Grand Forks herald., 1917-03-31
ZI]y[lAERMAlNN
DEFENDS HIS
TREATY PLAN
Says U. S. Cannot Deny
Germany Right to Seek
Allies in War.

London, March 80, . p. m.-Reut-
er's Amsterdam correspondent sends
the following concerning the address
Of DR.. Alfred Zimmerman. minister OF
foreign affairs. with regard to Ger
many's attempt to embroil Mexico
ana Japan with the United States
Hugo Haase. leader Of the socialist
that the German offer of an alliance
with Mexico had aggravated the stu
alton with the United States and DIR.
Zimmerman replying. said:
II wrote no letter to General Car
rama. I was not so naive. I merely
addressed. by q route that appeared
to me to be q safe one, instructions to
being Investigated how these tnstruc-
tions fell into the hands OF tho Amer
ican authorities.
Propose Alliance,
IT instructed the minister to MeXi-
CO, in event OF war with the United
States, to propose a German alliance
to Mexico, and simultaneously to sug-
gest that Japan Join the alliance.
declared expressly that. despite the
submarine war, we hoped America
would maintain neutrality.
"My instructions were to be carried
out only after the United States de-
clared war and a state of war super
vened. I believe the Instructions were
absolutely loyal. as regards the Unit
ed States General Carranza would.
up to the present. have heard moth
Ing Of 1t II the United States had not
published the Instructions. which
was not unobjectionable. Our be-
havior contrasts considerably with
the behavior of the Washington gov
ernment.
Wilson'S Attitude,
President Wilson, after our note Of
January 81. 1917, which avoided all
aggressiveness in tone, deemed it
lations with extraordinary roughness.
. Our ambassador no longer had the
opportunity to explain or elucidate
orally our attitude. The United gov
ernment thus declined to negotiate
with us. On the other hand, 1t ad-
dressed itself Immediately to all the
neutral powers to induce them to join
the United States and break with us.
Every unprejudiced person must
see in this the hostile attitude of the
American government which seemed
to consider 1t right, before being at
war with us, to set the entire world
against US. 1t cannot deny us the
right to seek allies when it has itself
practically declared war on u.s.
Thinks q. S. Calmer.
''Herr Haase says it caused great
indignation in America. OF course
In the first instance the affair was
employed as an Indictment against u.s.
But meanwhile the storm abated
slowly and the calm and sensible pol
American people. saw there was
nothing to object to In these instruc-
tions in themselves. refer especial
~ to the statements Of Senator I'm
dorwood. Even at times newspapers
felt obliged to admit regretfully that
this affair.
Mez1oo and Japan.
-esI was reproached for thinking
just. Of Mexico ana Japan: First Of
ALL Mexico was a neighboring state
to- America. If we wanted allies
against America. Mexico would be
the first to come into consideration.
The relations between Mexico and
Diax have been extremely friendly
and trustful. The Mexicans. more
over. are known as good and encient
TT can hsrdly be said that tho re-
lations between the United States and
full; but the world knows that antag-
onism exists between America and
Japan. maintain that these antag-
onism are stronger than those, de-
spite the war. exist between Germany
and Japan.
"when wished to persuade Car
rama that japan should Join the al
lance. there was nothing extraordin-
ary in this. The relations between
Japan and Mexico are long existent.
Z The Medcans and Japanese are Of a
like race and good relations exist be-
tween both countries
when further the entente press af-
firms that 1t Is shameless to take
away allies. such reproach must have
peculiar effect coming from powers
who. like our enemies, made no
'scruple in taking away from us two
= powers and peoples with whom we
were bound by treaties Of more than
80 years The powers. who desire to
make plant an old European country
of Culture like Greece by unparal-
leled and violent means. cannot raise
: such a reproach against us.
Aid for TroOps.
when I thought Of this alliance
. with Mexico and Japan I allowed