The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-02-15
Also Suppress News of Anti
America PrOpagandists.
MISREPRESENT PRES. WILSON
Picture Americans as towards
and e. S. Policies Bluff.
Nation Confident Spring Drive
Will Defeat Allies.
BY CARL w. ACKERMAN
With Ambassador Gerard.

Berne. Feb. Is (via Paris) Ger
many's censorship cut an important
Joker" out of the text of the treaty
which German officials demanded
that American Ambassador Gerard
sign under threat to hold American
newspaper correspondents as hostages.
That Joker" does not show in Ber-
lin dispatches outlining the treaty, as
published in French newspapers here.
1t was:
THAT German ships in American
harbors should not be forced to leave
unless safe conduct from Germany
enemies, which would permit them to
return to Germany or to neutral
port
The same strict German censorship
which has concealed real develop
ments in the empire and left untold
active anti-American propaganda
therein, did not permit an intimation
of this "joker'' to slip out of the coun-
try.
1t Stumped Gerard.
1t was after reading this stipulation
that Ambassador Gerard, as has been
related IN previous dispatches from
Berne, told Count Montgelas for
Foreign Secretary Zimmerman. that
he would not even consider the matter
and that he would remain in Ber-
lin until kingdom come" if Germany
carried out her threat to hold Ameri-
cans as hostages.
Exclusion of this provision from the
text of the treaty is another example
of the strictness of the German CEN
sorship which for months has refused
to pass real developments to Amer
lea Some of these developments have
included:
Anti-American speeches in the
reichstag.
Anti-Wilson and anti-Gerard propa-
ganda financed by prominent German
leaders.
Fiery attacks by Stressemann and
Won Heydebrand on the president
Frequent statements of army and
navy officials that the United States
might as well enter the war, be-
cause the nation was unneutral."
Much Anti United States Sentiment.
The foreign office attitude just be-
fore we left Berlin was that Americans
were very eXcitable' and if Germany
could control all dispatches for a few
days, Americans would forget all
about the submarine blockade and
bring pressure on President Wilson to
remain neutral
tary Joseph C. Grew left Berlin, Ger
man officials requested them not to
allow newspaper men accompanying
the embassy staff to telegraph regard
| ing Berlin developments "except
news which the Berlin censor might
approve"
/ Cartoons in the German illustrated
papers daily depict President Wilson
1 selling munitions to the allies over the
counter of a country store-and TAX
! ing orders from John Bull. There are
many variations of this theme.
| Since Field Marshal Won linden
burg has been in command, the output
Of munitions in Germany has been
doubled.
Every possible human being IS
working on war supplies for the west
| ern front.
Put Faith in Spring Drive.
| Hindenburg' dream of a separate
peace with Russia is dwindlins. But
Germany is united in the expected
great offensive this year. Officials
say it is the last chance to win Oh
| lose-when it is over the Socialist
peace leaders will again force them
selves forward.
The German people believe Presi-
dent Wilson pro-ally.
| The German pr esS departments
that is the propaganda asencies-havt
for months centered efforts on con-
yincing America that war is terrible
The theory is that Americans are COW
ards and will back out of war.
! The average German thinks Ameri.
can international policies are bluff
and was UNNECESSARILY delighted owe,
refusal of neutral nations to join with
President Wilson in breaking relation:
/