New Britain herald., 1917-06-25
LANSING TELLS OF ! DECEIT BY BERLIN

DLULil LII DLALlN Explains Verge of War; State
 ment and Presidents Note
 Washington, D. c. June 25. The government has cleared the mystery as to the reasons for President Wil- sons action last December in calling on the belligerent nations for a statement of the. objects for which they were fighting and tho declaration about the same time by Secretary Lansing to the press indicating that this nation was on the verge of war. Stocks tumbled and the country be- came 50 excited that in order to allay popular apprehension that war was at hand. Mr.. Lansing. after . consulta- tion with the president. issued m ex-' planatory statement, which in the opinion of many did not explain all. though,it apparently had the effect of, calming the country.
 The veil is lifted in a pamphlet issued by the committee on public information of which George Creel h chairman, and the other members of which are the secretaries of state, war, and the navy. This pamphlet is entitled "How the war came to America" and Is an official exposi- ton of tho case of the United States against Germany, the first full state- ment on this subject that has come from any authoritative source since hA ~A Germany and the United States The course of President Wilson and his secretary of state, iteis now disclosed. was due to the discovery by this gov ernment that the German govern mont did not intend to live up in good faith to the pledge given to the United States In the Sussex case that merchant vessels would not be sunk by submarines without warming or without making provision for the safety of those on board.
 In the first pages of the pamphlet there is review of American inter- national policy and traditions for the purpose of showing that the Wilson administration was entirely consistent in it's dealing with Germany on tha submarine issue. Then the present WAT is taken up, and mention Is made
 
 up feeling against the United States in Japan. South America. and among the German people.
 '.The break would have come sooner the pamphlet states. If our government had not been restrained by the hope that saner counsels might we'll prevail in Germany" The presi- don't was also restrained. 1t is stated in the same authoritative way. by the sense of responsibility of this ndplo toward tho nations of Latin America. which also desired the ways of pence. and by the hope that by keeping aloof from the European conflict we might be free at the end Of the war Ito bind up the wounds of the con- nict.'. . .,, a
 These motives held us back, 1t is stated. but further complications came to beset the government. We soon had reason to believe" it is stated, "that the recent compliance of the German government (the pledge to observe. the rules of civilized war fare at seal had not been made in good faith and was only temporary. and by the end of 1916 1t was plain that our neutral status had again been made unsafe through the ever in- creasins aggressiveness of the German autocracy."
 Reasons For Presidest,s Note.
 Then follows the explanation of the Presidents reasons for his note, ask- ing the belligerents to deflne their war aims and of Secretary Lansing's statement that the United States was on the verge of war. Tho pamphlet says:
 "It was in this frame of mind, fear ing we might b6 drawn into the war if 1t did not soon came to an end. that the President began the prepara- tion of his note. asking tho belliger- ent powers to define their war aims. But before he had completed 1t, tho world was surprised by the peace move of the German Government, m identical note on behalf of the Ger man Empire. Austria-Eungary. Bull garia, and Turkey, sent through neu- tral powers Dec. IF, 1916. to tho Gov ernments of the Allies proposing ne- Kotiattons for peace. While express ing the wish to end this war-'a catas- trophe which thousands of years of common civilization was unable to prevent:-the greater portion of tho note was couched in terms that gave small hope of lasting peace. Boast ing of German conquests, tho glorious deeds of our armies', the note implant- ed in neutral minds the belief that it was tho purpose of the Imperial Ger man Government to insist upon such conditions as would leave all Central Europe under German dominance and 70 build up an empire which would menace the whole liberal world.
 Moreover. tho German proposal was accompanied by . thinly yelled threat to all neutral nations; and from . thousand sources. omcial and unof-