New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-20

tninK III tne nature OF pau ihIth va w
consistency in that attitude ! confess
to being too obtuse TO be able to APP
preciate il.
As further evidencing the utter
worthlessness and misleading character
of the publications of which ! com
plain, beg herewith TO quote from an
official document filed by the German
Embassy with the State Department
on June IS. 1915, from which you will
note that. so far from our then con-
templated purchases Of war materials
having been secretly conducted. our in
tentions were fully explained TO the
State Department. accompanied by the
offer to resell to the United States
government ANY or all of the ma
terials purchased:
IF the German government, during
the course of the war. should consider
Il advisable TO purchase arms. am
munition or other war material in the
United States. it could do so for no
other purpose than to prevent it from
falling into the hands of the Allies.
her enemies. The right of Germany to
effect such purchases could not be
questioned. Such purchases could not
form danger to the United States,
but would to some extent serve as a
limitation upon the casualties of war,
thus serving humanity; such pur-
chases would Furthermore serve the
particular interests of the United
States.
For il must be remembered that if
the German government should ever
consider il advisable 10 purchase war
materials in the United States, it would
do so knowing that delivery in Ger
many could not be secured and that no
use of the purchased material could be
hoped for during the war.
81. will readily be understood. there
fore, that the German government
would at any time be willing and. in
deed. glad to sell and transfer 10 the
United States government any or all of
the material it had purchased. In
stead of depriving this country of any
part of her resources. purchases by
Germany would insure the retention
within this country of any material it
might purchase.
Would Save German Lives.
From the German point of view,
purchases at this time by the German
government of war material manu-
featured in the United States. while it
would involve the sacrifice of large
by the consideration of the human eff
fects such purchases might accomplish
in the saving of the lives of the Ger
man soldiers, whom, in the hands Of
the Allies, this war material would
wound and slay."
This statement was prompted by the
simultaneous appearance at the time of
articles in leading newspapers in vari-
Gus parts of the country that were al
most identical in language. in which
they refer to an alleged German plot
to get possession of the plants making
war materials in order to embarrass
the United States in the prosecution of
its policies"
The articles were evidently part of
the inspired press campaign to en-
barrass the German government in its
relations with your government, and
were, of course, mischievous fabrica-
tions.
The criticisms directed against our
negotiations looking to the prevention
of exports of liquid chlorine to the
Allies by buying the product seem
strangely out of place, having regard
TO the fact that the British govern
ment has from the beginning of the
war concluded contracts in this coun-
try whereby:
(a) Every American manufacturer
of rubber goods and of woollen goods
has been compelled as a condition Of
securing the crude rubber or raw wool
required in his business to sell his en-
tire product through a British agency.
and has been prevented from supply.
ing any part OF it to Germany or Aus
tria-Hungary or from dealing with any
neutral nation except through the Brit
ish agency.
Copper Treated Likewise.
OBJ The copper producers of the
country have been required to deal
with their output of copper in like
manner.
(c) The great packing industries Of
America have likewise been compelled
to withhold their product from neutral
countries as well as from the enemies
OF Great Britain. except to the extent
TO which Great Britain. through its
own agents, may permit such sales
(d) Efforts in the same direction are
now being made to tie up the entire
cotton crop.
Does THE World" regard this course
of action on the part of Great Britain
as the meddling by a pretended friend
ly government with the domestic af-
fairs of the United States?
1t would be difficult to conceive of
more high handed practices or more
fragrant violations of the spirit and
intent of your antitrust laws than are
embodied in these arrangements. Yet
when the German government endeav-
ors to secure control of the output of
single factory, its entirely legitimate
action is widely denounced as amount
ing to propaganda Involving the
United States in the comp lications of
the European war"
Surely, no reasoning mind can be
misled by such manifest evidences of
bird partisanship, unfairness and in
sincerity. | doubt whether the world
has ever witnessed a publicity cam
palgn or a secret service bureau APP
preaching the dimensions, influence and
efficiency of that which is maintained
IN this country by our enemies.
Never Fomented Strike.
2. In answer to the inference based
on certain of the letters that | or any
one connected with the German gov
erhment has been concerned in To-
menting or encouraging strikes in
factories manufacturing war materials
rave only to say that there is no
basis for any such assertion or in
situation.
No such transaction or negotiation
as is suggested by the above mentioned
letter from Mr.. Dencken to Mr.. NARROW
or by the McLane letter ever occurred.
While it is true, as above stated
that all sorts of offers and proposals
were and are being constantly made to
me (as they are doubtless being made
to the representatives of the Allies in
this country upon that and every other
conceivable subject by people unknown
to US, whom We never took the trouble