Evening star., 1921-04-14
HowNavyBegun
to Mobilize
Beforehand.
Former Secretary
Reveals Secrets
Hitherto Kept
From Public.

shall attempt to give closeup
glimpses Of men who were conspicu-
Gus in the life of Washington and
of European capitals Joffre. Lloyd
George, Albert of Belgium, Clemen-
ceau. George of England, the Prince
of Wales. Lord Northcliffe. Lord
Reading. Admirals Beatty, Jellicoe
and De Bon; Marconi and the Prince
Udine are among those who moved
ing of Prince Udine. 1 must not for
get to tell you how he caught the
measles.
But now to get back to the dapper
little individual who presented him
self at the office of the Secretary Of
State Wednesday, January 81. 1917,
at o'clock in the afternoon.
This gentleman came with a mes
sage for Secretary Lansing which
had been waiting delivery for twelve
entrance into the war inevitable, and
sealed the doom off kaiserism It was
conveyed by Count Won Bernstorff,
and it announced the beginning of
unrestricted U-boat warfare by Ger
many on the morning of the follow
ing day.
We know now that Won Bernstorff
received Germany's official declara-
tion of merciless submarine warfare
January 1s: That day the Berlin
Aoi CiSh oliCC duNlScu HlIT, III COOe,
Of the policy which had been decided
upon.
On the same day Zimmerman, the
German foreign minister. dispatched
to Mexico his famous proposal that
Carranza's country should make an
against the United States and recover
the lost territory" Of New Mexico,
Arizona and Texas. shall have
more to say about that again.
German Secret Revealed.
why did Bernstorff withhold the
announcement until the eleventh
hour? Doubtless under specific or
cause Germany. having decided to
abandon all restraint and run all
risks, wanted to gain for her new
policy the full advantage Of sur
prise. A premature announcement
Tins and occasion for delay in exc
cution. 1t would have opened the
way for negotiations, and these Ger
many desired to avoid. This view is
fully sustained by secret document,
ernment or to any of its allies. but
discovered months after the armi-
stice. 1t is dated Berlin. December
22. 1916"-a little more than a month
before the date on which unrestrict-
sdare:.sa ed uunsat TO ~a!fsre is is
marked strictly secret"
Admiral Won Holtzendorn, chief of
the German admiralty. was its au-
thor.
This document named February 1
as the date for turning the U-boats
loose under orders to spare nobody.
1T declared England would be
starved in five months-or by July 1.
1t declared the allies would be
forced to surrender by August /.
These exact dates were given. The
first date is the only one which stood
the test Of events.
Expected America to Fight.
The probable entrance of the United
States as a belligerent was foreseen,
and Won Holtzendorff thus expressed
himself as to the influence she would
be likely to exercise upon the "trend
Of the war"
"As regards tonnage, this influence
would be negligible. It is not to be
expected that more than a small
fraction Of the tonnage Of the CEN
trail powers lying in America and
then be enlisted for the traffic to
England.
For the far greatest part of this
shipping can be damaged in such a
way that 1t cannot sail in the de-
There would also be no crews to be
found for them"
Let me interrupt Admiral Won Holt
zendorn moment to call attention to
the fact that everything the Ger
mans could do to make the admiral's
prediction come true was done in ad-