The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-04-14
tContinued from Page One.)


 We know now that Won Bernstorff re- ceived Germany's official declaration of merciless submarine warfare on January 19. On that day the Berlin foreign of flee advised him in code of the policy which had been decided upon.
 On the same day Zimmerman, the Ger man foreign minister dispatched to Mex ico his famous proposal that Carranza's country should make an alliance with Japan. launch war against the United States and recover the lost territory of New Mexico, Arizona and Texas. I shall have more to say about that again.
 GERMAN SECRETS REVEALED Why did Bernstorff withhold the an- nouncement until the eleventh hour? Doubtless under specific orders from his government and because Germany, hav- ing decided to abandon all restraint and run all risks. wanted to gain for her new policy the full advantage of sur prise. premature announcement would have been warning to her victims and occasion for delay in execution. It would have opened the way for nego- tiatinns, and these Germany desired to avoid This view is fully sustained by secret document. unknown then to the American government or to any of it's allies, but discovered months after the armistice. It is dated "Berlin, De- cenber 22 1915 little more than a month before tho date on which unre- stricted .U-boat warfare began, and is addressed to ''B-35S40-1." It is marked Strictly secret"
 Admiral von Holtzendorff, chief of the German admiralty, was its author.
 This document named February 1 as the date for turning the U-boats loose under orders to spare nobody.
 It declared England would be starved in five months or by July l.
 It declared the allies would be forced to surrender by August 1.
 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 ex- pected that more than a small fraction of the tonnage of the central powers ly- ing in America and many othex neutral harbors could then be enlisted for the traffic to England.
 For the far greatest part of this ship ping can be damaged in such way that it cannot call in the decisive time of the first few months. There would also be no crews to be found for them."
 Let me interrupt Admiral von Holtzen- dorff moment to call attention to the fact that everything the Germans could do to make the admrars prediction come true was done in advance of February l. Before making his call upon Secretary Lansing, on the last day of January, Bernstorff had given instructions that the engines of all German ships lying in American harbors must be destroyed. and these instructions had been carried out.
 May. 1916, at the time of the excitement accustomed by the sinking of the Sussex. Bernstoff had notified the officers in charge of Germany's interned ships that they must be ready to destroy the en- zines whenever the order was given. Some other things happened at this time, of which I will tell you later on They will show you that the German ambassador did not monopolize all the foresight in making his plans in ad- vance,.
 DISABLED ALL SHIPS
 Reporting upon the situation on Jan uary 31. Bernstorff says: Tt was danger | ous to allow any delay. for on the eve hing of January 31 our ships were seized by the American police. As know, how ever all of them, without exception, were made unfit for use before this occurred
 It was this effective work upon which Holtzendorff counted to cripple the United States if she decided to enter the war. Once in. he believed. whatever ship ping she was able to command could be disposed of by the U-boats.
 How Holtzendorffs calculations were upset is part of this story which I will take a lot of satisfaction in telling.
 Naturally, since the German admiral believed it would be impossible for the it afloat, he had very little fear of an American army. He wrote in the secret 1 documents: Just as little decisive effect | can be ascribed to any extent to Amer | ican troops, which, in the first place, can | not be brought over through lack of ton mage"
 WARNING FOR ALL TIME
 By such stupid underestimates of | American resourcefulness were the Ger mans persuaded by their own leaders to | their own undoing. It is to be hoped for | mutual welfare and the peace of the | world that no nation will ever again un- derestimate the power and resourceful- l ness of America in war.
 Finally Holtzendorff emphasized the [ importance of launching the U-boat tor | TOT without warning. s'The beginning | and the declaration of the unrestricted | U-boat war must follow 30 quickly one upon another that there is no time for | negotiating, especially between England | and the neutrals. The wholesome terror will exercise in this case upon enemy and neutral alike"
 That last sentence is, significant as showing Germany's attitude toward the noutrals, of whom the United States, at | this time, was one. Enemy and neutral 1: al.ke''-on such terms to have remained | a neutral would have been folly. To