Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1915-09-22
DUMBA PROTESTS TO .
U. S. FOR RECALL.
ReSentS Charge He Confessed to
FOmenting Strikes.
SENDS LETTER TO LANSING
Ambassador Declares He Only Sought
to Prevent Countrymen From Con-
tinuing at Work Furnishing
Army Supplies to Allies.


New York, Sept. 20.-Doctor Dumba,
Austro- Hungarian ambassador, has ad-
dressed to Secretary of State Lansing
letter protesting the request for
his recall as unjust.
He complains bitterly at the restric-
lions imposed by the American gov
eminent censorship of the wireless
upon his communications with his
home government-re restrictions not
placed upon the diplomatic representa-
tives of the allies in this country, he
points out, because they enjoy the UNI
censored use of the cable.
Employment Plan Defended.
The letter is devoted mainly to de-
Tense of the ambassadors plan to find
other work for the nationals OF his
government employed in American mu-
milton plants.
Doctor Dumba incloses in his letter
translation of the letter which the
ambassador intrusted to James f. J.
Archibald for delivery to the AustrO-
Hungarian minister of foreign affairs
and upon which the request for his
recall was made. The translation OF
this letter has been made public.
s'"' Strike Confession Is Denied.
Except to say that he takes excep-
ton to Mr.. Lansing's charge that he
confessed to having conspired to bring
about strikes in American munitiOn
works, the ambassador makes no ref
erence to the intercepted letter to the
AustrO-Hungarian minister for foreign
affairs, upon which the request for his
recall was based.
/ In that letter he said he was under
the impression that we could, if not
entirely prevent the production of war
material in Bethlehem and in the mid
die West, at any rate, strongly dis
courage it and hold it up for months,
which, according to the statement OF
the German military attache, is OF
great importance, and which amply
Outweighs the relatively small sacri-
fee OF. money" j
Germany's Action Is Cited. i
Doctor Dumba continues:
THE German government issued
proclamation calling the attention Of
it's citizens resident in this and other
foreign countries to the severe penal
ties they would incur by participating
in the manufacture of munitions for
the countries with which Germany~is
at war. AS a result of the proclama-
ton hundreds of German citizens sur
rendered their positions in American
munitions factories.
81 was subsequently advised by my
government of the issuance by it of a
similar proclamation, in which atten-
ton was also directed to our military
penal code, under which the engaging
or continuance in such activities by
our citizens in foreign countries is
made a crime punishable by imprison-
ment for from ten to twenty years and
; under certain circumstances by death.
Il thereupon made strong represen-
tations to my government for SuS-
, pension of the operation OF this law
against citizens of AUSTRIA Hungary
; resident in this country, and urged in
+ support of my plan the following,
among other considerations:
, Il. That, whereas, the German
WOrkmen were in the main prosper
GUS, highly trained specialists and me-
chanics, our citizens were largely poor
, ly paid unskilled laborers, most of
whom were unable to read or write
, any language other than their own.
who were working under conditions of
unspeakable hardship and who would
find it difficult if not impossible to Sc
cure other employment
20. That it would be harsh to declare
them criminals and outlaws without
providing the machinery for acquaint-
ing them with the fact that they were
violating the laws of their country and
that as there is no official record of
these citizens extant an explanation
through the newspapers published in
the languages with which they are ia
miliar would be necessary. ?
%. That it would be necessary also
before enforcing such provisions. to
arrange for employment agencies,
through which other employment
might promptly be secured
Plea to Government Fails.
My government, however, concluded
that the same measure of LOYALTY
might justly be exacted from it's citi-
zens in this country as from those at
| home.
Il was accordingly instructed to use
every proper means of dissuading our
| citizens from committing this crime of
high treason against the country to
which they owed their allegiance. At
the time of the publication of your
message had as yet been able to take
no step toward the carrying out of
these instructions and had, of course,
no intention of doing so in any way
that would violate the laws or offend
against the customs of the country
whose hospitality | have enioved and