The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-03-31
PL0T I
PLANNED FOR WAR
PURPOSES ONLY
Zimmerman Defends Scheme to
Ally Mexico and Jspan
PUTS BLAME on WASHINGTON
Says Proposal Would Not Have Been
Revealed But for Rough Tactics
Of Wilson.

sterdam correspondent sends the fol.
lowing concerning the address of Dr.
Alfred Zimmerman. minister of for
eign affairs, with regard to Germany's
attempt to embroil Mexico and japan
| with the United States:
Hugo Haase leader of the social
| ist minority in. the Reichstag, re-
| marked that the German offer of an
alliance with Mexico had aggravated
| the situation with the United States,
| and DR.. Zimmerman replying said
Il wrote. no letter to Gen. Carranza /
was not so naive. | merely addr essed
by route that appeared to me to be
safe one, instructions to our repre-
sentative in Mexico. 1t is being in
vestigatetd how these instructions fell
into the hands of the American au-
thorities. | instructed the minister
to Mexico, in the event of war with
the United States, to propose Ger
man alliance to Mexico. and stimuli
taneously to suggest that Japan join
the alliance. declared expressly
that, despite the submarine war; we
hoped America would maintain neu-
trality.
My instructions were to be carried
out only after the United States de-
clared war and a state of war super
yened believe the instructions were
absolutely loyal, as regards the Unit
ed States. Gen. Carranza would. up to
the present, have heard nothing of il
if the United States had not published
the, instructions, which came into its
hands in a way which was not unob-
jectionable. Our behavior contrasts
considerably with the behavior of the
Washington government.
president Wilson after our note of,
january 81, 1877 which avoided all
aggressiveness In tone, deemed il
proper Immediately to break off srela-
tions with extraor binary roughness.
Our ambassador no longer had the op-
portunity to explain or elucidate oral
ly our attitude. The United States
government thus declined to nego-
tiate with us. On the other hand, it
addressed itself Immediately to all the
neutral powers to induce them to join
the United States and break with, us.
Every unprejudiced person must
see in this the hostile attitude of the
American government, which seemed
to consider 1t right, before being at
war with us, to set the entire world
against us. 1t cannot deny us the
right, to seek allies when II has itself
practically declared war on u.s.
Herr Haase says it caused great
indignation in America OF course,
in the first instance. the affair was
employed as an incitement against,
us. But meanwhile the storm abated
slowly and calm and sensible politi-
clans and also the great mass OF the
American people, say there was moth
ing to object to in these Instructions
in themselves. refer especially to
the statements Of Senator Under
wood. Even at times newspapers
felt obliged to admit regretfully that
not so very much had been made of
the affair.
Il was reproached for thinking
just of Mexico and Japan First of
all, Mexico was neighboring state
to America. If we wanted allies
against America, Mexico would be
the first to come into consideration
The relations between Mexico and
ourselves sinces the time of Porforio
Diaz have been extremely friendly
and trustful. The Mexicans, more
over, are known as good and efficient
soldiers.
ut can be said that the relations
between the United States and Mexi-
co have been friendly and trustful,
but the world knows that antagon-
ism exists between America and
Japan. maintain that these antago-
nisms are stronger than those, which,
despite the war, exist between Ger
many and Japan. When / also wished
to persuade Carranza that Japan
should join tie alliance. there was
nothing extraordinary in this. The
relations between Japan and Mexico
are long existent. The Mexicans and
Japanese are OF a like race and good
relations exist between both coun.
tries.
when further the entente
press affirms that it is shameless to
take away allies, such reproach must
have a peculiar effect coming from
powers who, like our enemies, made
no scruple in taking away from us
two powers and peoples with whom
we we're bound by treaties of more
than 30 years. The powers who desire
to make plant an old European coun-
| try of culture like Greece by I'M
paralleled and violent means cannot
raise such reproach against us.
When ! Thought of this alliance