Sunday, 20 September 2015

Poem ~ German American Hoax - Monday, 20 September 1915


Impression of California Eagle logo - by Jamie. See original at:
https://archive.org/details/caleagle?sort=-publicdate

A profitable hoax had emerged,
Created by German Americans;
Claiming destruction of entire
British fleet - with photographs.

A trail dated back to August 29
Of the 'California Eagle' magazine,
Copied by Westminster Gazette -
Saturday September 18 1915.

Issued in no. 45 of volume 23,
For a one and only appearance -
In one sunny Californian day,
Made profits for their publishers.

The reproduced Gazette article -
Professed by a heavy American
Typeface - for the Berlin claim
Of British losses of 40,000 men.

Laid out in black and white,
Evidence lay in a lengthy list
Of supposed lost British ships;
U.S. press reacted in enquiries.

The wild claims, prompting
investigations, ran to hundreds
Of dollars, as 'California Eagle's'
Sales soared, over that one day.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. Great War Hoax - Told in America. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 20 September. P.10. Col.6. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11869504/Daily-Telegraph-September-20-1915.html [Accessed: 20 September 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 20 September 2015). 



#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1America

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