Although the Berliner Journal generally avoided harassment from other papers about its own content, the editors at the Journal still needed to be careful not to appear too sympathetic to Germany during the war. In early August, the Berliner Journal printed an anniversary piece summarizing the first year of the war, just as all of the other local papers had. Later in the month, however, the Telegraph printed this article from the London Advertiser condemning the Journal for being inflammatory. The full article went on to claim that such mischievous journalism could only serve to “cast suspicion on thousands of loyal Germans” who otherwise would be undisturbed. For the coming year, it was suggested that the Journal take more care to commend the triumphs and cause of the British, rather than focus on the German perspective. Considering the article in question was printed shortly after the death of one of the Journal’s main editors, John Rittinger, one wonders if the loss of his voice at the German newspaper was already affecting its ability to function in the awkward situation that the war had created.
Berlin Daily Telegraph, August 19, 1915.
