Page:Mexico's dilemma.djvu/75

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REBELS AND REVOLUTIONS
59

most astounding "news" about events in Washington. Some of this news had a basis in fact; some had none at all. La Defensa receives most of its telegrams from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. A Mexican who lives in Laredo, Texas, crosses the international bridge with copies of American newspapers daily and from the Mexican telegraph office he telegraphs his untruthful accounts to Mexico City. He, too, is a trouble breeder, who might, with advantage, be watched by the Department of Justice.

Although several reports have been made to the United States Government about the activities of these newspapers, no steps have been taken to stop such practices. German propaganda is a sort of international dachshund which escapes the eyes of the dog catchers by following neutral citizens as soon as the Germans go into hiding.

The general opinion in Mexico City I found to be that, as a group, the Germans are working very quietly. Many of these German citizens are related to Americans and they correspond freely with residents of the United States. They receive all of the American newspapers and magazines and are able to keep almost as well informed about events in the United States as the German Embassy in Washington was before diplomatic relations were broken. While it is impossible to-day to send information to Berlin from Mexico by wireless, the mail route via Cuba is still open to Spain, and from that country the