The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-05-15
lERARD'S LIFE
threatened BY
/. MANY GERMANS
8 s. Ambassador in Berlin Re-
8 ceives Score of Letters.
.ecuse Him of Tipping OH Sim
Fein Revolt.
|lDJPPRESS ANTI-U. S. ACTS
Germany Doing Utmost to
Overcome Strained Feeling.
Eerard's FOrceful Diplomacy
Highly Regarded Officially.
BY A. W. ACKERMAN.

Berlin. May 15.@The German gov
Tkfnment. desiring to avoid a break
with America at all costs, has taken
Two important steps in the past fort
night to improve the relations be-
&[Ween the two nations. A quiet move
fHaent to stop Teutonic plotting and
1'eutOnic prop2 ganda in the United
sEtates and anti-American propaganda
IA Germany has been under way for
several days. The German concessions
IN the submarine matter is the other
-. Ambassador Gerard has received
1scores of letters with threats against
Snfs life in the past few days. The
FNfiters were inspired by newspaper in
Situations that in some way he tipped
off the Sim Feiners' outbreaks in
447lt bin in advance to the British gov
Eminent Some of the writer's have
tfdentioned also facts alleged to have
been brought out through the arrest
IN New York of Wolf Won Igel, former
NSecretary to Captain Won Papen- Al
though the German government has
-disclaimed all responsibility for the
zsEcts of bomb plotters in the United
states. Chancellor Won Bethmann-Hol-
@Vegg believes that some sort of dras-
tic action should be taken to convince
fASnericans that Germany has nothing
TO do with the plotters' operations.
xConferenceS on this subject have been
seoing on at Berlin all this week.
Government Not Back of Plots.
1-Sf have heard. for instance. that
Hans Franz Won Rintelen, alleged Ger
man plotter, will be contaminated if
he ever returns to Germany. Though
officials refrain from expressing an
opinion as to the guilt of the accused
men. they declare emphatically that
their acts ere without the sanction of
! the German government or the kaiser.
III Berlin is chiefly worried Just now
.
rine commander may accidentally tor
pedo without warning a merchant ves-
I sci in the belief that he is attaching a
transport, thus bringing on a new sub
1narine crisis with the United States.
4 The kaiser, Chancellor Won Bethmann-
! 4dolweg and Admiral Won Holtzen-
ldorff are particularly anxious that the
: Submariners take no chances that may
; involve Germany with the United
{ States. If the new orders to subma-
I rfne commanders should be published,
I they would convince the most sl1epti-
cal that Germany is as much con-
fcerned as America in preventing ac-
cidents in the future.
a. AS an indication of Germany's sin
icere desire to find a way to avoid a
break with America, the government
asked five departments what to do.
when President Wilson's uItimatum
: was received. The foreign office, the
treasury and the interior departments
/ all answered: Settle honorabIy, if
I possible
ID Gerard Wins Praise.
u The war and navy departments an
severed: Settle without entirely sur
rendering submarine warfare"
Financial Secretary Helfferich,
BACKED by leading financiers, and
Chancellor Won Bethmann-HolW egg
Backed by Boserman, formerly Won
-Tirpitz's chief supporter, and General
ssF'alkenhein, chief of staff of the army.
lsfinally drew the note which closed the
incident.
s- Count Reventlow, writing in the
Tages Zeitung, is now practically alone
in crying for vengeance, though oeca-
sional outbursts against President VIII
son and America are expected for
home consumption.
81 Ambassador Gerard has won much
praise IN Berlin by his cool, forceful
diplomacy Throughout the nesotia-
tons he worked ceaselessly to con.
vince officials that President Wilson
did not want war with Germany but
merely expected Germany to fulfil
her promises.