The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-02-01

or Mr.. Bryan win 20 so far az TO
publicly declare TO their feTiow-cstt-
zens that while there, IL no breach
OF neutrality i'm the making of arms,
tney woul beg manufacturers not 10
ndufge in the practice any further,
he will very materially hasten the
coming OF peace by reason OF our de-
sire TO meet him more than half
way
Il said hat I did not understand
his meaning, and wanted some fdrth-
or light on his proposition. Captain
Boyd then continued:
IF the president win make this
plea to American manufacturers,
n II 1T results In the stopping OF
traffic in war munitions from this
country, the German government
win set I'm motion at once the pre-
liminary machinery for peace ne
gotiafions. The only basis for amy
present negotiations viii be the
stoppage OF the arms and axr1rnvni-
ton trnfflc between this country
and our enemy. You can tell the
president that this proposal In based
On hat proposition. and that If the
embargo Is carried through effer-
lively Germany viii begin negotia-
tons Immediately, and will agree to
withdraw from Belgium and from the
occupied portion of France. We viii
not consider the payment OF one dol
lar in indemnify, nor will we con-
slider giving mp any part of AIsace-
Lorraine. Germany win agree to re-
build, In as good a condition a. they
were before the war, all public build
ings destroyed In Belgian towns and
that IL all. We have a specific req
son for wanting these facts laid be-
for Mr.. Wilson from outside sources.
What do You think OF 1t?
T old Captain Boy-Ed that I
thought he must be crazy, and sug-
Rested that II the German emhas sy
or the German government had any
proposition to make to the president
Of the United States they had their
regular diplomatic channels through
which to make II.
Captain Boy-Ed replied that the
German government could not direct
1y or indirectly put itself In any posi-
ton making the first move, but II the
president oil secretary of state could
be induced to approach the German
Ambassador or the German foreign
Office with a question based on the
lines suggested. his government would
at once acquiesce and go more than
half way He added:
"You don't realize what n treTsers-
dous influence we can bring TO bear
IN Mr.. Bryan through his church
affiliations, and our good friends who
are close to the administration. Any
n we want you to make the sug-
gestfon to the president when you see
him this week. You win find n great
many forces moving along I'm that
direction before the week ia over
81 asked Captain Boy-Ed how ne
knew ! was going to see the president.
H replied. We know whatever we
wish to know
IT told him that If I did see the
president + would tell him what he
said.
Captain Boy-Ed broke in at once
with the exclamation: NO, you must
not say where this proposal came
from. All / want you to do is to
throw out a suggestion as to how
such an act on his part will be re-
ceived by our government Tell him
you have inside information. I for
bid you to suggest to him that you
have ever seen or talked with me-
"T told Captain Boy-Ed that ]
would put the whole subject before
the president. md would state exactly
what the proposition was, and from
whom II came.
This ended tho conversation and /
left him.
ION Wednesday May g.. the en-
tire matter was laid before the presi-
dent. On the same day the German
propagandists ell over the United
States began a fresh campaign for an
embargo on arms. The
ment WAS also made. on the same
date. of the beginning of a camDaign
to finance a new German paper in
New York to fight against farther
munitions shipments. and the Ger
mans on that date also began an end
less -oh petition to the president
urging an extra session OF congress
to act on an embargo or the shipment
of arms