Evening star., 1940-02-23
Lansing's Papers Tell
OF Turkish Envoy's
1914 Attack on j. 5.
Interview in Star Led
To Rustem's Departure,
Documents Reveal


To Rustem's Departure,
Documents Reveal
The inside story" of how inter-
views published in The Star soon
after the outbreak of the Worlt.
War in 1914 led to the angry de-
parture from Washington of one
foreign diplomat and an official
rebuke to another was disclosed
today
Confidential documents revealing
action taken by President Woodrow
Wilson in the two cases were made
public for the first time with pub
lication by the State Department
of the papers of the late Robert
Lansing, former Secretary of State.
The diplomats who got into
trouble by giving improper inter-
views were A. Rustem, Turkish Am
bassador, and Baron Won Schoen, a
secretary of the German Embassy.
Mr.. Rustem angrily departed for
Constantinople rather than formally
apologize for statement published
in The Star of September 8, 1914
a statement which Mr.. Lansing
told him reflected upon the ad-
ministration of justice in the United
States" and so constituted serious
breach of official etiquette"
Regret Expressed by Envoy.
The German Ambassador ex-
pressed regret at the appearance
in The Star of September 3d. 1914,
of Baron Won Schoen's interview,
reporting there was intense hatred
for the United States throughout
Japan and told the State Depart
ment that the baron had been in
structed ito avoid newspaper COM
ment" thereafter.
Baron Won Schoen denied he had
made the statements attributed to
him in The Star, but Mr.. Lansing
wrote President Wilson that after
Investigation he was convinced that
the baron was reported with SUBJ
stantial accuracy"
Mr.. Rustem readily admitted that
the remarks attributed to him by
The Star were "a faithful repro
duction of the language used by
me-" and defended his statement
in note which Mr.. Lansing des-
cribed as 80 arrogant in tone as
to be extremely offensive"
The Turkish Ambassador said he
made the newspaper statement
merely to counteract what he des-
cribed as systematic attacks on
the part of the press of the United
States" against his country.
Accused Britain and France.
In his interview, Mr.. Rustem had
charged Britain and France with
agitating the "specter of massacre
Of Christians in Turkey" adding:
"And, since a large number OF
American papers are siding with
Great Britain and France in this
affair, I will permit myself to say
that the thought of the lynchings
which occur daily in the United
States and the memory of the
'watercures' in the Philippines
should make them chary of attack
ing Turkey in connection with acts
of savagery committed by her under
provocation compared with which
the economic competition of an
Italian or the sniping of a Filipino
or even the outrage of a negro, are
as nothing"
Chance Offered to Apologize.
Mr. Lansing, then counselor fol
the State Department, wrote tt
Secretary of State Bryan his opinion
that it would not "comport with
the dignity of this Government" to
allow Mr. Rustem to represent
Turkey here any longer. Mr.. Bryan
suggested, however, that rather than
make the situation more acute Mr.
Rustem be given opportunity te
apologize. President Wilson agreed
with this view
Mr.. Rustem replied on September
20 that he could not accept the
Presidents point of view, and sc
had asked his government for 9
leave of absence and would leave
for Constantinople within a fort
night"
The interview that got Baron vor
Schoen into trouble concerned hi:
impressions of Japanese attitude to.
ward the United States, gained while
he was attached to the German
Embassy in Toxic before coming
here. Il have heard many persons
in Japan say they believe war with
the United States Is unavoidable,
he was quoted as saying. There
seems to be intense hatred for the
United States throughout Japan"
Lansing's Memorandum.
Mr. Lansing called the interview
to President Wilson's attention in 6
memorandum dated September Is
1914, reporting:
President Wilson replied in 9
memo the next day:
'"I hope that If there is any proper
way of opening the matter with ths
German Ambassador it may bt
opened. I feel with you that there
can be no real doubt about tn,
substantial authenticity of the in.
terview and I think it not only
desirable, but imperative, that thi.
gentleman should not remain here.
Mr.. Lansing then sent a note tt
the German Ambassador, informing
him that the President lis much
annoyed over an interview in Tht
Evening Star of September %
which purported to have been giver
by Baron Won Schoen, a secretary
of your Embassy. and which related
to the unfriendly public opinion o.
the japanese people for the United
States"
German Ambassador Bernstorff'.
reply aree6 that statements in tht
'alleged interview" were improper
but said that in view of the baron.
denial that he made the statements
he had regarded the interview a.
LIZ u