The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-02-23
GERMANY TRIED TO PUT The
WO0DCHUCK IN TREATY
However, Ambassador James Gerard
Would Not Stand For 1t; Provided
That Ships informed in American
Ports Should Be Delivered Safely to
Points Across the Water: Anti.WiIson
Speeches Delivered BY the Teutons
r UNITED Press Dispatch.1
From Thursdays Daily.


Berne, Switzerland, February Is
Information CLEANED by Swiss re-
porters from the American ambassa-
dor, James Gerard, and other Amer
can diplomats who, are on their
way from Germany back to America,
keeps coming to light through the
newspapers published in different
parts of Switzerland. The diplomats
have had a great deal to tell that is
intensely interesting, and the knowl-
edge of which by the world at large
has heretofore been prevented by
the German censor Of press dispatch
eS.
One very important fact is that
there was a joker in the treaty that
Ambassador Gerard was asked by
the German government to sign on
behalf of his government. This jok-
er provided that the American gov
eminent was to release the German
ships that are interned in the Amer
lean harbors and guarantee their
safe delivery either at German ports
or at ports Of other neutrals. The
German censor at the time pre-
vented this ridiculous provision of
the proposed treaty from being
known outside of Germany. 1t was
then that Mr.. Gerard said he would
stay in Germany until kingdom come,
rather than ask his home govern
ment to secure his release on any
such terms.
Anti-WiIson Speeches.
Ofhpr npwS that Doi0ht havo coma
to the world at large from Germany
and would have interested the
world intensely included the numer-
Gus anti-American, anti-Gerard, and
anti-Wilson speeches that were
made from time to time in different
parts OF Germany. Many were the
violent press attacks on President
Wilson, but they could not get be-
yond the German border. Some of
the German papers have been de-
claring that the United States might
as we'll get ready at once for the
war, for America had been unneu-
trail right along anyhow.
Some of the German papers have
published very bitter cartoons about
the American government. One wide
~ CuCuldISu Cdl IoOh lCpi CoChlo
President Wilson as a shopkeeper,
selling munitions of war over the
counter to John Bull.
When Mr. Gerard and his party
left Berlin some of the German Off
Gals tried to get them to promise
not TO make public any Of their
knowledge of conditions in Germany,
except in so far as the German cen
sor was willing that such knowledge
should be made public.
Making of Munitions.
Every human being in Germany
that is capable of working is hard at
labor, and the government is getting
all available labor set to the task of
making munitions of war Of late
the output of munitions of war by
the German factories has about
doubled. Vast quantities of war ma
terial are being shipped to the wes-
tern front, where stupendous fight
is expected in the spring and early
summer. General Hindenberg has
been quoted as stating that the eff
fort that Germany will put forth
this year will be most gigantic
one, and on the results of that effort
depends the decision of the war.
Germany must either win or lose
by that effort, he says.
General Hindenberg seems to have
given up all his hope of getting a
separate peace with Russia.