The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-01-08
GERMANS LAUD
U. S. MOVE AT
GERARD Dinner
Heifferich, Zimmerman and
Won Gwinner Declare Re-
latiOns Are Cordial.


| sonages of Germany, says the Over
seas News Agency, were present at
the dinner Saturday night in honor
of Jane w. Gerard, the American
| am bassador to Germany, by the
American Association of Commerce
and Trade of Berlin.
The diners were addressed by AM
bassador Gerard, Vice Chancellor
| Helfferich, Foreign Secretary Zim-
| hermann and Arthur Won Gwinner,
director of the Deutsche bank. In
| all the speeches the cordial relations
existing between the governments of
| the United States and Germany were
emphasized.
Ambassador Gerard, who was liken-
ed by Director Won Gwinner to the
| peace dove of Noah's Ark" is
quoted by the Overseas News Agency
as saying that never since the begin
| ming Of the war have relations between
Germany and the United States been
SO cordial" and that he had brought
back an olive branch from President
Wilson.
Messages Sent to Rulers.
Vice Chancellor Helfferich said he
was pleased to know that Ambassador
Gerard had visited the United States,
where he had an opportunity of de-
scribing the real estate of affairs in
Germany and Foreign Minister Zim-
mermann declared he ''felt sure the
friendly and trustful relations between
bith countries, as enunclatd by MI.
Gerard, will continue"
A telegram expressing the "sincerest
wishes of the association Gin this
crucial time" was sent to President
Wilson and another message was for
warded to Emperor William.
DR.. Helfferich called attention to the
commerce between Germany, and the
United States, saying that in ten
years, from 1918 to 1913, it had in
creased by more than 1000, 900 900
marks. The report continues:
Arthur Won Gwinner, Director of
the Deutsche Bank, compared Ambas-
sador Gerard with the peace dove OF
Noah's ark, on the return of which
Noah realized that he had sent it out
too early, but nevertheless he had
seen the colors of the rainbow.
Bears an Olive Branch.
Ambassador Gerard in his speech
told of the sympathy of the United
States for German charity work.
| Many prominent persons had handed
him checks for the German Red
| Cross. On his return to Germany,
he said, he had delivered to the diff
ferent German relief funds about
400. 900 marks. Continuing, Mr.. Ger
ard said:
Never since the beginning Of the
war have the relations between Ger
| many and the United States been as
| cordial as now. I have brought back
| an olive branch from the President
| or don't you consider the Presidents
message an olive branch?
81 personally am convinced that
| as long as Germany's fate is directed
| by such men as my friend the Chan
| cellor and DR.. Heifferich and DIR.
Solf, by Admirals Won Capelle Min
lister Of the Navy, Holtzendorff (head
of the Naval General Staff and Won
Mueller Naval Adviser to the EN-
peror), by Gems. Won Hindenburg
| (Chief of the General Staff and
Ludendorff (First Quartermaster
| GENERALLY, and last, but not least, by
my friend Zimmerman, the relations
between the two countries are rum
ming no risk.
Toward the end of the evening DIR.
Zimmerman, who had been attending
a conference with the Austro-Hun-
garian Foreign Minister, Count Won
| Chudenitz, appeared at the banquet.
Addressing the guests. the German
Foreign Secretary pointed out that
large number of persons had. suppos-
ed that Ambassador Gerard would
not return to this country Of barbar-
ians, but that he had been sure the
Ambassador would return in good
health with good intentions.
Zimmerman Lauds Gerard
Continuing, DIR. Zimmerman said:
| 81 always collaborated with Am
bassador Gerard in an excellent man
| ner and with mutual confidence, so
that I feel sure that the friendly and
trustful relations between both coun-
tries will continue in the way ex-
pressed by Mr.. Gerard
1.-The telegram to the President
reads: -
1.-The American Association of
Commerce and Trade of Berlin is Civ
| ing dinner to Ambassador Gerard
and, honored by the presence of lead
ers in German politics, commerce and
industry, it desires to express to the
President of the United States it's
sincerest wishes in these crucial
tines"
| The dinner was given in honor of
| the return OF the American ambassa-
dor to Germany. David Wolf presi-
| dent of the American association.
presided He was Ranked on the right
by Am basss dor Gerard and on the left
by Reinhold Sydow, Prussian minister
of commence. Next to Mr.. Gerard
sat DR.. Helfferich and then came Ar
! thur Won Gwinner, DR.. Bernhard
Dernburg, ex-secretary for the colo
MES, and DR.. Hermann Paasche. vice
president of the Reichstag; beyond
Minister Sydow were Joseph C. Grew.
| secretary of the American embassy;
Dr. W.. S. Soft, secretary of the colo
MES; John B. Jackson, former Ameri-
can minister to the Balkan states, and
Adolf Wermuth, lord mayor of Berlin.
There were ITS guests, about equally
divided betweeen Americans and Ger
mans.
The usual toasts to Emperor Will
liam and President Wilson were drunk
standing The ambassadors speech
was informal and avoided touching
contentious topics, but he mentioned
the large contributions now being re-
ceived from America for the relief Of
German widows and orphans and for