Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-22

N-.nd III the possession of James +. j
,.,'!'oald. the Amer can newspaper cor
respondent. when he was apprehended
,,gust 81 at Falmouth, while proceeding
ftom New York on board the steamer
Rotterdam for ROTTERDAM. seventeen are
Described as having been made public and
L.. Ter seventeen being insufficient
10 warran. publication"
Count Won Bernstorff, the German am
tassador to the United Sta-es, in one
letter said that Mr.. Archibald rs pro-
ceeding to Germany to collect material
for lectures in the United States IN the
interest of the German cause.
Promoted German Interests.
In a letter addressed to Mr.. Archi-
bald, Count Won Bernstorn says:
II have heard with pleasure that you
wish once more to return to Germany
and Austria after having promoted our
interests out here in such q Jealous ana
successful manner"
Can't Won Papen. the military attache
at. the German embassy in Washing
ton. in a letter to a Berlin friend. SAID
Mr. Archibald is going to Germany
and Austria to collect new impressions
from the point of view of the strlctis
impartial journalist he always mas
been"
Count Won Bernstorff's Letter.
Count Won Bernstorff's letter to Sec
retary of State Lansing, dated Ceuar-
hurst, August Is. reads:
Having regard to the wide publicity
given to the documents and letters
stolen from a member of my staff, and
fu1
confusion attempted to be drawn from
these documents, as appears in the
press comments and leading articles. !
have decided. having regard TO your
excellency's position with respect 10
the cause l represent. to make shoi
statement confirm.ng the facts
cit is inevitable that the holder OF an
official position such as l occupy as the
representative of one of the great ma
tions who are involved in TINS unIor.u.
nate world war, should receive from
every conceivable source and from most
unbalanced and irresponsible authors
proposals and advice. The majority OF
the documents found in the portloii 70
stolen from DR.. Albert were VI 'iiiS
kind
"A letter published in the newspapers
from a certain Mister McLane, in whlch
he stated that he had a plan for ar
ranging a strike of motor car work
men is a good example of the worth
lessness of the material when mas
been made use of in order TO bring an
accusation against the representatives.
of Germany in erect that theE nave o
taken part in a plot against the eco
nomic peace of this country and IN
order TO hold them up to public con-
tempt.
Paraded as Evidence.
Letters and documents from people
with whom we have neither been III
touch nor negotiated, and whose
identity is not even known to US, are
paraded with huge headings to catch
the eye, as though they We're evidence
of actual negotiations with US or were
matters the bearing of which we knew
OF and for which We were responsible.
1t gives the impression as if every in
dividual who makes some stupid pro-
posal or other in a letter Will be made
use of to discredit the responsible ac-
credited representative of a friendly
government. This goes so far that
these often quite absurd views or pro-
posals are made use of to accuse me
and the members of my staff of dis
loyalty to the country whose protec-
ton and friendships we enjoy and
know how to cherish and against
whom we are guilty of no offense or
abuse.
1T is asserted that the documents
show that the German government are
concerning themselves with the acquisi-
ton of munition factories and war ma
teriai. while at the same time they or
their allies demand the prohibition of
the export of arms and munitions and
support propaganda in favor of this.
This is represented Illogical and evil
dence OF our maiahdes.
Interpretation Not justified.
81 say most positively that our at
titude does not Justify such an in
depreciation and that the negotia tions
which appear contradictory are entire
" logical. Up to the present the pur-
chase of a munitions of war material
factory has neither been completed nor
prepared for by agreements, nor other
wise arranged for.
Even il germany and Austria-Hun-
gary had hoped that the prohibition of
exports would result and had expected
that the behavior of Great britain, who
contrary to international law, has
Snatched for herself control as regards
neutral countries and the sea and has
destroyed neutral trade. would lead to
prompt retaliation of the same char
acter, vet we regarded il as right
and duty, so long as Great Britain con-
tinued her piracy on the high seas, TO
protect ourselves against this iuterna-
hona1 system of robbery by placing
difficulties as far possible in the way
OF the export Of war materials for the
allies either by the purchase of fac
tories or war material. in spite of the
fact that for the present we are not
in a position to make use of these goods
for our own protection.
Criticism Not Understood.
81 cannot understand on what grounds
criticism of our behavior in this re-
spect can be based. II we possessed the
means and opportunities, we would buy
UP every munitions factory in the
United States of America, IL in this
way we could deprive the enemy of
munitions. and our proceedings would
or mala fides.
In order to indicate the worthless
ness and misleading character of the
publications of which l am complain
ing. l should like to quote some pas
sages from an official document handed
by the German embassy to the State
Department June II, 1915. From this
your eXcellency can see that not only
were we far from attempting to carry
out our proposed purchases of war
material in secret, but that we explain
ed our intentions fully to the State De-
partment and even offered to sell them
any or all the materials:
II the German government during
the course of the war should consider
II advisable to purchase arms. ammuni-
ton and other war material in the
United States, il could do so for no
other purpose than to prevent them
failing into the hands of the allies, her
enemy. The right of Germany to effect
such purchases could not be questioned