Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1917-02-16
nation from Count Won Bernstorff an,

| States, of their concept of armed mer
| chantmen and their liability to at
| tack as warShips.
The final decision on an out-and-ou!
submarine campaign of so-called
ruthless type apparently was taken at
the grand AustroGerman conference
at German headquarters on the Ger
man emperor's birthday, though the
Associated Press heard the statement
that submarines departing several
days earlier for stations on the sub
marine hunting grounds were provided
with contingent orders for this eyentu-
ality.
The censorship, however, shut down
tightly on any definite statements or
predictions of the approaching crisis,
the Associated Press being then in
formed from usually reliable sources
that it was desired for marine and
technical reasons to have the decision
come as a surprise.
Gerard Hears Gossip.
This intimation was conveyed con
fidentially to the German newspapers
All dispatches going into the subject in
detail, however, were either suppressed
entirely or references to coming events
censored out Of them, and the only re
source was to use again and again The
word BLOCKADE" in discussions of SUBJ
marine possibilities.
Ambassador Gerard, of course, was
also aware of the current gossip and
probably was able to advise the state
department of the possible turn in
events, even while the echoes of his
banquet speech were still resounding.
Threaten to Hold Writers.
AS to the attitude of the German
government toward the possible hold
ing of American newspaper men as
hostages in the event of the failure of
the United States to act on the prOpO-
sitiOn for the renewal of the old trea-
ties between the governments, it is
known that the protocol, which Count
MOntgelaS, head of the American de-
partment Of the German foreign office,
submitted to Ambassador Gerard on
the part of Foreign Secretary thinner
mann contained besides a formal re-
ratification of the treaty provisions of
1899 and 1928 regarding mutual treat
ment of nationals caught in a belliger-
ent country in the case of ar, a num-
Der of important additions and expan-
sions.
Ambassador Gerards refusal to
sign the treaty after he had ceased
to perform his ambassa lorial func-
tons or to telegraph for instructions
unless he was permitted to use code
led Count Montgelas to hint that
refusal to sign the protocol might
materially affect the status Of Ameri-
cans in Germany and the privilege Of
departure, mentioned specifically, Of
the American correspondents whom
Ambassador Gerard desired to take
out with him and whose fate ap-
parently was thought to carry par
ticular weight in American public
opinion.
Won't Be "Sandbaqged."
This intimation of the possibility Of
OBTAINING Americans, even under the
status of rupture Of diplomatic re-
lations, not war, and the use of news
paper representatives as supposedly
important pieces upon the diplomatic
chessboard, caused Mr.. Gerard to
declare roundly that he could not be
a party to "any such pressure" and
that he doubted whether any of the
newspaper men could be sand
bagged' or Influenced in any way by
considerations Of personal safety or
convenience, and that he must per-
sist in his earlier expressed stand
point regarding these negotiations.
From that point nothing further
was heard of the protocol or of the
possibility of OBTAINING Americans.
Influenced by Dispatches.
The German governments attitude
undoubtedly was Influenced by the
press dispatches with which the Ger
man newspapers were then flooded
asserting that German ships were be-
ing seized and their crews interned in
the United States, these dispatches be-
ing virtually the only news which the
government was then receiving, no Offl-
cial communications from Count Won
Bernstorff having come since a time
several days before the rupture Of re-
latiOnS.
AS soon as authoritative informa-
ton was received in direct dispatches
that the reports of the confiscation
of ships and the internment of sailors
were incorrect and that no obstacles
were being placed in the way Of
Count yon Bernstorffs departure under
a safe-conduct, arrangements for the
issuance of passports to the ambassa.
dor and his suite began to proceed
with marked acceleratiOn.
Had they been in possession of di-
rect authoritative information on the
true status of affairs in America, Off
Gals declared repeatedly to the Asso-
ciated Press correspondent, instead of
being forced to depend upon alarmist
press reports of extreme measures tax,
en- by the Washington administration,
the German government would have
been in far different positiOn-far