Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-03
Ousted U. S. Consul General
Says British Fomented
Trouble. !
DENIES CRITICISM OF
PRESIDENT WILSON
Claim He Struggled Germanic Docu-
ments Observation-Disclosures Him
self Powerless Against Intrigues.

BERLIN. October 2. by wireless to
Tuckerton. N. 1T. St. John Gaffney.
American consul general At Munich.
whose resignation has been requested
by the State Department at Washing
ton. has given an interview to the
Muenchner zeitung. denying assertions
which have been made concerning him.
According to the Overseas News
Agency. Mr.. Gaffney said the English
press had directed suspicion against
him. principally because he was Irish.
THE suspicion Of the English that I
have little enthusiasm for their politics
is correct" Mr.. Gaffney Is quoted as
saying. but by no means mingle my
Irish views with my Official functions"
Reply to Criticism.
In his statement to the press in reply to
recent criticism Of his conduct Mr.. Gaff-
ney said:
i know Of these accusations only
through the newspapers. Neither by the
American ambassador at Berlin or by
the Washington government has the
question ever been raised
my relations with the local American
colony and with approximately 100 Brit
ish subjects who are still here are ex-
cellent. When. where and how / am
supposed to have carried on anti British
propaganda is inexplicable to me.
THE contention that I. with or with
out the assistance Of my position.
smuggled German or Austrian letters
or documents is simply laughable. I
do not consider it commensurate with
~ TO ;nfA he
matter.
Equally untrue is the claim that 1
have criticised the policies OF President
Wilson"
Called Malicious Perversion."
Respecting statements published in
the United States that he had enter
tanned Sir Roger Easement. who has
been in Germany for several months
devoting himself to the cause of Irish
freedom, Mr.. Gaffney said:
THE story of the celebration I am
supposed to have held in honor OF Sir
Roger Easement Is a malicious perver-
sion of facts. A few weeks ago George
B. Mcclellan. former mayor Of New
York, was in Munich. A dinner was
given in his honor. which was attend
ed by several ambassadors and digni-
taries. Sir Roger was then in Munich.
and was invited at the express wish
of Mr.. Mcclellan.
Held Enough to Convict.
1.-THE efforts of the British press to
involve me are due entirely to the fact
continued. This fact is enough to
convict me of having little enthusiasm
for British politics"
lions that American citizens with
whom he had come in contact at the
Munich consulate had been i'll treated.
AN additional complaint against me-"
he said. I'm this connection consists in
the fact that I, as consul general at
Munich, should have denied absolutely
a few weeks ago reports from London
concerning statements said to have
been made by American citizens who
had been in Munich. which had been
that I should have said that these
stories were pure foolishness. I felt II
my duty to make such denial. be-
cause the American newspapers indi-
Gated plainly that anxiety was felt for
American men and women in Munich.
My report showed up the British re-
ports as falsehoods. which they were
deliberate falsehoods and inventions.
Regrets Situation.
Il regret extremely. for the sake Of
Americans in Munich as well as the
British under my protection. that un-
rest is being fomented systematically.
I am, however, absolutely powerless
against this ungentlemanly intrigue. 1t
gives me pleasure to say that as re-
suit of this attack I have won a great
deal Of sympathy and confidence. Thus
far the maneuver of newspapers with
the intention of stirring UP trouble be-