New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-02
Officials Suspect Neutral Dip.
lomat Got Message Past
Censor for Germany
Messenger Was Seized,
Is Washington Belief
Lansing Doesn't Know
Whether Ii Reached
CarranZa

Washington, March l.-Although the
state Department guarded closely to-
dav its secret as 20 the manner IN
which it obtained the zimmerman
note. there is good reason to believe
that An original copy, in the hsndwrlt-
ing of Count Johann Won Bernstorh
himself. is now in the archives Of the
United States government.
Intimations to this effect we're given
in informed quarters. and seemed to be
borne out by the statement sent TO the
Senate in response to the Lodge reso-
luton. But Secretary Lansing re-
fused pointblank to confirm or deny 1T.
All the facts that could be learned
were:
/. That it was not obtained IN
Mexico City, either from the Mexican
government or otherwise. The State
DEPARTMENT is not even advised that
the message was delivered to Carranza,
though certain 1t was transmitted to
German Minister Won Eckhsrdt, to be
taken up with Carranza when it should
become evident that war between the
United States and Germany was in
evitable.
.. That il did not come from Brit
ish or other Entente sources, though
State Department officials would not
say IL did not come from some foreign
government" Secretary Lansing said nc
could not be definite on the origin OF
the information. because it might en-
isngcr somebody's iiic.
3. That the text OF the zimmerman
dispatch was obtained during the last
few days only, though suspicion OF
some such development has been pres
ent for at least eight months.
Nav Have Seized Messenger
On the basis of this meagre iniorma-
ton the conclusion was reached gen.
orally that the government obtained
the message through its own Secret
Service agents or through the telo-
graph offices. The general assgm ptlon
is that Il German messenger carrying
the disnatch from Bernstorf TO Won
Eckhardt was searched by Secret Ser
vice agents en- route and his papers
seized or copied.
Tho whole question. however, re-
viyed interest to-day IN the problem of
how Berrstorff was able-as he Ger
tainly was-to communicate secretly
with his government. Wireless mes
sagcs through Sayville. which he used
constantly for unimpor;ant matters. arc
carefully censored. No code messages
are permitted unless the State Depart
mcnt Is supplied with a key.
Similarly code messages are not per-
mitted on the cables. all of which pass
through Allied territory, unless
vorched for BY neutral governments.
The United States could communicate
with Ambassador Gerard in code, but
would be guilty Of bad faith if it had
transmitted any German messages
without knowing their contents.
Neutral diplomats here, such as the
Swiss and Swedish ministers, are able
to send code messages TO their govern
ments. but If they sen. messages for
Borrstorf they would be guilty Of IN
neutrality.
It was suggested to-day that Berns-
torf doubtless got many Of his mes
sages from Berlin by wireless, as II
would be a simple matter 20 set up a
receiving station almost anywhere. The
government, however. does not permit
nigh power sending stations TO operate
exccpt under its own control, and this
means would therefore give no oppor-
tunity 20 send messages 10 Germany.
There have been many rumors Of Sc
oret wireless stations.
Suspect Neutral Diplomat
officials Of the government have
their suspicious. They believe tina,
unauestionably the dispatcb was sent
through some neutral diplomat here,
who Transmitted IT b. cable as a
cipher dispatch 10 his own government
Other theories regarding the Lim-
mermann message were that Count Tar
nowski the Austro-Hungarian Ambas-
ador designate. had brought the COM
munication with him from Germany
when he arrived i'm ;he last days Of
January: that II was brought 20 this
country by a German submarine which
had been intercepted Dy American naval
forces: that the British government
had induced Japan % furnish 70 70 the
United States; that German agents had
become frightened and for the sake
OF immunity lad betrayed their gov
crnmcnt: that a neutral diplomat in
Washington had discovered that his
government had been made use o. and
turned over The dispatch nc had re-
ceived from Germany FOR Count Bern
storf to the American authorities for
examination.