The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-09-10
Greatest Sensation Of the war.

LONDON. Sept. 9.-The Washington
state departments revelation OF
Swedish diplomat in Argentine acting
as an intermediary for transferring
German messages to Berlin has created
one Of the greatest international sensa-
tions Of the war. The development It.
self is not. however. n great surprise.
the chief surprise being that the Amer
lean officials were able to obtain the
messages. as they did the Zimmerman
note OF last winter regarding German
overtures 70 Mexico.
The Swedish government. with the
monarchy, the aristocracy and the army
officers. has been rated strongly pro-
German throughout the war and Queen
Victoria In several public utterances.
has proclaimed her German sentiments
as strongly as any German could. The
Swedish people. on the other hand, are
reported MS leaning strongly against
Germany In tho more recent stages OF
the war. particularly since the unre-
stricted submarine campaign began.
Swedens leaning toward Germany was
regarded rs a natural complement 70
her old fear of INC Russian autocracy.
but the entente nations heidi the hope
that when the cause for that distrust
was removed by the revolution Swedish
The suspicion has been current In
England throughout the war that Ger
many was obtaining information Of mil
itary movements which could not be
secured through ordinary spies. the spy
Industry In fact having been pretty we'll
stamped out here. for more Chan a year
past after a few lessons taught by sew
eral executions an the tower Of London.
The belief that Lord kitchcner's death
when the Hampshire went down was the
result Of information transmitted to
Germany Of his departure has been per-
sistent with many. and II has at least
the foundation that his plans were
known and discussed at dinner tables
in high society before he started.
Compliments to American diplomacy
for the skill displayed In securing the
messages arc part of all the comment
on the affair. incidentally there is
much discussion as to whether. In view
of the British and Argentine expert
ences with Sweden. the right of send
ing code messages should be given TO
neutral diplomats during the war.
This Identical question arose in Japan
during the Russo-Japancse war when
Germany sent a military mission headed
by q Hohenzollern prince to tho Japan
csc army. The mission claimed that In
ternational courtesy and the princelv
rank Of it's chief required that Its cor
respondence be transmitted without CEN
sorshIr. This claim was granted. but
against tn. judgment Of most OF the
officers at the front. who thought that
no unccnsorcd correspondence should
20 from tho army on the field. and some
| of whom suspected that even tf the
prince was not virtually an observer
| for Russia his reports would reach Rus
| sia by way Of Japan.
THE discovery and dcciphering Of
tho present series Of kilograms ia due
to the watchfullness and skill OF the
! American intelligence service. says the
Sunday Observer.
The Observer states that 1t received
its information from trust worthy
sources" The newspaper continues:
1T must cause some ground for TO
! Election TO the German government that
! one OF tho first acts OF their new enemy,
whose activities and value in the prose
cutIon OF the war they have affected 20
despisc. has been to expose Il procedure
which affords damnlng evidence against
| themselves and against neutral gov
eminent which II Is charitable To regard
as their dupe.
"Thc contents of the published trlc-
grams cannot, but show neutral govern
mentS the amount OIL ialln INC! may
nut IN German promises and German
! concessions. The nccrclitrd r"prcs"n-
tative Of the Gern,an rmpir ~ Enrnos
Aires. while actually cnj"y'E@ tn" hos
pitaltty ot the Argentine l.npuhlic is
seen advocating the dclih"r;t" murder
Of Argentine subjects Oh tho high seas
In order that the sinking of ArE"nlin"
ships by German submarine should
leave no trace which would make their
crime known in Arcentin" and so make
an enemy Of that country.
"Ths is no single mst"ncr. 'Snurl"s
ycrsenkt' Is consistent policy which
Is deliberately carried into "ffrc: hi an
attempt I" hide from u"ntrai countries
I the results of unrestricted submarine
warfare. and other nations than Arg"n>
tina, such as Norway in particular
know II Ia their cost.
/ ~ further point uf interest * tn" AS
surancc apparently given Ivy tn" .\rgen-
tine government that Arg"nlin" ships
will In the future only clear as far as
Las PallnaS. In other words the pro
tended immunity for Argentine ships
accorded with n show nf uagnunn,ity
by the German government. is pure
farce. In reality tlS immunity Is Sc
cured not by Germ efraining from
|