Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-07-14
President Was Greatly An
noyed by Incident, Which
Caused Berlin Foreign
Office to Call Protest a
Bluff.
Facts in Mix-up Partially Re-
sponsible f or Secretary's
Resignation Revealed - Ger
ard Position Badly Com
promised.

NEW YORK, July IL.
What really took place between William
T. Bryan when Secretary Of state and the
Austrian Ambassador. Doctor Dumba, In
and after the conversation which con-
fused the consideration of the submarine
issue in Berlin was told to the Washing
ton correspondent Of the Sun representa-
tive by one who Is said to know all the
facts
THAT Mr. Bryan did give the Austrian
Ambassador to understand that friendly
answer was all that was required OF Ger
many In response to the Lusitanin note
OF May Is was positively asserted by the
Suns informant From this arose all tho
trouble.
After the Lusitanla note Of May Is,
when feeling was running high In this
country and the newspapers were
printing articles suggestive OF war OF
the severance of diplomatic relations
with Germany. Ambassadors Bern
etorn and Dumba were doing every
thing possible to relieve the situation
here
Ambassador Dumba accordingly called
ht the state Department and after CON
siderable effort got Mr. Bryan to dis
cuss the question
Il was in this conversation that Mr.. |
Bryan distinctly gave the Ambassador |
TO understand that all the United States |
really required Of Germany was a |
ITlenQly answer ACCOIulnB 10 lHe STATE
ment OF the Suns informant. II is de- |
clared that Mr. Bryan said that while |
the United States had used strong Ian
Ruage in the note of May 10, that note
did not mean that this country was going |
to break off with Germany II Berlin did
not meet the Presidents demands.
"a friendly note" II is stated. is what |
Mr.. Bryan said was wanted from Ger
many in reply. Mr. Bryan referred. it is
declared, TO the pressure Of public opinion
on the President in explanation of the
language OF the note sent to Berlin.
The effects of the impression gained by
the Ambassador in his talk with Mr..
Bryan came a few days later. Ambas-
sador Gerard was at the Berlin Foreign
office, rs,..g vigorous language about the
American POSITION on the submarine Is
sues.
The ofloai with whom he was speak
Ing suddenly Interrupted with a smile
and told him. in effect that he knew Mr..
Gerard was bluffing and that there was
no need OF such strong language.
He notified Mr.. Gerard that the Berlin
Government had been informed that the
American note was merely for home con-
sumption anu that all the United States
wan-ed from Germany was a soft an
swer which would make a break be-
tween the two governments unnecessary.
: Mr. Gerard was naturally indignant and
at once reported to Washington what
had been said to him, His message was
like a stick of dynamite In the State De-
partment. 1t was this dispatch that Mr..
Bryan had in mind when, in his recent
statement on this subject. ne spoke OF
having learned that his conversation with
Ar. Dumba had been mislnterpreted in
Berlin"
Ambassador Dumba was sent for by
Mr. Bryan and was told of what had
happened. He explained as best he
could. Ambassador Bernstorff was also
called in And, according to Mr.. Bryan,
the latter showed report OF his original
conversation with the Ambassador to the
President. who approved. Apologies were
made all around, even the Berlin Foreign I
Once sending a message expressing its {
regret that a misunderstanding had oc-
CURED. !
Nevertheless, the understanding OF
those who knew about the original con- ]
was not changed by these :
polite exchanges, and Mr. Bryan's state {
ment also failed to alter their view OF {
what had happened.
II is now admitted that undoubtedly {
Doctor Dumba erred in confusing Mr. {
5ryan's well known personal inclnations
IN this issue-al Of which have been a
made known to the world since his resig- n
iation-with the attitude OF the President ]
nd those OF his advisers who had really c
lelped In drafting the FIRST Lusitania \
tote. il
Il is not at all suggested that Mr. Bryan II
neant 10 mislead the Ambassador It is
elieved rather that Mr.. Bryan was sin le
erely convinced that, even IL his views G
ad not prevailed in the drafting of the CT
rst note. they would have a larger in II
nence when 1t came TO consideration OF II
he next step &