Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-12-07
ASKS REASONS
FOR REQUESTING
ATTACHES RECALL
Germany Wants to Know
Cause for Action Against
BOy-Ed and Won Papen.
FOREIGN OFFICE MAY
CONTEST WITHDRAWAL
Lansing. in Reply Which Is to
Go Promptly, Will Decline
to Discuss Facts.
THEY MUST LEAVE COUNTRY
Not Incumbent Upon State Depart
ment to Ask Safe Con-
duct for Them.
FOREIGN OFFICE MAY
CONTEST WITHDRAWAL.
THEY MUST LEAVE COUNTRY
ment to Ask Safe Con-
duct for Them.

WASHINGTON. December 6.-t;er-
many to-day asked tho United states
upon what grounds the State Depart
ment requested the withdrawal OF Cap
tain Hoy-F.d, the naval attachc Of the
German embassy here. and of Captain
Won Papcn. the military attache
secretary Lansing received the request
from two sourceS--from Count Won
Bernstorff. the amba ssador. and from
the Berlin Foreign Office, through Am
basSador Gerard.
In tho United States reply. which
will he sent promptly. Secretary Ians-
ing will not discuss the facts. nor will
lac give the sources OF information con-
corning the activities Of the attaches
in connection with naval and military
matters to which the state Depart
mcnt objected. The United States will
stand upon the established understands
ing among nations that an intimation
that the diplomatic officer has made
himself disa agrccable is such as to cause
his removal
GERMANY MAY CONTEST
RECALL or OFFICERS
1t was intimated in Germany's re-
quest that If the United States based
its action upon anything less than tho
develoTments Of the Hamburg -Ameri-
can Line conspiracy in New York. or
the case of James +. J. Archibald, the
American war correspondent who
secretly carried papers for Captain Won
i'apcn as we'll az DIR. Dumba, the re-
called ambassador of Austria, the Ber-
lin Foreign Office might contest the
withdrawal of the two officers The
German position indicates. too, that
the United States is to get safe con-
duct home for the two officers IL Ir
wishes to be rid of them, although 1t
is authoritatively stated that Germany
will make no request for this service.
The German embassy. it was cx-
planned, takes the view that 1t and the
attaches virtually have been placed be-
fore the bar OF public opinion by the
state Departments action, and that,
consequently. the request for informa-
ton. though unusual is proper under
the circumstances. On the other hand.
it is known that Secretary Lansing
considers that Count von Bernstorff
might have drawn an inference as.to
what rendered the attaches objection.
able from the conversation when the
secretary Informed him that tie officers
no longer We're acceptable to the
United States, and offered to obtain
safe conducts for them 10 Germany If
Germany so desired
WILSON FULLY APPROVES
REQUEST FOR WITHDRAWAL.
MIR. Lansing made his request for
withdrawal with the full approval OF
President Wilson. and it was made very
plain to-day that ther@ would be no
discussion Of the facts which led to
the action. IL was pointed ont that
while in certain cases in the past gov
crnmcntS had given reasons for asking
the removal OF foreign diplomatic
officer, this had been done only To en-
hasize the request, and entirely At the
initiative OF the offended government
Secretary Lansing is OF the opinion
that the phrase persona non grata" is
one which indicates n mental attitude
THAT attitude may be caused by any
thing. IL may be personal dislike
temperament or personality. The sec
rctary also considers that il is not
incumbent upon this government TO ask
for safe conducts for withdrawn diplo-
matte officers. They are supposed To
he immune from seizure.
According TO the official view. the
state department asks that the at
tachcS be withdrawn as a courtesy to
we German government II II so de-
sired. the German government could
discontinue its official standing by the
simple method OF removing their names
from TIL. state Department lists
COVER NMENT DESIRES
THAT THEY LEAVE COUNTRY
In tho ease OF Boy Ed and Won
inpcn. however, the government de-
Sires that they leave The country They
ar" not wanted her. oven in the ca
pa"i'N OF private citizens. ana the Sta,u
Department VIII hc satisfied only when
thry have crossed border or are OUT
sid" OF the three mile limit
Reports were circulated to-day that
negotiations for tho settlement Of oucs-
tiuns growing out OF tho sinking OF the
l.uSitania wonld bc discontinued by
AWhaSsadnr Bcrnstorn until the pres
ent controversy was settled !, was
pointed out at the state DEPARTMENT.
n"wcv"r th1; the am ba ssador and See
rctary l.ansin2, had conferred about tho
buSitania question rs late aS Friday.
after the request for withdrawal ur
the attaches had been made