The Basis of Future Operations
and served the cause of peace. I did my best—and aroused considerable opposition.
The Press of Saxony, Wurtemberg and Baden had a special position, but did their best to co-operate with us. The Bavarian Press, as time went on, followed its own devices more and more.
Our dealings with the Press were made considerably more difficult by the lack of any common representation. Its organization was as confusing as that of the imperial authorities. There was the " Press Committee," consisting of Berlin Press representatives, the Union of German Newspaper Publishers, and the Imperial Union of the German Press. These organizations, again, were not on good terms. The announcement " here's an Editor, here's a Publisher/1 and many others which revealed a lack of unity, assailed us constantly. This was a pity as it made a strong, uniform moulding of public opinion impossible. I have always estimated the influence of the Press very highly/ not only in the capital, but also in the provinces.
I was always glad to receive representatives of the Press, so far as my duties permitted.
The channel of communication between G.H.Q. and the newspapers was the War Press Office. This was formed in October, 1915, out of various sections that had been part of the acting General Staff at the beginning of the war. Its duties were the perusal and censorship of the home and foreign Press and to act as censors. In the year 1917 a section was added to deal with Patriotic Instruction.
The most important civil departments of the Empire and Prussia were linked up with the War Press Office. The analogous naval office was the Press section of the Admiralty Staff. The War Press Office always worked in the closest touch with these organs.
The War Press Office, in accordance with its instructions, always refrained from exercising any political influence on the German Press. All statements to the contrary are false, as are the suggestions that it conducted some special policy of the General Staff,
The importance of the War Press Office lay in its strong organisation, its staff, and the lack of any unified imperial organization- The Press was conscious of this. Their discontent was
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