New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-14
Lansing Publishes Letter
Exposing Charges
Activities
Kaiser Was Urged
To Decorate Him
Honor Was To Be Reward
for Hostile Informa-
ton Given
rspeci.l Corrsronh,nrel

Especial Corrspondsncel
! WASHINGTON, Sept l3.-Secretsry
| OF State Lansing toucred of to-day
another international mine, pointing
again to a secret working agreement
between Germany and Sweden and
possible, if not probable, avenue OF
/ communication OF American military
( information by Prussan agents to
/ Berlin.
/ Mr.. Lansing made public the text OF
letter dated March S, 1915, from
/ German Minister Won Eckhsrdt at
Mexico City to he Imperial German
( Chancellor, strongly urging that En-.
peror William confer tha decoration OF
/ Order of the Crown, second class, upon
Herr Folke Cronhclm, Swedish Charge
d'Afaires in Mexico, in recognition OF
I the Swedish ENJOYS invaluable ser.
vices in forwarding Won Eckhardt's
secret reports to Berlin through the
/ Stockholm Foreign Office and under
cover of the official Swedish cipher.
Won Eckhardt said that Cronholn
was the "only diplomat through whom
! information from n hostile camp can
be obtained and that "he acts as in.
termediary for official diplomatic inter.
course between th.s legation and your
excellency," meaning the German
. . l.. Los
Bethmsnn-Hollweg.
Cronholm Was Faithful
The German Minister described
Cronholm's faithful: service. which in.
cluded trips to the telegraph ONCE,
frequently quite late a. night"
A touch of humor IS injected by his
statement that this Swedish official had
at the time only one foreign decora-
| ton, one from China, and would, there.
fore, appreciate the gift.
The most damaging determination OF
the Swedish government is contributed
by Won Eckhardt's recommendation
that the decoration be conferred upon
Cronholm secretly, in order not to
arouse the suspicious of the Entente
Allies concerning so valuable a means
| of secret communication, and that the
gracious action OF the Kaiser be con-
ided "to no one but the recipient and
his government"
Mr.. Lansing's revelation to-day 10
accepted generally here as evidence
tending TO show that Sweden, almost
since the beginning of the war, has
been the secret accomplice of Germany
in afording secret means OF communt-
! cat on between Berlin and German en-
voys and agents promoting plots
/ against neutral American republics.
Text Of Letter
/ Here is the full text of the von
/ Eckhardt letter:
Imperial Legation, Mexico, 70 His Ex-
cellency the Imperial Chancellor:
Herr Folke Cronholm, the Swedish
! Charge dAfaires here, since his ar
rival here has not disguised his SYM
| pathy for Germany, and has entered
into close relations with this lega-
tion. He is the only diplomat
through whom information from q
hostile camp can be obtained. More
over. he acts as intermediary for
official diplomatic intercourse be-
tween this legation and your excel
/ lency.
In the course of this he Is obliged
/ TO go personally each time TO the
telegraph Office, not seldom quite late
a. night, in order 70 hand in the tele-
| grams Herr Cronholm was for
! merly at Peking and at Toxic, and
/ was responsible for the preliminary
arrangements which had TO be made
for the representation of his country
| in each case. Before he came out
/ here he had been in charge OF the
consulate general at Hamburg.
Herr Cronholm has not got Swed-
! ish, but only Chinese order at pres
ent. | venture TO submit 70 your ex-
/ cellency the adyisability Of laying be-
! fore his majesty the Emperor the
| name of Herr Cronholm, with view
to the Crown orde. OF the second
class being bestowed upon him. |.
would perhaps be desirable in order
not TO excite the enemys suspicious
! 10 treat with secrecy the matter OF
J the issue OF the patents until the end
/ Of the war, should the decision be
| favorable 10 my suggestion.
This would mean that the matter
/ would be communicated TO no one but
the recipient and his government,
and even TO them only under the seal
/ OF secrecy. while the publication OF
| the bestowal OF the decoration would
| be postponed until the end OF the
war. | should be particularly crate.
| ful 70 your excellency II | could be
/ furnished with telegraphc news OF
the bestowal OF the decoration, which
! strongly recommend in view Of the
! circumstances detailed above.
Source Of Letter Secret
! Won Eckhardt is the same German
/ Minister 20 Mexico 70 whom Foreign
/ Minister zimmerman sent the instruc-
! tions 20 draw Mexico and Japan into .
war alliance against the United States.
which were exposed by President Will
son shortly after the rupture in diplo.
matte relations between Germany and
J the United States. Although Secretary
/ Lansing is carefully concealing the
manner in which he obtained the doeu-
m.nts which he has been making pub
/ lie with such startling effect. the gem
eral belief in official circles IS thas
the rdt-Zimmermsnn letters came
! from the same source.
Moreover. II is not unlikely IN vie~
of the revelations OF to-day that the
Swedish government transmitted 70 Won