Evening star., 1898-08-02
AN EXPLICIT STATEMENT
Germany's Attitude Toward the United
States Entirely Friendly.
Ambassador White and German
RumOrs of Hostility.

| Stats Zeitung, dated Berlin, August /,
states: In view of the deplorable fact that
1 the attitude and sentiment of both German
officfaldom and popuace have been and still
are grossly misrepresented in large por-
| tion of the American press, 1 have under
taken to obtain unquestionable information
from competent quarters on this matter. !
have asked Mr.. Andrew D. White the dip
lomatic representative of the United States
in Germany for an explicit statement, and
Mr. White was kind enough to grant my re-
quest IN the most atisfactory manner. An
other valuable statement of a highly official
character was furnished to me In the Ger
| man foreign office.
Mr.. Andrew D. White said to me verbally:
The relations between the German and
American governments have been and still
are excellent AS a simple matter of fact,
no person acquainted with the matter will
deny that the German government has
treated ours with fairness, or claim that
| 1t has been wanting in courtesy to our gov
ernment or to its representative at Berlin.
There is no exception to this statement
"Of course, there has been on the part of
considerable number a natural sympathy
with Spain as a weaker power fighting a
stronger one; quite likely, too, consider
able portion of landed proprietors and of
leading manufacturers have had prejudices
against the United States, caused by wnat
prosperity; and it must be confessed that a
very large majority of the German news
papers have been more or less hostile to
| the United States. But 1t is perfectly evil
| dent that German sentiment is improving in
| this respect every day as the real charac-
| ter of the struggle is more and more clearly
seen.
| Elaborate MisrepreSentatfon.
''On both sides of the Atlantic there
| seems to have been an elaborate and long
| continued effort to msrepresent everything
/ in both directions so as to stir ill feeling.
| Who is responsible for this on this side of
the ocean or the other L cannot undertake
| to say; but, this much is certain, that most
absurd charges have been telegraphed to
| the United States and widely spread.
"One or two incidents may be taken as
| typical of many. Shortly after my arrival
| here some one cabed to America a story
| that the feeling against America was so
| strong here that the emperor had felt
| obliged to publish all order insisting that
official people must present themselves at
my receptions.
LAS a matter of fact, the so-called order
| was simply the usual official notification
always issued when new ambassador ar
rives and is ready to give his three regular
receptions. The most courteous conduct
and kind feeling was shown by all con-
cerned.
80, zoo, at one OIL the CLOSING sessions CT
| the reichstag l was present in order to hear
a most interesting debate. To my amaze
ment, shortly aftArward l learned that q
story had been widely circulated in Amer
lea that the secretary of the American en-
baSsy and myself had been grossly insulted
from the floor by conservative members of
parliament In this, also, there was not The
shadow of truth. Neither then nor at any
other time has there ever been toward the
American embassy any member of 1t
slightest indication nPrSOnn1 n(-fe
ing.
The Irene Incident.
1T is clear that the so-cal1ed Irene tnc.
dent was Used by persons wishing to stir
Up strife in the same manner. The same
may be said regarding the alleged alterca
tions between Admirals Dewey and Died
richs. The whole details were an inven-
ton.
II neither assert nor deny that leading
men in Germany have large plans for the
extension Of the commercial influence of
the empire. l regard such plans as rot
only natural, but praiseworthy. Nothing
has been done yet in furtherance Of such
plans of which we can complain. Every
thing know regarding the relations of the
two countries shows me that this proper
feeling toward us exists here, and that so
far from German sentiment toward lis
growing worse. it is steadily growing bet
ter
Inc foregoing was SHOWN TO a IunCf10n-
ary in the German foreign office holding
responsible position. He fully confirmed
Mr. Whites statements, and added:
I'VE can only repeat that all calumnies,
more especially those emanating from
English sources, have been met with a
prompt denial and have therefore COL
lapsed This applies also to the so-cailed
Irene affair.
"All requests by Germans and non-Ger-
mans also to land German seamen at Ma
Mia for the protection of the property of
foreigners have been fatty refused by this
government. in order to avoid even the
slightest pretext for unfavorable COM
ment. To those who appeared most scared
we said that in an emergency there would
be ships eldy to take them aboard-Amer-
leans and Germans included.
"At Manila there exists the best rela-
tions between Americans and Germans
The captain Of a Lloyd steamer recently
arrived from these shores reported that
Admiral Dewey had most friendly talk
with the German admiral and the Lloyd
captain about the situation.
THE report coming this time from Wen
ma. that theTo will be a conference IN Paris
for the settlement of the Philippine ques-
ton. and that all the great powers will be
represented on this conference, is dscred-
tied here. At the foreign office no one
knows about such scheme. Neither
Spain nor the United States is desirous of
mediation"