Omaha daily bee., 1917-03-04
ALLEGED PLOT NO
PLOT At ALL.SAYS
TEUTON LEADER
Zimmerman Tells News Writer
No Action Was to Be Taken
Until After United States
Had Declared War.
MOVE IS PRECAUTIONARY
Desired Peace With America,
but Would Be Ready II
Hostilities Come.
SAYS U. s. NOT NEUTRAL

1 - .s
Berlin, March 3--(Wireless to Say
ville).--The following was given out
ktoday by the Overseas News Agency
(thc official German news bureau: Z
Foreign Secretary Zimmerman
was asked by staff member Of the
Overseas News Agency about the
English report that "a German plot
had been revealed to get Mexico to
declare war against the United States
and to secure Japan's aid against the
United States. Secretary Zimmerman
answered: 8a
"'You understand that it is impos-
sible for me to disc.ss the facts of
this revealed plot just =. this mo-
ment and under these circumstances.
therefore may be allowed to limit
my answer ito what is said in the
English reports, which certainly are
not inspired by sympathy with Ger
m-ny. The English report expressly
states that Germany expected and
wished to remain on terms OF friend
ship with the United States, but that
we had prepared measures OF defense
in case the United States declared war
against Germany. fail to see how
such plot is inspired by unfriend-
liness on our part. 1t would mean
nothing but that we would use means
universally admitted in war in case
the United states declared war.
:, lhe most import!nt part OF the
aiieged plot IS us condition and form.
Inc wnoie plot rails nat TO the
ground ~ case the United States
does not dcciarc war against Us. ANA
we reaily, as the report alleged,
CONSIDERED the possibility OF hostile
acts OF the United states against US,
tnen we really mad reasons to DO 50.
Cites Alleged Parallel.
".An Argentine newspaner 4 abort
time ago really "rcyealcd 4 plotp when
ii told that the United States last wear
suggested to- other American re-
publics common action arairst GER
many and its l..lies. This .nintD an
parent,y was NOT Conditions. n the
least. The news as published Nv ia
Prensa (Butnos AirssJ axftSx well
ith the interpretaticn given. for in
stance. by an American s,ewsuaner
man. Edward Price. In Berlin and
London. who said that, the United
States was waiting only for The pro-
per moment in order opt,ortunIv 10
assist the entente The same Ameyican
stated that Aincricans from the be.
ginning OF The war really participated
IN Il by putting ,the immense resources
Of the United States AZ the entente's
disposal and that Americans had NOT
declared war only because thev fell
sure that assistance by friendly nett
trality would be during that time much
more efficient for the entente than di-
rect participation in the war. Whether
this American newspaper man re-
ported the facts exactly we were at 4
we were more br less completelv cut
off from commun;ca t;on with the
United States.
,"tBut there were ether facts which
seemed to confirm this and similar as
surances. Everybody knows these
facts and lneed not repeat them. The
entente propaganda services have sui
hciently heralded all these Pro.en,,
tente demonstrations in the United
States. And It you link these demon
strations with the actual attitude OF
the United States, then It IS obvious
Tat It was rot frivolous on our part
to consider what defensive measures
we should take IN case we were at
tackled by the United States.
The version OF the zimmerman
statement cabled from. London gives
the name OF the American newspaper
correspondent referred to by the Ger