Evening star., 1917-02-12
.|NTERNED GERMANS
SUBJECT OF INQUIRY
Jeutonic Government Awaits
Assurance of Their Safety Be-
fore Releasing Americans.
EFFECT OF FALSE RUMORS

BERLIN. Sunday, February IL. $50
pm. by wireless to the Associated
Press. via Sayville, February 12.-
Foreign Secretary zimmerman to-
day informed the Associated Press that
he had requested the Swiss governmen 1t
to make inquiry in Washington regard
ing the status of the crews of interned
German ships in American ports.
Pending an answer, the seventy-tWo o
Americans taken by the German raider
and brought in by the YarroWdaie.
whose release had been agreed TO. are
being held in Germany. the foreign
secretary stated.
Numerous Rumors Cause of Inquiry.
During the past week recurring ru-
n1ors have reached Berlin by way of Lon
don in which it was announced that
the United States government has Sc
questered the German ships and in
termed their crews. No definite official
denial having been received, the Ger
man government was prompted to ask
the government of Switzerland TO OBJ
tain specific information.
I'VE could not consent to the release
OF the Yarrowdaie prisoners, which
was taken to be agreed to a week ago.
said the foreign secretary. These
men had been taken off armed mer-
chantn1en and their status had been
esta blished. They will be liberated just
as soon as we learn the fate of the
German crews in American ports"
Release Arranged on Eve of Break.
The release of the YarrowdaIe pris-
oners was agreed to with Ambassador
Gerard on the eve of the break in rela-
tions. but the possibility of the German
crews being interned in the United
States prompted the admiralty to re-
scind the orders liberating the Ameri-
cans held with the rest of the Yarrow-
dale prisoners.
1t is pointed out here that this epi-
eode is further illustration of the
menace growing out of the lack of ia =
cilities and opportunities of free inter
communication by both countries.
Herr Zimmerman reatIirmed his
previous statement that the Americans
now in Germany will be permitted to
move about unmolested and be perfect
1y free to leave the country whenever
they desire, even if the brea k threatens
to reach the ultimate stage. This in
tentlon is based on the impression pre-
Yailing here that the United states is
not contemplating any steps with re-
spect to German civilians that might
compel Germany to reconsider the posi-
tlon she has now definitely taken.
These and similar considerations cal
culated to work out to mutual advan
fage are said to be incorporated in q
modernized draft of the treaty of 1899
which is now awaiting the approval of
both governments. The complete text
OF the revised version has not yet been
made public.
Contents "Astounding,' He Says.
rafa
tion of fGermanAmerican relations. DIR.
Zimmerman made the following state
ment to the Overseas News Agency Sat
urday:
I'VE now have practically no speedy
or reliable information about the Unit
ed States The best proof of this is
furnished by two wireless messages
which were sent February : by the
correspondent in the United States of
rived yesterday.
THE contents of these two short
messages were astounding. even SEN
sational. for they told that the United
states government had not confis sea ed
German ships in American ports, nor
interned Germans residing in the
United States.
Until yesterday morning all We
knew about these matters had passed
through English channels and the gist
of these reports was that the United
States government actually had volat-
ed the property and liberty of German
citizens.
English agents. by thus adulterat =
ing the truth. did not intend. of course.
to slander the United States. Their
intention was to create public alarm in
Germany, and thus cause outbursts of
popular indignation and perhaps even
prompt the German government to rash
actions based on error. All this then
would have been reported in exactly the
same-that is incorrect-fa shion to the
United States by the same British
agencies.
Would Have Put Blame on Germany.
IF they had succeeded. these British
agents would have saddled Germany
with the responsibility and fault in the
eyes of every candid but mislead
observer.
However, during two years and "A
half We have been practically cut off
from reliable and speedy communica-
tion with the United States. During
that time we have learned to appreciate