New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-17
Gerard's Frankness Astonished
Highest Officials Of Germany

ports and showed them to Secretary Of
State Won Jagow. The Secretary asked
Gerard 10 leave one of the passports
so the matter could be investigated.
Gerard said: "All right, but first let
me tear Lansing's signature of the bot
tom. or you'll probably use the pass
port for other purposes" The ambas-
sador was not willing to take chances
after il was learned and proved by the
State Department that Germany was
using American passports for spy pur-
poses.
In one day alone Gerard wrote
ninety-two notes TO the Foreign Once
| protesting against unlawful treatment
| Of Americans, asking reforms in prison
camps and other matters which were
/ under discussion between Berlin and
! Washington. At one time an American
woman instructor in Roberts College
was arrested at Warnemuende and kept
! for weeks from communicating with
| the ambassador. When he heard of il
| he went to the Foreign Office daily de-
handing her release and finally accom-
| plished IT.
One day. after the sinking of the
| Sussex, | saw Zimmerman, who was
| then Assistant Secretary Of State. He
Gerard? He's all excited. He just
told me Washington had ordered him
not to discuss the submarine ques-
ton with us. not even informally.
told him 20 telegraph Washington he
| was a diplomat not a messenger
| boy"
Later ! saw the ambassador at the
embassy and told him what thinner
mann said. DYES" replied Gerard, 81
told Zimmerman that if Germany
| didn't settle the submarine question
| Immediately there would be trouble
with America"
At one time, when reports indicated
that former Ambassador Won Bern
storff might be asked to leave the
United States. Germany trumped up =
cease" against Gerard. The Press
Censorship instigated various newspa
pers TO attack the ambassador. so thai
| Germany might be justified in asking
for Gerard's recall in case Bernstorf
was asked 70 leave, but the attack fell
through because there was no ovi
dence against Gerard, except that III
had "been too vigorous in INSISTING
upon American rights" About IN
same time Gerard received througf
the mail typewriter report OF spy
| who mad Deen IollO"lHS nIIn' h'
spy's report amused the ambassador
especially when he learned later thai
it had been sent to him by mistake.
Work in Prison Camps
Gerard's work in lettering conditions
in prison camps. especially at Ruhleben
will be long remembered When condi-
tions were at their worst he went out
daily to keep himself informed, and then
daily went to the Foreign Office and
the Ministry of War, in an effort to get
better accommodations for the men
One day he found eleven Englishmer
living in a box stall. where his riding
horse had been in peace time. Wher
he reached Berlin, he went immediatelN
TO Won Jagow and told him that unless
this was remedied at once he would eX
pose conditions. Won Jagow delayed
The War Ministry postponed action
For weeks nothing was done, and the'
Gerard obtained consent OF the stat
Department to print his reports. IN,
worldwide storm Of indignation which
arose when conditions at Ruhleben wer'
exposed accomplished the purpose
Ruhleben was made fit for men for IN
first time since the beginning OF tn
war