The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-09-24
j. 5. MAY RESENT
DIPLOMATS TALK
Baron Won Schoen S Interview
Likely to Cause Explana-
ton to Be Asked.
REGARDED AS OFFENSIVE
Declares Japanese Consider War with
This Country Inevitable.
Creates STIR Here.

The publication yesterday Of any ad-
mittedly authentic interview with Baron
Wilhelm Freiher Won Schoen, attached
to the German Embassy here, in which
the baron is quoted as saying that the
japanese consider war with the United
States inevitable, created a stir here, and
seems likely to result in an explanation
being asked Of the German Embassy by
the State Department
Though there have been a number OF
statements emanating from foreign diplo-
matists here since the beginning OF the
war in Europe which have caused great
displeasure to the administration. in some
respects. the interview with Baron Won
Schoen is regarded as the most offensive
OF all. The statements contained therein
are such as to lead inevitably to the con-
clusion that II any effect were expected
to result from it. II must be that Of in
citing the hostility of the American pub
lie against Japan, presumably in the hope
that opinion created against Japan would
be correspondingly in favor of Germany.
Interview Serious AnnIr.
Baron Won Schoen was attached to the
German Embassy in Tokyo when war
was declared by Japan. and was handed
his passports by the Tokyo government
He recently arrived in the United States.
and last Monday came TO Washington,
and is now attached to the embassy
here. as one of the secretaries His pre-
sentatiun to the State Department last
Monday with the announcement Of the
embassy that henCeforth he is to he an
attache of the embassy here is rega ded
as making the interview much more
serious an affair.
While Secretary of State Bryan. who
returned TO Washington yesterday. de
clined to acknowledge even that he had
read the Baron Won Schoen interview
there was no difficulty in establishing the
fact that administration officials regard
1t as case for action by the State De-
partment- In some quarters il was de-
clared that the situation required that
the baron be given his passports Just as
soon as he has admitted officially, that
the interview is authentic
The United States has been so prompt
to act in other similar cases recently,
1t was declared. that IL can hardly over
look the Baron Won SChoen interview
Recently utteranCes of the Turkish Am
bassadOr. A. Rustem Bey. in which COM
PARSONS were drawn between atrocities
in Turkey and lynChings in the United
States and events of the Philippine in
surreCtion, caused the President to direct
Secretary Bryan to write a note to the
Ambassador, inquiring as to the authenti-
city OF the interviews and indicating the
displeasure of this government at the
issuance of such statements by its official
guests. Since then the Turkish Ambas-
sador has completely subsidized.
Last week Sir Lionel Garden. former
British Minister to Mexico. was quoted
on the day he sailed for England as say
ing that for NE President to Withdraw
the American troops from Vera Cruz at
this time was a desperate shame" The
State Department the next day sent a
formal inquiry TO the British government.
requesting that it inquire Il Sir Lionel as
to the authenticity of the interview A
reply to this inquiry is still awaited here
as, so far as is known, Sir Lionel has not
yet arrived in London.
In some quarters the extreme view was
expressed that the interview with Baron
Won SChoen represented a deliberate at
tempt on the part of German officials 70
embroil the United States in the war BY
arousing enmity against one Of the bel
ligerents. There Is. of course, no vvI-
dence to support this charge. except as
one may draw such a conclusion from the
statements contained in the interview and
the probable motive therefor.