The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1917-04-05

every move he made was watched ana
known not only in Washington but in
London. Captain Won Papen remained
in Mexico about three months, but 1t
was not until after his recall, more
than a year later at the request of the
United States, and the publication of
some of his papers, seized by the Brit
ish authorities while he was on his
way back to Germany. that the sig
nificance of his visit to Mexico became
generally known.
Among the papers was a copy of
letter which the German naval COM
mander IN Mexican waters had writ
ten to the imperial chancellor in Ber-
lin, giving high praise to Captain Won
Papen for the extraordinary service
he had rendered to his country In
forming the German residents of Mex
leo into well-equipped and we'll
drilled army for defensive purposes
SO enthusiastic was the German naval
commander over the achievements
of Captain Won Papen that he urged
the imperial chancellor to bring them
to the attention Of the kaiser himself.
Great indeed must have been the work
of this military attache that it was
worthy of the notice of the kaiser,
This was in the spring Of 1914.
''Now let's return to President VIII
sons speech of March 5. Great Brit
ain was the foreign country most in7
terested in the Panama canal tolls and
next to the United States the country
most interested in Mexico. There has
been no secret of Germanys efforts to
get footing in South America-ever
since the affair of Agadir on the Afri7
can coast she has had her eye on cer7
tain islands of South America.
Eye to Monroe Doctrine.
"When President Wilson refused to
recognize Huerta as president Of Mex
leo, Germany saw what she thought
was chance to tear the Monroe Doc
trine to pieces. First she tried to pave
the way through diplomacy in an eff
fort to get Great Britain to agree to
a hands-off policy should Germany ac-
quire by purchase one Of the Carri-
bean islands. Gxeat Britain declined
to enter into any such agreement-and
then told the United States something
about Germany's aims that the United
States had not suspected. So when
the Panama canal tolls question came
to the fore for settlement President
Wilson found that it involved other
matters of even greater delicacy and
nearer consequence
ION the afternoon of July %, while
Herald reporter was visiting Captain
Knapp ON board the Connecticut, boats
were lowered from the Karlsruhe and
Strassburg, machine guns were put in |
them, men with rifles got in them and
the boats pulled for the shore.
"'What are you going to do?' the re-
porter asked Captain Knapp.
await and you will see,' said the |
captain.
HE had hardly spoken before it |
was observed that the German war |
ships were signaling to their boats. |
The seamen, who had just landed, hur- |
riedly got into the boats again and |
they pulled out to the warships and
were taken aboard. A few hours |
later the Karlsruhe and the Strass- |
burg went out to sea at full speed. |
Their commanders had received word |
that the European war had begun, and
hostilities with the United States were |
no longer desired.
"Germany's far-reaching scheme to !
attain commercial supremacy in the |
Dutch and Danish West Indies, to ac- |
quire Haiti, to get a footing in Vene- |
zuela and Columbia and to establish |
bases along the coast of eastern Cen
trail and South America were ruined |
for the time being.
Purchase of Islands.
Denmark, freed from the German |
menace, entered again into negotia- |
lions for the sale of her West Indian
possessions to the United States, and |
President Wilson, knowing so many |
things which the public at large did |
not know, eagerly advocated their pur-
chase, having in mind their enormous
value when the European |
war should end eand Germany again
might renew her activities on this side
of the ocean.
"In November, 1914, Great Britain
called on the United States to police
the coasts of South America, because
Colombia and Ecuador were permit
ting the use of their harbors as Ger
man bases and wireless stations, and
in December, 1914, Colombia forced
Germany to close q wireless station at
Cartagena.
Before the war, Germany had built
extensive port facilities at st. Thorn
as and had carried on far-reaching
oil through the islands.
She had powerful wireless stations in
the Caribbean and along the South
American coast. She had supply
station for German vessels in st. AIMS
bay, on the south side of the Dutch
island of Curacao, and the island Of
Little Curacao, six miles from Gu
racao, has even been the scene of Ger
man operations since the war;"
Mo NNN c0IiD C0D u0CplThl