Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-20
German Privy Councillor,
DR.. Heinrich P. Albert,
Denies Neutrality Breaches

+ Albert, imperial German privy coun-
cilor, who has been in charge of much
Of the confidential work of the Ger
man government in the United States.
has made public here an answer to
yome Of the charges published by the
New York World the past week, which
have sought to show that there is an
organized German propaganda in the
United States, at an expense to Ger
many Of 100000 a week, which
might have the result of involving the
United States in the war.
DIR. Albert attacks the character of
the documents published by the World
as tending to support its charges, and
in his statement says, in part:
I'm view of the wide publicity that
has been given the documents and
and the wholly false and unwarranted
deductions that are sought to be
drawn from them, as evidenced by news
comments and editorials, l have con-
cluded, in justice to the public and to
the cause / represent. as we'll as to
myself, to present brief summary OF
the facts.
"It is inevitable that all sorts of wild
and irresponsible offers, proposals and
suggestions should be addressed from
every conceivable quarter to one hold
ing the official position in which | am
placed as an accredited agent Of one
unfortunate worldwide war That is
the character of most of the docu-
ments' that were contained in the port
folio that was distracted from US.
Calls Letters Junk.
THE published letter from a Mr.. Nc
Lane to the effect that Mr.. McLane has
plan for precipitating a strike of au-
tomobile workers. and that "a strike
n
factorieslof Detroit. Cleveland and Gin
cinnati for about s50,000,' is a fair il
lustration, of the worthless sort of
junk. on which the. representatives of
my country are charged with conspir
ing against the Industrial peace of the
community and are sought to be he'd
up to public reprobation.
Letters and documents of this sort
from strangers with whom we have
had no dealings or communications,
and whose very identity is unknown to
US, are paraded under binding head
lines as though they constituted evil
Gence of actual transactions with us, or
were matters OF which we were cog
infant or for which we are responsible.
is it anywhere suggested that the
slightest attention was ever paid TO
that or any other letter of like import.
or that $4,000 or 80 cents was ever
paid or agreed to be paid upon any
sort of evidence and that alone that
We find one of our leading metropoii-
tan papers editorially indulging in the
unspeaka BILE, false and reckless charge
against the accredited agent OF
friendly nation against the govern
ment and organizing treason. 1t seems
that every crank who chooses to write
a letter containing any sort of wild
or disreputabie proposal has the power
to make his ridiculous proposals the
basis of charging me with dlsioyalty
to the country whose protectlon ana
hospitality | enjoy and deeply appre-
ciate and which l have in no way
abused or infringed.
Expects Fair Play.
II have, however, lived here long
enough to have learned that, although
YOUR people at times are disposed to
iump to hasty conclusions on lnsuf-
fcient evidence. there is too much OF
the spirit of fair play among them TO
permi. of your forming your maj
i,d,ments on such manifestly false
and slender premises
eff is said that the documents indi-
cate that the German government mas
been engaged in the purchase OF NUM-
tions factories and war materials, Whlie
at the same time it or its ally has peeh
insisting upon and supporting proPa-
eanda in favor OF an embargo Dy inns
country against the expectation OF
arms and ammunition. This IS charged
to be an inconsistent ATTITUDE ana DIS
evidence of bad faith
81 insist that it is capable of no such
construction. and that the two posi-
lions are entirely consistent. although
in point of fact there has been as yet
no purchase made. contracted for or ar
ranged of any munition or other fac
tory and none is in contemplation
While Germany and Austria-Hun
gary had hoped that there would be
such an embargo, and have been eX-
pecting that the action of Great Brit
ain in seiZine control of the seas
against neutral countries and IN de-
stroying neutral commerce in violation
of international law would result IN
prompt reprisals of that character, we
have still considered ii our right and
duty. while Great Britain continues its
piracy on the high seas, to endeaVor to
protect ourselves against this course of
international brigandage by stopping
the expectation OF war materials to the
allies wherever il can be accomplished,
whether by our purchase of factories
or of war materials. even though we
are not in position at this time to
make further use of them in our own
defense.
Would Buy All if Possible.
II am unable to understand on what
theory our action in that direction
should be the subject of criticism. II
We had the means and the opportunity
we would huy eyery munitions factory