New-York tribune., 1917-07-11
Zimmerman Good
Subordinate, but
Failed as a Leader
Americans Will Always Remem
Der Him for Treacherous
Note to Mexico

The name of Dr. Alfred Zimmerman
will always be associated with one OF
the greatest mistakes in the blunder
filled history of German war diplomacy
Long after the names Of higher ana
more able servants Of the Kaiser have
been forgotten, Americans will remem-
Der zimmerman for a certain note
which he sent to Mexico City Oh Jan
uary 10. 1917.
Through this note he wrought irrep-
arabic harm to the already weak Ger
man cause in the United States. Pro
Teutonic sentiment, except among
traitors, died swiftly after the publica
tion OF that note in America. After
Germany, through zimmerman, had
offered Mexico Arizona and New Mex
leo ii she would stab the United States
in the back, war seemed to most
Americans the only answer.
zimmerman was a good servant, but
a painfully incompetent leader. As
Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs
under Won Jagow he did noteworthy
service in reducing the friction between
Washington and Berlin arising out OF
the first U-boat campaign.
The pack mule of the Foreign OF
fice." his fellow diplomats called him
and he deserved his title. He was n
fayorite with Americans in Germany
always accessible, always genial and
apparently sincere. Until Won Jagow
resigned. shortly before the resumption
of ruthless U-boat warfare. thinner
mann was the right man in the right
place.
Won Jagow was opposed to any re-
sumption of the submarine campaign
He resigned when the Won Tirpitz-von
Hindenburg forces urged II upon the
nation, and Zimmerman stepped into
a job far too big for his abilities.
When the German peace offer wa
turned down and the submarines begar
their wholesale killing the mans un
fitness for his position became appar
ent. Formerly popular with the people
he began to lose their sympathy. One
/ OF the series of mistakes which he
made was the suggestion that American
ships be painted barber pole fashion
! before they ventured into the prOhib
tied zone.
a man Of common birth, he has never
been popular with the war lords oil
I Prussia. Through his blunders he ha:
alienated the confidence Of his peopl,
and has made himself ready and fit
ting Jonah for the Kaiser to cast over
board.
To the outside world DR.. Karl Helf
: ferich, Imperial Vice Chancellor, i,
/ known chiefly as a prophet whose pre-
I dictions have never come true. Latest
( of his miscarried prophecies was hi'
announcement in May of this year tha
Won Bethmann-Hollweg would soor
make Germany's peace terms plain e
, the world. He has fallen from his pos
I without ever seeing this event come q
pass. Hollweg has merely defed tn,
world, and Helfferich has been cast out
At the beginning of the war the de
( posed Nice-C Chancellor was Secretarl
I of the Imperial Treasury. His ability
in handling the funds needed durins
the first months Of the conflict CAV,
j him the position Of Secretary of tn,
I Interior
! In these days he boasted that Ger
many was financially invulnerable, tha
/ her money resources could not b,
/ shaken. A year later newspapers re
/ ports quoted him as saying that tn,
Hat4VH was Oh tht verge OF DdHhruptcl
/ and urging an early peace.
! Later he was made Imperial Vice
| Chancellor, and from this vantage poin
/ he announced TO the world that it wal
/ only a question Of few months befor,
! England would be brought to the dus
/ through the submarine campaign. Tha
was in February of this year. To-da,
| sees Helfferich overthrown and Eng
land resisting Germany with her full
/ strength.