The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-12-28
This STARTLING
DISCLOSURE By
ADMIRAL DECKER
--- sssss
Declares ArnbassadCar
Willard Not Awake %,
Serious Situation .
HE DECLINES ..
CROSS AWARD.
sss8s
gS-
Says More Generosss
Recognition Should b.
Given the Men Who DID
the Actual Work

Washington, Dec 27.-The rerrnf
able disclosure that Spain waa ahoLts
TO enter the war against the Un1ec1s
States and the allies in the aprin9.af
1918 and was prevented only ~ r.
efforts of the American naval attAGhk
and his associates In Madrid. Wnss
made today in letter from Rear Al
rnirA Benton c. Decker. who = rows
In charge OF the seventh naval 64ss
trict with headquarters at Key WaDt.
Fla 80
Admiral Decker was the unt1eas
States naval attache 1T Madrid - ~.
] time of the great German of1ensiveAa.
1913 and hts letter today contained a.
declination Of the navy cross awAS& !.
ed him At the same time II revonAQ4s
the greatest post-armistjce senAAte6Gs
His lottar was addressed to Go1ees@
tary Of the Navy Daniels. by whom r
was made public In declining fhH
award OF tho navy cros& AdmtAT
! DECKER says: 1. M
| In my opinion this sward Fl .
entirely inadequate 10 the services
| that were performed rs the d
| hos OF the naval AttAphe and 81
| those who worked with naA THE -
| eject OF this work was 20 kee1 n
6pstu from entAring the wAf- /.
snemy's March Offensive Of 1s1S,
also Q reduction Of the cub ]
/ marine activities on the coAst a.
/ Spain s~s
| ADsnRADs EsrH6A1E-
Admiral Decker also eays that X Ai1s
estimate II correct. my services~ ~
the services of those who workel
with me. In spite OF the opposition 1t
the AMBASSADOR. are certainly greAAae
nattleship In the war or by any Of
fetal stationed on shore duty IN. ~
administrative capacity" $500
Admiral Decker's references to ne
American ambassador means Joeeph
E. Willard, who is the United States
envoy to the Spanish court and wls0
held this post during the war.
| 1t is known ofiicially that there w~0
vary serious row between Admiral
Decker and Ambassador Willard II
/, Is known that Admiral Decker ~
vised the navy department. that 24s~
man submarines were utilizing Span
| ish ports and he indicated that pub
| lie sentiment in Spain was rapidly
| erystallizirg IN favor OF the centrn&
! powers. especially Germany, WHOSE
secret agents penetrated to every ,.nxt
OF the country.
| Furthermore. 1t Is also known 6A0~
! ntteiy that Ambassador Willard faile4
to realize the seriousness OF the GituA-
/ ton. although its graver aspectG
were time and again brought TO ht9s
attention by the American naval -
tache. ss9
|. When state department ofFictale - \
night were shown a copy Of tho laetoes
written to Secretary DAnie1a by ~ /
mtral Decker. they sati the situat1o1
| was not quite as preca rious - tn
American naval oficer thought it--t0
! be. 1t was admitted, however. THAI,
the question was very seriously al
cuaed at Madrid.
In connection with the disclo1ure a.
| Admiral Decker, however. It was -
vealed officially tonight that when tla4Dl
submarine campaign on the Spanish
coast In the Atlantic. the Bay ~
Btscay and the MeditefrAneau, W113&
| its height, the allied governments. ~
GLIDING the United StateAs -dkpa4nAN&
a note to Madrid calling attention N II
| the apparent case with which dcprUSs4
dations we're committed on allte4s
shipping Soon after the trAnsEnin1nns
of this note Spain addressed . opsa~
munication to Germany. emphasizing
! the fact that she was a neutral, md
she followed this up by intArn4n&ss
some Of the German underwabae oa&9 \
ATTITUDE OF SPAIN. y. go ]
/ These events apparently condns
the opinion of Admiral pockag k9ax4S
the attitude of Spain. at least "a q N
spanish court. was OF Gxt1014k9 0&0s*
ger to the cause OF the all1AA -
likewise one which took littio aAco14
Of the supposed position Of nentuA13kXs
which the nation had declared e
+. 1t is evident from the letter q tA9s
American officer that he had apeq1Ss
tive knowledge that the SpAnaU&ss
foreign Office in March 1918. Was ~
favor Of having Spain cast her tpA4ss
| with Germany. England. hcweyeey.
twas learned tonight. HlspAc1od t6NS
| Spanish foreign ONCE from tn v0Gys
beginning Of the war. II azs WI !
One of the most sensationa1 -
sodes at the outset of tho w1r y44ss
| the seizure Of the steamship KroQ-@
land at Gibraltar. This veano1 G&ss
ried a large cargo Of ccprefs
although this was TO have been IN ~
ed At Spanish port 1t was asilao
the British authorities on thu t8el9s
| that the ultimate destinaf4un o. n
metal was to be Germany. s ass6s 1
/ Had Spain entered the var -
side ofA Germany during tn GEN4 n
days OF 1918 it = doubtful
Or mot the axf1eg Wo1A 60UoAD