New Britain herald., 1915-12-07
LANSING REPLIES
 ID GERMANY 0N
 ATTACHES RECALL
American Governments Request for Withdrawal of Captains
 Boy-Ed and Von Papen
ENTIRELY DUE TO MILITARY
 AND NAVAL ACTIVITIES a. ~A~ A

President Wilson Fully Approves 's Secrctary's Decision-Bcrlin Ad-
 vices Indicate Kaiser Will Comply
 With Desire Of United States il,
 Accordance With Diplomatic
 Usage.
 Washington, Dec. 7.-Secretary Lansing has replied to Germany that fs,c American governments request for the withdrawal of Captain Boy Ed and Captain Von Papen, the naval and military attaches, respectively, of the German em mbassy here, was erl- tirely because of their military and naval activities.
 Secretary Lansing's reply to tho xrcrman governments inquiry which indicated the Berlin foreign office in tended to contest the withdrawal of tae attaches under certain conditions was delivered in a long communica- ton, which the German embassy im- roediately forwarded to Berlin. At the embassy all comment on it was refused.
 v. Wilson Approves Decision.
 President Wilson has fully approv ed Secretary Lansing's decision, and 1t was said authoritatively today that |. will be adhered to no matter what Germany does.
 Neither was there any indication of whether the reply would meet the contention of the German govern ment that it should know the reasons for the request for the withdrawal of its~ officers.
 Looking for Loop Hole.
 1t was broadly intimated to the state department that the request was based on something else than the de- velopments of Hamburg American line conspiracy trial or the case of James F. J. Archibald, the Ameri- can war correspondent who secretly carried despatches for Capt. Won Pa- peh, Germany would decline to with draw either of the men.
 The general impression was that Secretary Lansing's reply at some length repeats that the two officers have become persona non grata be- cause of their military and naval ac- tivities, and that, further under the diplomatic usages existing between j ernment to do more than intimate to another that the presence of a dlp- 1omatic officer is distastefu1
 Overnight advices from Berlin in dicate that the German government would withdraw the officers as re- quested, although it might press for a bill of particulars. The position of the state department is that it will not discuss the facts in the case nor reveal the sources of it's information which have led to the decision that the activities of the two German at taches make their presence in this country no longer desirable.
 Still Investigating Reports. The department of justice is still inyestigating reports that German agents were back of alleged plans for a counter revolution in Mexico, to be headed by Gen. Huerta. Attorney General Gregory said today however, that no new information on the sub- kject had been called to his attention recently. ' One reason why the American gov perSsnent will not furnish Germany with specific reasons for the request for the recall of Capt. Boy-Ed and Capt Won Papen is it's determination to; keep secret the sources of it's information. Reports involving other lnen in this country are under inves- tigation and these the government does not desire to disclose until 1t IS ready to take further action. ., Reply Through Gerard. Secretary Lansing also sent a reply to Germany through Ambassador Gerard at Berlin. In making its in- duiry Germany also uscd two aven- ues of communication, the German 1 ambassador here and the American ambassador in Berlin.
 W h1le there was no indication to- day that the text of Secretary Laa- sings communication would he made public, it can be said authoritatively that it declares the American gov ernment's action was caused by the military and naval activities of tho (attaches coupled with circumstances of an accumulative nature which are deemed sufficient for Secretary Lan- (sing's action. These alone are e. |eponsible. No mention was made of Mexican affairs, nor did the name of Genera1 Huerta appear.
 To Violate Neutrality Laws.
 The German government was in- formed. however, that an accumula- - tion of circumsta and conditions by inference, if not otherwise con- nected the attaches with attempts to violate the neutrality laws of the Emitted States. -....
 The Archibald incident it was said, was mentioned in connection with the
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