South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-06-16
RumorS That U. S. State De-
partment Had Been Tricked
Into Issuing Safe Conduct to
Officer Are Denied.
DENY HE ATTEMPTED TO
BUY DISCARDED RIFLES
SeC'y of War Garrison Says No
Efforts Have Been Made by
German Representative to
Purchase Old Krags.

WASHINGTON. June 16--The re-
port that Meyer Gerhart, sald 10 be
a special envoy Of Count voa Bern
stOrf. the German ambassadOr to
acQuaint the kaiser with the true
American attitude toward Germany,
really is a high official of the German
military staff and that the state de-
partment was tricked into obtaining
safe conduct for him, was not credited
generally in high official circles to-
day.
II was pointed out that Germany
had no need for eleventh hour in
vestigatiOn by her high officials as to
the state OF military preparedness of
this country Every military officer
in Europe, II was stated. is familiar
with all the essential facts as 10 mill
itary preparedness of every other ma
ton The suggestion that Germany
had neglected TO obtain such inform
alton was received with amusement
by officials
Sec'y Of War Garrison denied that
he had ever had any correspondence,
director or indirect, or any meeting
with a Or. Meyer or a Meyer Ger
hard, or a Gerhard. who the reports
stated sought to buy $4,000 discsrd led
krag-Jorgensen rifles from the war
department.
Garrison Denies Rumors.
II know nothing whatever about
this story that a DR. Meyer or Meyer
Gerhart or a Gerhard was trying to
buy these rifles on behalf of the Ger
man government" said Sec'y Gar
rison
Il never heard of the man. except
through the newspapers At the out
break OF the European war, I realized
that If We sold any Of these discarded
rifles and any of them got into the
would be unable TO convince any ma
tiOn that the sale was innocent on
our part.
Accordingly I issued an order
Withdrawing all of these rifles from
sale during the period Of the war.
This order did not appear to be taken
at face value. by some of the brokers.
] suppose 90 OF them have approach
ed us at different times since that
date. suggesting thar rifles were want
ed at this. thst or the other place out
side of the zone Of the European war
As is seemed impossible TO convince
the brokers that we meant what we
said. I had TO quit selling them at all. -
Had No 'Safe Conduct
Or. Meyer Gerhart. the special en-
voy from the German embassy in
Washington TO the German foreign Of
fee in Berlin. did not receive n reg
ular safe conduct from the British
and French embassies Instead he
carried with him "a letter of identifica-
ton signed by Sec'y of State Bryan.
according TO official announcement al
the state department today
The impression of department Of
fCials was that the British and French
embassies in Washington certified 10
the signature of Sec'v BRYAN. This
letter served all the purposes Of an
official safe conduct while ii relieved
the two ambassadors Of the responsi-
bility OF having issued the document
The letter was issued at the oral
request of the German ambassador
and the certifCation by the French
and British ambassadors alsd was an
oral arrangement. At no time was
the identity OF Or. Gerhart questioned
10 was stated.
The department declined To say
whether investigation would be or
dered into the rumor that Gerhart
really was DR. Alfred Meyer. chair ot
the German army supply division. II
was pointed out that no violation OF
law would be involved even If true
The department made il clear. how
ever. that it had no reason TO believe
Dr. Gerhart was other than as rep
resented 10 he