White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1917-03-09
GERMANY ADMITS
PLOT AGAINST us.
ZlMM ERMAN, AS AUTHOR OF
INTRIGUE ORDER, SAuNS
PRETENSE.
NO SURPRISE AT WASHINGTON
American Officials Are Sure Of Au
thenticity-some Senators Doubt
Explains Proposed Alliance
With Mexico and Japan.

SlnBtOH.-IerIudH rOTelsH MIL
lister Zimmermann's frank admission
that Germany did seek to ally Japan
and Mexico with her to war against
the United States caused no surprise
to American officials, although it may
be said they did not expect so full
and free an acknowledgment of the
exposure.
Some officials had thought there
might be an attempt to discredit the
authenticity of the revelations by Of
fering an explanation of different
character American officials never
have had the least doubts Of the au-
thenticity of the evidence in their
hands.
Does Not Change Situation.
Minister Zimmermann's defense of
Germany's intrigue on the ground
that it was only intended to be car
ried out in the event the United
States did not remain neutral is Ia
ken not to change the situation in
the slightest degree.
Whether it was presented to Gen.
eral Carranza, and the fact that it is
believed not to have been commune
Gated to Japan, do not, in the opin'
ion of American officials, alter the
established fact that Germany, while
seeking the offices of the United
States to make peace, and while pro.
testing her innocence in any intention
to violate American lives, was at the
same moment preparing unrestricted
submarine warfare, and was intrigu
ing to attack the United States with
! two allies.
Mr.. Zimmerman's reference to ar
alleged pilot" by the United States
to unite pan-America against Ger
many is regarded with mingled feel
I ings of incomprehension and amuse
,aent. The pan-American union, the
Argentina embassy and the state de
partment can find record Of no such
oewspaper publication as thinner
mann contends revealed the plot" in
Buenos Aires.
The only event which officials can
recall which is susceptible of being
disturbed into such a charge as Zim
mermann makes was discussion early
in Secretary Bryans term Of office OF
plan to surround the pan-Americas
with a neutral zone in which there
were to be no naval operations. Moth
ing ever came of it.
/ Zimmermann's statement was rea'
in the senate Saturday and some sen
ators who were at first inclined t
think his published instructions t.
Won Eckhardt, German minister t.
Mexico. was forgery, had the state
ment read twice.
Germany Fooled.
i Germanys attempt to involve Mex
leo and Japan with the United State
in the event Of hostilities between
the United States and Germany ha
u attracted wide attention. The pres
regards it as futile move.
Comments of Swiss.
Berne.-Although most of the Gel
man language newspapers in SWitze1
land thus far print without common
the Zimmerman note. as made publ
through the revelations at Washing
ton of the German plot to involv
Mexico and Japan against the Unite
States, the Nachrichten (BaseD uI
braids Germany for Having talke
high morality and acted in an exactl
opposite way"
Something terribly fatal has hal
pened to the German foreign office
says the paper, which then lecture
Germany on "the folly of gettin
caught"
{ Berlin Admits the Charge.
Foreign Secretary Zimmermann's il
! structions to the German minister t
Mexico, as published in the Unite
States, are admitted in Berlin to hav
been correctly quoted.