Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-10-10
GERARD COMING HOME
ON MISSION OF PEACE
is PERSISTENT BELIEF
In Spite of DeniaIs by the State
Department, Washington Is
Convinced That AmbaSSa-
doris Return Is Significant
(By Associated Press.)

WASHINGTON. Oct. S.-Official de-
malls from all sides fail to down :he
persistent reports that Ambassador
Gerard, returning from Berlin, is bring
ing direct word from Emperor william
asking President wilson's intercession
for peace.
Despite the fact that Count Won Bern
storff, the German ambassador, has
stated he knows positively that Nj.
Gerard is coming on no such mission
and the state department was moved
Saturday by the persistency of the story
to issue an official denial, it circulated
widely in official and diplomatic cir
cles and was seriously discussed as a
possibility.
The dramatic arrival of the German
war submarine U-53 at Newport with
a package of dispatches for Count Won
Bernstorff, just before he has an audi
ence with President Wilson Monday,
served to add to the circumstantial
chain of events upon which those who
believe the current story of Mr.. Ger
ards homecoming base their expecta-
ton that some momentous development
is about to take place. The German
embassy tonight disclaimed any knowl-
edge of the nature of the dispatches, or
the mission of the submarine in Ameri-
can waters.
State department officials after MAX
ing informal denials of the Gerard
story for the last week took notice OF
it officially for the first time today by
issuing this statement:
I'VE have no reason to believe there
is anything in it and every reason to
believe there is nothing in it."
ONLY ON VACATION.
Adding to this they declared that
when Mr.. Gerard left Berlin for Copen-
hagen he only intended to say good-b
to Mrs. Gerard, who was sailing for
home, and at the last hour determined
to accompany her when he received IL
structions from Washington to take
his vacation.
The only tangible element connected
with the story is a complete set of de-
malls. Still, it is considered so Cir
cumstantial and has been pieced togeth-
er from a chain of consecutive events
in such a way that it is given a meas
ure of credence both in Europe and the
United States.
One possibility that stands out is
that President Wilson himself may
know some reason for Mr.. Gerard's
Homecoming that is not known to the
state department or the German ambas-
sador. 1t is not unusual for the
president to deal directly with the
American diplomats in the war zone.
Soon after the war broke out and
President Wilson sent foEmaI offers of
mediation to the belligerents, official
lntimations came from both sides that
any outside interference would be re-
scented because both sides wanted a
permanent peace for Europe by the tri-
1mph of the principles for which each
commended.
After the story of the supposed rea-
sons for Ambassador Gerards home
coming began to be given credence here
and abroad, the state department made
known officially that the United States
would not make another offer of medi-
alton except on the direct request of
one of the belligerents. That state
ment was accepted for it's full value,
out with the general knowledge that
even the state department might not
DE in a position to speak for the presi-