Hermanner Volksblatt. [volume] (Hermann, Mo.) 1875-1928, 1914-12-04
- 5eist btes errem Gnolifd ipre.
deuoeu Rahbnrn!
UNWARRANTED.
The Anti-G German attitude of the
American Press.

IWtelpl.
The strange anti German atti-
tude OF the majority of the Ame-
rican Press, especially in New
York, in the first weeks OF the
European war was a surprise and
a sad disappointment to me.
From the experience OF my SER
vice in the Far East from 1904
to 1911 I know that a close in
timacy and friendship exists
between the governments of Ger
many and the United States,
After the Boxer Rebellion in 1900
John Hay, that excellent Ameri-
can Statesman, raised the demand
for an open door and equal OPP
~portunity for all in the Far East,
and Germany was the first
among the Nations to endorse
this policy and the only one
which has endorsed it ever since.
It was a logical consequence OF
this common policy that Mr..
Willard Straight, American Con-
sui General in Mukden, Manchu-
ria, and myself, being the re.
preventative of Germany at the
same place, worked together in
such a way that n might have
thought we were agents of one
and the same Government. The
Russians and the Japanese, eager
to divide up between themselves
the large Manchurian provinces
and to close the door to the
trading nations, found Straight
and myself standing side by side
a thousand times, blocking the
way of the Japanese and sup-
porting the Chinese who were
the legitimate owners of the
country. and at the same time
keeping the door open for the
trade of the world. Two part
ners of the same business con-
Germ could not have acted more
intimately together than we did
in that diplomatic work in Man
churia. In doing so we OF course
only carried out the intentions OF
our Governments. The German
Foreign Office was always ready
to support the Far Eastern po-
Icy Of the United States. The
most convincing proof of that
had in quite an interesting mo-
ment of my life. In 1910 the
Foreign Office appointed me to
accompany the Chinese Prince
Tsai Hsuen, brother OF the En-
peror Kwanghsue, when the
Prince visited Germany. With
the prince | was the guest OF the
Emperor in his box in the I'M
perial opera in Berlin n cv-
ening. | happened to be seated
behind the Emperor at the side
of our Undersecretary Of State
Mr.. Stcmrich. In the pauses oil
the play Mr.. Stemricft told me
in a whispering tone about a
diplomatic note al the Govern
ment of the United States which
had come that very day and III
which Mr. Knox, the then Anne
ricau Secretary of State, asked
the German support for his now
historical proposal Of the neutra-
lization of railways in Manchu-
ria, a very far reaching step. MIR.
Stemrich asked my opinion be-
cause | had been in M%anchuria
the year before. | told him that
did not think the Knox pro
posal a wise step because there
was no possibility OF carrying
this policy through against the
opposition OF the Japanese and
Russians and that the knoS
proposal would have the effect
of throwing japan and Russia
the enemies OF the day before
into each others arms. Mr.
S!temrich was disappointed will
my explanation because the Ger
man Government had already
given promise to support the
Knox proposal. And they die
support it. I mention this in
stance at such length, because II
shows that the German Govern
ment was on terms OF sucf
friendship with the Government
of the United States that it sup
ported that Government witt
even blind ardor. My knowledge
of former history as well as o
the diplomatic history of th'
recent past teaches me that th'
German Government and thu
German people always displayed
friendship and often gave actua
help to. the Government and the
people OF the United States
Then, why. in the present crisl'
Of Germany, do so many Ameri
II EE -