Arizona republican., 1902-02-21

fact that all European nations are now
 competing with each other for our | friendship. the interesting discovery
 brought out by the recent discussion is
 that the people of the United States have been altogether mistaken in ref erence to the attitude of the German | government in 1898. Due. doubtless, to the constantly reiterated statements of the English press, and the great ad- gives the English people in impressing their views upon Americans. it has been generally assumed that the Ger
 man government was far from friendly to the United States during the weeks preceding the Spanish war. The new facts brought out make it necessary to concede that a great injustice has been done to the Germans.
 Fer his own purposes. evidently. Elm peror William has patiently bided his time for making the facts known. IL may be safely assumed that it was the shrewd emperor who inspired the dis cussion of the subject in the European press some weeks ago, a discussion which became so general that the British government was led to make statement in parliament which was in tended to confirm the American i'm precision that England was our Cnly friend when war was threatening. The German government then promptly took advantage of the situation, and proceeded to make public certain diplo- matic notes of which the world in gen eral had been ignorant. It was ex- plained from Berlin that after the presentation of the joint ncta to Presi- dent Mckinley from the European ministers in Washington on April :. 1898. in which the hope was expressed that the impending hostilties with Spain might be averted (and to which the president replied that he also hoped for the maintenance of peace). a sec ond note confidential in nature. was prepared. which was little short of threatening in tc1e. and that this memorandum was written by no other than the British ambassador himself! The memorandum prepared by Lord
 
 at a common understanding and ad- dressed to the ambassadors and min isters read. according to the German version. as follows:
 The representatives of the powers here think in these circums Jances that the great powers might direct the at tention of the American government to the spanish note of April 10. and might declare that intervention did not ap- pear to them to be justified. This declaration might take the form of a. collective note from the powers to the representatives of the United States. such a document would produce a greater impression. and the represen- t9tives of the powers here would not then incur the. risk of appearing only to repeat their first step. which the president, in his latest message. has not even deigned to mention In the event of an identical note being decided upon. it would be advisable to publish it immediately, in order that the civ ilized world, to whose authority the appeal is made. may be absolved from reprcach in approving of this attack
 The German ambassador. Dr. von Hclleben, cabled the contents of this note to his government, and the em- peror at once wrote a memorandum with his own hand strongly disapprov- ing of any efforts to coerce or even influence the United States, and this memorandum also has been made pub lie. Thereupon all further attempts to obtain joint action by the Washington representatives of the powers was abandoned.
 The various documents bearing on the subject which have been published fully bear out the contention that not only was the attitude of the German government eminently correct. but it was really friendly to the United States. In choosing-to to set the German government in the right light before the world and especially before the American people just when public at tentiCn is focused upon the relation be- tween Germany and the United States by reason of the visit of Prince Henry. the emperor shows once more that he is a master diplomat.
 The disclosures will serve to clear away much of the feeling of stiffness which has characterized American sen timnt toward Germany in recent years, and they will not disturb our relations with our English friends. It has been shown that Lord Pauncefote acted without the Knowledge oi his govern ment and contrary to it's policy. and that his position was at once repudi- ated when the facts became known in London. The explanation suggested. and which. is quite plausible in view of Lord Pouncefote's long record of eff forts to strengthen the friendship be- tween the United States and England is. that he was acting in harmony with