The Washington times., 1917-09-24
GERMANY PLOTTED
EARLY TOALIENATE
j. S. AND ENGLAND
By DAVID LAWRENCE.
CONTINUED from First PaEe.)


ject, the general impression in WASH
| ington among close students OF in
! ternational affairs. foreign as well as
domestic correspondents, has been
that the President believed the inter-
ests OF America required the close
friendship OF Great Britain and
France. II there were any doubt
about the ambiguous language of the
Hay-Pauncefote treaty, he argued
that the United States should be big
enough to give Great Britain or any
other foreign nation the benefit OF the
doubt, because this country was al
ways more Jealous for its moral pres
tige than its material gain.
Gains Britain NJ Friend.
By coming out emphatically in IA
vor OF the repeal Of the free tolls pro-
vision, the President gained the
friendship and admiration of British
statesmen. There had been no pres
sure from Great Britain, no proddinE
or lobbying. And though It was fire.
quently charged at the time that the
United States was bargaining for the
power OF British diplomacy both in
Japan and Mexico, II can be proved
that before the tolls act was repeal
these subjects were never under dis
cussion between the United States
and Great Britain.
OF course, as later developed, Great
Britain was appreclative of Americas
unseldshness, and the impression IL
deeply rooted in the minds OF observ-
ers here that British diplomats use
their good offices at Tokyo and at
London to prevent the dispute over
the California anti-allen land laws
from bringing on q JapaneseAmeri-
can war. Similarly. Great Britain
hand to deal with Huerta and the
Mexican situation. 1t was not neces-
sary to bargain 1t was not neces-
sary to make alliances. Americas
Interests coincided with those of
Great Britain and France. The Presi-
dents stAtesmanship and foresight
has been fully vindicated by present.
day events.
Subtle German Plan.
But Germany, thoroughly aware of
the intimacy and friendship which
was developing between the british
and American governments. sought to
arouse Irish-Americans and others in
the movement to beat free tolls. ST.
Germany was at work
trying to produce friction between the
United States and Great Britain on
account of the Mexican situation.
The German ambassador kept prod
ding the British embassy here TO
make protests to the State Depart
ment in the hope OF bringing about, IL |
possible, British armed intervention |
IN Mexico and a breaking down of the |
principle OF the Monroe doctrine. That |
may not have been Count Won Bern |
storffs own policy, but Il was the
imperial German governments con-
ception Of what ought to be done TO
Keep America and Great Britain as
far apart As possible. BernhardPs |
book, published in 1e1, predicting the |
manner In which the next war" |
would be fought laid particular stress |
on Americas resources and their
availability to Great Britain, and the |
necessity OF keeping America neutral
In any future conflict
In the effort to promote discord |
between the United States and Great |
stories began to appear in
the newspapers about British efforts
to form a combination with German
in South Africa to boycott
firms OF the United States and pre-
vent them from getting a foothold in
Argentina, Brazil, and other Latin
countries.
Plot Many sided.
The German campaign took ON
many forms however, and while the
government was fire.
1uently suspicious, no secret service
funds were available for espionage
and the United States Government.
confident OF its own position In the
world paid little attention to Ger
man methods or propaganda Much
Of the German ambassadors work
was done through newspaper corre-
spondents who did not know they
were being used. Count Won Bern
storff often spoke tauntingly of
Americas fear OF Japan, and as Wis
count lshii has pointed out in his re-
cent speeches, much OF the anti
Japanese feeling prevalent In this
in late years can be traced
iirectly to German propaganda.
There are more revelations to come
most OF them relating to events
Ifter the outbreak OF the European
var, but IL was a fact we'll known
O many ambassadors in Washington
hat even before July, 1914, Germany
ought to prevent the growth OF an
ntsnte cordiale between the United
'tAtes and Great Britain using the
ieHican situation, South American
FaAa ~ |