-Herman Leagues. Has hated England ferociously for years, also France, despite the fact that he married a French countess. Despises U.S. because he squandered a fortune on an American fruit-jdiwiiiic" venture. lias changed journalistic flags repeatedly. Attained fame, thanks mainly to frequent mention in English newspapers, 011 the Berliner Tageblatt; dismissed from that employment, lie wrote for the Pan-German Tagliclie Rundschau, and ended up with the Agrarian Tageszeitung organ of greedy "food usurers," whose columns he enriched daily with Frightfulncss. Nearly expired from joy over Scarborough, Lusitania, and Zeppelin raids. Wears hair close-cropped like convict. Has been suppressed twice during war for excessive "strafing." Wireless, German.—''News" service compiled by the Foreign Office to tell belligerents and neutrals what the German authorities want the world to believe. Flashed daily from great central wireless station of Nauen (near Potsdam), whose radius extends to the coasts of Africa. Immensely serviceable to Germans since the "German-Atlantic cable" was cut by Rritish cruisers on August r>, 1014. The ''Wireless" is sent out in the knowledge that it will be "picked up."

Wolff Agency.—Nominally privately owned news agency, but actually subsidised semi-official concern. General manager is a naturalised AustrianPrussian named Mantler. Enjoys preferential privileges on German telegraph and telephone lines. Before war, working' arrangements with chief news agencies in England, France, United States, Russia, and Italy permitted Hammann's official Press Bureau systematically to saturate foreign Press with Gar-man-made news and views. The chairman of the agency is the banker Paul von Schwabach, many years British Counsel-General in Berlin. The letter paper of the Wolff Agency is adorned with the legend, printed in rpd: "This agency undertakes no responsibility for accuracy of news disseminated by it."