The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-08-14
TELEGRAM IS DENIED

! s ber1ln, AuEuSl lo.-(Vla AmSleTOAu.J The semi official Norddeutsche Ailge- meine Zeitung denies the existence of the telegram alleged by James w. Gerard, the former American ambassador at Ber- lin, to have been sent by Emperor Will liam to President Wilson in August, 1914, when the German Emperor is qouted as having asserted that Belgiums neu- trality had to be violated by Germany on strategical grounds" The alleged tele- gram which has reached Berlin by way of Switzerland has the Emperor saying that King George sent him word through the Emperors brother, Prince Henry, that Great Britain would remain neutral if war broke out on the continent in- volving Germany and France and Austria and Russia.
 The Norddeutsche Angemeine Zeitung says:
 We are in a position to declare that no such telegram from the Emperor ex- ists. It is true that MT. Gerard was given an audience on August 10. 1914, in order to give him an opportunity of placing President Wilson's offer of mediation be- fore the Emperor.
 "The Presidents personal message to the Emperor read as from the official head of one of the powers which signed The Hague convention and said: I feel it to be my right and my duty in accordance with Article III of the convention to de- clare to you in a spirit of truest friend ship that I would welcome any oppor- tunity to act in the interests of European peace, whether now or at any other time that might be better fitted. to render you and all concerned services which would give me satisfaction and joy
 This proposal was made at the time when the war armies of both sides had already crossed the frontier and when it seemed out of the question to call a halt to events. The Emperor could, therefore, only have his thanks conveyed to Presi- dent Wilson for his offer and thereby remark that while the present moment was too early for mediation by the neu- tral powers, the Presidents friendly pro- posal might later be returned to.
 CONVERSATION REPRODUCED
 ''The Emperor then conversed for some time further with MT. Gerard and ex- plained to him the events that led up 10 the outbreak of war The Emperor par ticularly pointed out the ambiguous ana Gisloyal attitude of Great Britain. which had destroyed all hope of peaeeful agreement.
 Mr Gerards statements in his me- moirs appear to be reproduction or this conversation. If the press II, enemy countries sees revelations In them that only shows they are IS norant of the German white book which in essence sets forth the same events.
 Possibly during the conversation the Emperor wrote a memorandum for inc ambassador so that he might not announce anything to Washington that would be incorrect. In that case if would be a matter of record des- tined to assist Mir Gerard's memory, but 1t would not be communication from the Emperor to President Will son."
 COLOGNE GAZETTE
 The Cologne Gazette saws there Is no apparent reason to doubt the genuine ness of the Emperor's telegram as published by MT Gerard. The newspa- per says 1t cannot see how its con tents can serve as fresh proof of Ger many's guilt, as it only gives new evidence of the cunning and ambiguous policy followed by Great Britain in tho days prior to the outbreak of the war.
 The newspaper further sees in the Gerard revelations another move in a plan to exploit the Stockholm confer ence in favor of the entente by put ting the question of responsibility for the outbreak of the war and then pressing the socialists into the posi- ton of being accused parties.
 The Neueste Nachrichten of Munich, Bavaria says 1t does not matter wheth- CT the Emperor's message to Wilson IS
 Continued on Page Two)