Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-02-15

GERMANS PRESSED
JOKER ON GERARD
Trap Laid to Get Interned
z Ships Back to Home
Ports
ENVOY SPURNED TREATY
Cepsorship Prevented Real Facts
of Demands From Getting
to the United States .
ENVOY sPURNED TREATY

BERNE, via Paris, Feb. 15.--Germany's
censorship cut an important Joker" out
Of the text OF the treaty which German Of
fcials demanded that American Ambassador
Gerard sign under threat TO hold American
newspaper correspondents as hostages.
That Joker does not show In Berlin
dispatches outlining the treaty as published
N French newspapers here. II was:
That German ships in American harbors
should not be forced TO leave unless granted
safe-conduct from Germany enemies.
which would permit them TO return to Ger
many or TO neutral port
The same strict German censorship. which
has concealed real developments In the en-
pire and left untold active anti-American
propa ganda therein. did not permit an In
timation of this "joker" TO slip out Of the
country.
II was after reading this stipulation that
Amba assador Gerard told Count Montgelas,
for transmission TO Foreign Secretary
Zimmerman, that he would not even con-
slider the matter. and that he would re
main in Berlin until kingdom come" II Ger
many carried out her threat TO hold Ameri-
cans hostages.
Excision Of this provision from the text
Of the treaty is another example Of the
OtriCtness Of the German censorship which
for months has refused to pass" real de-
velopments to America Some OF these de-
velopments have included
Anti-Amercan speeches in the Reichstag
Anti-wilson and anti-Gerard propagan-
a, financed by prominent German leaders
Fiery attacks by Stressemann and Won
Hydebrand on the President,
Frequent statements OF army and navy
officials that the United States might as
well enter the war, because the nation was
unneutral"
The Foreign ONCE attitude Just before
we left Berlin was that Americans were
very exctable." and IL Germany could
control all dispatches for a few days
Americans would forget all about the SUBJ
marine blockade and bring pressure on
president Wilson TO remain neutral
Before Ambassador Gerard and Secretary
Joseph Grew left Berlin, German officials
requested him not TO allow newspapermen
accompanying the embassy stan to tele-
graph news OF Berlin developments, "ex-
eept news which tho Berlin censor might
approve"
Cartoons in the German illustrated pa
pers daily depict President Wilson selling
munitions 10 the Allies over the counter
OF a country store and taking orders from
John Bull. There are many variations OF
this theme.
Since Field Marshal Won Hindenburg has
been in command the output of munitions
In Germany has been doubled.
Every human being available is working
on war supplies for the western front
Hindenburg's dream OF a separate peace
with Russia is dwindling But Germany is
united in the expected great offensive this
year. When IT. is over the Socialist peace
leaders will again force themselves for
ward
Special envoys have advised Germany
that President Wilson represents financial
and munitions interests" and that Con-
gress. on the other hand. representing the
people. will not support war
The German people believe President Will
son is pro-Ally.
The German press departments-that Is
the propaga nda agencies--have for months
eentered efforts on convincing America that
war is terrible The theory Is that Ameri-
cans are towards and will back out o:
war.
The average German thinks American in
ternational policies are bluff" and was
tmmeasurably delighted over refusal OF
neutral nations TO join with President Will
Bon In breaking relations with Germany,