Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1916-12-29
PLOTTING AGAINST THE
PRESIDENT.
Carried On in BungIIng Way by
Great Biitain's Assistcnt Dlplo-
mats i'm American News
paper Offices.

assistent diplomats in American
newspaper offices to Illustrate Presi
dent Wilson's effort to bring about
peace in Europe and force the
United States into the war on the
side of the Entente Powers is be-
coming bolder from day to day. In
its issue OF December 26, the New
York Times, the most loyal British
newspaper in America, stated editor
tally, the Presidents peace note to
all the belligerent nations did not
mean peace at all, 1t meant war,
war against Germany.
Not to be outdone by the Times,
the New York World, another ardent
supporter of the British idea that
there is no room for the German
race on this earth, has its Washing
ton correspondent say that further
study Of Germany's reply to Presi~
dent Wilson's note of December 18,
calling upon all the belligerents to
state their respective views as to
terms upon which the war might be
concluded has produced growing
feeling of dissatisfaction in Adminis-
tration circles.
Cermany's almost contemptuous
disregard OF the Presidents inquiry,
the upmistakable inference that ncu-
trails are not concerned with the kind
of peace that tho warning nations
may make, and that the fiat state
ment that the great work of pre-
venting future wars cannot be begun
until after the present struggle, all
seem to he aimed at the position
taken by the Government of the
United States
Germany is known to have brought
pressure to bear upon Switzerland,
Sweden and Spain to support her
proposal that conference OF the
delegates OF all the belligerents be
held Immediately in q neutral city
The German Foreign Office also Is
blamed here for the false impression
Riven by the notes addressed both by
Switzerland and Sweden to the bel
ligerents. in which they affect to in
tcrpret the Presidents note as
peace move, despite the fact that the
note itself specifically asserted that
the President was not proposing
peace nor even Offering mediation.
VERY great embarrassment has
been caused TO the President and his
advisers by the extraordinary man
ner in which the note cf December
IS has been misinterpreted both in
this country and abroad. alike as TO
its motives and its meaning The
World is in n position to present the
true facts. which are MS follows:
(The Wcrld OF course has always
trpo factsii)
Throughout the latter part of
November and early in December,
evidence accumulated az the State
Department that created grave
doubts as to whether Germany was
respecting the submarine pledge
given to the United States after the
sinking of the Sussex, or at least
whether the German Foreign Office
was able effectively to prevent the
recurrence OF breaches of the rules
of cruiser warfare, including visit
and search BY commanders OF Ger
mau submarines.
This tension was very consider
ably increased by reports received
from Commander Walter II. Cher
ardi. the United States Naval At
tachc in Berlin, to the effect that
Germany was building numbers OF
submarines Of a very large and
powerful type and had from seventy
to eighty such in course of construc-
ton. Information also was forth
coming that Germany was about to
resume ruthless submarine CAM
paign.
EARLY in December majority OF
President Wilson'S Cabinet had be-
come convinced that il would be inn
possible not 90 take the line of action
threatened in the Sussex note, In
which the United States declared
unless the Imperial Government
should now Immediately declare and
effect an Abandonment OF It's present
methods of submarine warfare
against passenger and freight carry
ing vessels, the Government of the
Uuited States can have no choice bat
to sever diplomatic relations with
the German Empire altogether
President Wilson was determined
to do everything humanity possible
to keep the United States out of war,
and he fully realized that IA rupture
or relations with Germany and the
giving OF passports TO Ambassador
BernstorR inevitably would lead to
an immediate resumption Of ruthless
submarine warfare, in which even
American ships would be sunk, leav-
ing this country no alternative but
to so TO war.
The President also had given Sen
ator stone and the members Of the
Committee on Foreign Relations OF
the Senate to understand in Febru-
airy, 1916, after the sinking Of the
Persia, that he would not break with
Germany before placing all the facts
before them.
On December 8 the submarine
crisis with Germany was acute, and
newspaper story to the effect that
the United States was considering
the sending of another note called
forth reiteration of q previous
statement that there would be no
more notes. II was at this iuncture
that the President decided to put in
efect plan lie had in mind for some
fime and to send circular note 10
all the belligerents calling attention
10 the fact that the interests of the
United States as neutral nation
had been most seriously affected by
the war, and that the concern of the
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