Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-05-13
BERLIN SEVERE
IN PENALTY ON
SUSSEX SINKER
Germans Indignant at
False Report of U-Boat
Captain
HALT PLOTS" IN U. S.
Quiet Movement Under Way to
Stop Objectionable
Propaganda
By CARL W. AcKERMAN
THE HAGUE. May ls

/ THE HAGUE, May l3.
Severe punishment was meted out to
the commander Of the German submarine
which attacked the SUSSEX Il Ia generally
believed in well-informed circles in Ber-
| lin, though no official report on the ma
| ture of the punishment has been made
public.
This belief is based largely on the in.
dignation felt In Germany over the u.
boat commanders deception. His report
was implicitly believed until the American
Government presented conclusive evidence
showing that the Channel packet was tor
pedoed. In view of this evidence Germans
feel that they were put in a rather hui
initiating position. It is not overstating
the case to say that the submarine COM
mander's deception caused as much indig.
nation in Berlin as 1t did in Washington.
The German Government. desiring to
avoid break with America at all costs.
has taken two important steps in the last
fortnight to improve the relations between
the two nations. The German concessions
in the submarine matter were one. A
quiet movement 70 squelch Teutonc plot
ters and Teutonlc propagandists in the
United States and anti-American propa-
gandists in Germany has been under way
for several days.
THREATS AGAINST GERARD.
Ambassador Gerard has received scores
Of letters with threats against his life
in the last few days. The letters were
inspired by newspaper insinuations that
in some way he tipped off" the Sim F'ein
outbreaks In Dublin in advance to the
Rr'tlsh Government. Some of the writer's
hs mentioned, also, facts alleged to have
been brought out through the arrest in
New York of Wolf Won Igel, former secre-
tary of Captain Won Papen, and the con-
fnSgibn of Horst der (,nlty alIauah
German agent.
Though the German Government has
disclaimed all responsibility for the acts
of bomb Dlotters in the United States
Chancellor Won Bethmann-Holweg believes
that some sort of drastic action should
be taken to convince Americans that Ger
many has nothing to do with the plotters'
operations. Conferences on this subject
have been going on at Berlin all this
week. l have heard, for instance, that
Franz Won Rinteln, alleged German plotter.
will be court-martialed If he ever returns
to Germany Although officials refrain
from expressing any opinion of the guilt
Df the accused men, they declare en-
that their acts are without the
sanction of the German Government or
the Kaiser.
BERLIN'S NEW ANXIETY.
Berlin is chiefly worried just now over |
he possibility that some submarine COM |
nander may accidentally torpedo with |
,ut warning merchant vessel in the be- |
ief that he is attacking a transport, thus |
ringing new submarine crisis with the |
United States. The Kaiser, Chancellor |
ION Bethmann-Hollweg and Admiral Won |
1eltzendorff are particularly anxious that |
he submariners take no chances that may |
nvolve Germany with the United States. |
t the new orders to submarine comman-
ers could be published, 1t is said that they ]
you'd convince the skeptical that Ger I
lany is as much concerned as America
n preventing accidents in the futre.