The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-03-03
ZIM M Err MANN

Continued from Page One)
American and other newspaper reports
to line the American republics in COM
mon action against Germany.
The foreign secretary commented on
Americas pro-ally sympathies. He
refrained from admitting specifically
his authorship of the letter to Minister
Eckhardt at Mexico City and his en-
tire discussion of the matter was he
was careful to state, based on Eng
fish reports of the German plot to
get Mexico to declare war against the
United States and to secure Japan's
aid against the United States"
Defends German Motives.
The official press agency today is
sued the following statement:
Foreign Secretary Zimmerman
was asked by a staff member of the
official German press bureau about
the English report of German plot
revealed to get Mexico to declare war
against the United States and to Sc
cure Japans aid against the United
States
THE state secretary for foreign
affairs answered:
"'You understand that it is impos
sible for me to discuss the fact of this
revealed plot" Just at this moment
and under these circumstances.
81 therefore, may be allowed to
limit my answer to what is said in
the English reports, which most GER
tainly were not inspired by sympathy
with Germany.
Wanted To Remain Friendly.
1.-The English reports expressly
state that Germany expected and
wished to remain with the United
States on terms of friendship but that
in case the United States declared war
against Germany, we prepared meas
ures of defense. I fail to see how
such plot" is inspired by unfriend-
illness on our part.
cit would mean nothing but that
we would use means universally adj
mitted in war in case the United
States declared war.
The most important part of the
alleged plot is its conditions and form.
The whole plot falls flat to the
not declare war against US.
land if we really, the report al
leges, considered the possibility of
hostile act by the United States against
us, then, we really had reasons to do
So"
o. S. Back of Plot, Too.
An Argentine newspaper which
printed a story a short while ago really
revealed the plot when, in telling
that the United States last year sug-
gested to the other American republics
common action against Germany and
tinued
This plot" was apparently not
conditional in the least The news as
published by the newspaper La Prensa
well agreed with the Interpretation
given, for instance by the American
Berlin, who said that the United
States was only waiting for the prop
er moment in order opportunely to
assist the entente.
The same American stated that
Americans from the beginning of the
war really participated in it by put
ting the immense resources of the
united States at the entente's disposal,
and that Americans had not declared
war only because they felt sure that
would be during that time much more
etrlclent for the entente, than direct
participation in the war.
Blames Pro-aIIy Sentiment.
Whether this American newspa-
er man reported the facts exactly,
we were at loss to judge in salts
factory fashion since we were more
or less completely cut off from real
communication with the United
States.
But there were other facts which
seemed to confirm this and similar as
suranceS.
Everybody knows these facts and
| need not repeat them.
The entente propaganda services
nave sufficiently heralded all these
pro-entente demonstrations in the
United states. And if you link these
demonstrations together with the
actual attitude of the United States
then 1t IS obvious that the considera-
uon was not frivolous on our part of
what defensive measures we should
axe axe II we were attacked by the
United States"