Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1917-03-06
GERMANY ADMITS
PLOT AGAINST us.
ZlMM ERMAN. AS AUTHOR OF
INTRIGUE ORDER, SHUNS
PRETENSE.
NO SURPRISE AT WASHINGTON
American Officials Are Sure of Au
Neutrality-suspicious. Senators Doubt
Explains Proposed Alliance
With Mexico and Japan.

Washington.-Germ Foreign Min
lister Zimmermann's frank admission
that Germany did seek to ally Japan
and Mexico with her to war against
the United States caused no surprise
to American officials, although it may
be said they did not expect so full
and free an acknowledgment of the
exposure.
Some officials had thought there
might be an attempt to discredit the
authenticity of the revelations by Of
fering an explanation of a different
character. American officials never
have had the least doubts of the au-
thenticity of the evidence in then,
hands.
Does Not Change Situation.
Minister Zimmermann's defense of
Aermany's intrigue on the ground
that it was only intended to be car
ried out in the event the United
States did not remain neutral is ia
ken not to change the situation in
the slightest degree.
Whether it was presented to eGn-
eral Carranza, and the fact that it is
believed not to have been communi-
Gated to Japan, do not, in the opin-
ion of American officials, alter the
established fact that Germany, while
seeking the offices of the United
States to make peace, and while pro
testing her innocence in any intention
to violate American lives, was at the
same moment preparing unrestricted
submarine warfare, and was intrigu-
ing to attack the United States with
two allies.
Mr.. Zimmerman's reference to an
alleged plot" by the United States
to unite pan-America against Ger
many is regarded with mingled feel
ings of incomprehension and amuse
ment. The pan-American union, the
Argentina embassy and the state de
partment can find record of no such
newspaper publication as thinner
mann contends revealed the plot" IN
Buenos Aires.
= The only event which officials car
recall which is susceptible of being
disturbed into such a charge as Zim
hermann makes was discussion early
in Secretary Bryan's term of office o.
plan to surround the pan-Americas
with a neutral zone in which Their,
were to be no naval operations. Moth
ing ever came of it.
Zimmermanns statement was rea,
in the senate Saturday and some sen
ators who were at first inclined t,
think his published instructions t
Won Eckhardt, German minister t,
Mexico, was a forgery, had the state
ment read twice.
{ Germany Fooled.
e Germany's attempt to involve MeA
: leo and Japan with the United State
h in the event of hostilities betweel
s the United States and Germany ha
e attracted wide attention. The pres
regards it as a futile move.
Comments of Swiss.
O Berne.-Although most of the Gel
], man language newspapers in Switzel
, land thus far print without common
f the Zimmerman note, as made publ
through the revelations at Washing
o ton of the German plot to involv
n Mexico and Japan against the Unite
+ States, the Nachrichten (BaseD III
n braids Germany for "having talke
! high morality and acted in an exactl
a opposite way"
Something terribly fatal has hal
pened to the German foreign offic,
says the paper, which then lecture
Germany on "the folly of gettin
caught"
S Berlin Admits the Charge.
Foreign Secretary Zimmermanns il
structions to the German minister I
Mexico, as published in the Unite
$ States. are admitted in Berlin to hav
been correctly quoted.
al INV DfnEDC IiIMNc tn nEArL