The Washington herald., 1917-02-13
Grave Anti-Anlerlcan Out
breaks Threatened, Due to
Mendacious Reports.
HAD CASE OF "NERVES"
Germany Now Convinced u.
S. Has Acted Without Ran
cor Toward Them.
GOVERNMENT WITHHELD NEWS
Writer Credits Teuton Officials with
Making Every Effort to Avoid Wave
of Inflamed Public Anger.

CBy the International News Service.)
Berlin (via Sayville wireless), Feb. r.
Now that the high tension Of public feel
ing. which set in Immediately after the
diplomatic break between the United
States and Germany has subsidized, the
Official news from Washington has con-
vtnced the government and people here
that the United States has not seized Ger
man ships in American harbors, that Ger
man property in America has not been
seized, that German bank accounts have
not been confscated and that Germans n
America have not been herded into de-
tenttOn camps and subjected to unbelieva-
BILE indignities 1t is possible to give a
resume Of the circumstances that resulted
in the crisis of the last week
Three facts should be set down at the
outset:
The German public is Just getting over
bad case of nerves. which at its crit
ical point threatsned to eliminate in the
worst outburst OF anti-Americanisrn wit
messed here since the war began.
The German government, though to a
considerable degree It shared this dan
gerous state of mind. did all In its power
to prevent the people becoming infiamed
and is still now giving every possible
evidence Of its aim to avert war with the
United States.
Due to Press Reports.
The entire situation OF which former
Ambassador Gerard was the chief suf-
ferer and of which American newspaper
men and other United States citizens
might have become victims had the cir
cumstances been aggravated, was due
solely to an avalanche of mendacious
press reports reaching here from English
sources, representing the United States
government as undertaking hostile acts
against German nationals and property
i'm the United States. The effect of these
reports is the worse because of the totaA
lack of direct communication between
the two countries.
In America, the situation may be best
understood on the hand of the follow
ing analysis of the circumstances affect
ing the German viewpoint:
The most important factor is that there
exists in the widest circles in Germany
the profound conviction that the entente
powers rejection OF the Teutonic peace
offer of December Il last, was inspired
by reliance upon aid from America It
is futile to argue the merits, or lack of
them, Of this theory.
To Act by Midsummer.
In Germany It is known on the strength
Of accurate information that all the en-
tente conferences in Rome, England's
England's allies agreed to a continuance
Of the war only upon one condition-that
the supreme and final effort be made be-
fore midsummer. Knowing that the sue
cess or failure of that supreme entente
EFFORT depends largely upon the allied i'm
portations of munitions and supplies the
German government decided to stop these
shipments and stop them now.
Then, as consequence of the unre-
strlcted U-boat warfare decree, came
President Wilson's severance of dipIo-
matte relations with Germany. To
this action the German public became
reconciled with astonishing rapidity.
But on the heels Of the diplomatic
break came the news that the United
States had called upon the rest of the
neutral world to sever relations with
Germany, which would mean complete
isolation. This news was received with
wave OF indignation which was off,
set. however, within a brief period of
time by the refusal of the other neu-
trails to accept President Wilson's
suggestion.
Then. as the climax to this see-saw
process OF mingled indignation and salts
faction, came the series of sensations al
reports Of alleged violation and mIstreat-
ment Of German subjects and property in
the United States. 1t Is only fair 10
state that had all these reports been pu,
lished here most regrettable Incidents
might have marked the departure Satur-
day evening OF former Ambassador
Gerard and his party, and public fury
undoubtedly would have found vent
against Americans still here. The gov
srnment, however, doubling the au-
thenticity of the reports, withheld them
from publication.