AMERICA AND THE WAR.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1713, 17 May 1917, Page 4

AMERICA AND THE WAR.

HISTORY OF THE CRISIS

THE SUBMARINE CAMPAIGN

The story of the development of the crisis that has since led to war between the United States and Germany was told in February by an American correspondent in Berlin. Just after leaving Germany he telegraphed ; “To an obeserver in Berlin the approach of the crisis has been plainly and definitely evident ever since the rejection of Germany’s peace overtures. Information as to Germany’s definite decision to start a sharpened submarine war and even the form it would take, namely, a blockade of certain specified regions, was received almost on the day after Mr Gerard’s speech on the excellence of German-American relations. The final decision on the out-and-out submarine campaign of so-called ruthless type was apparently taken at the Austro-German conference at the German headquarters on the occasion of the Emperor’s birthday, though there is reason to believe that submarines which had departed several days previously for stations on submarine hunting-grounds were provided with contingent orders for this eventuality. The censorship, however, was shut down tightly upon any definite statements or predictions of the approaching crisis, as it was desired for marine and technical reasons to have the decision come as a surprise. “Mr Gerard and the American Government were thereby fa ml with the announcement of a ‘fait accompli,’ when on the afternoon of January 31st Herr von •BethmannHollweg promulgated in the Reichstag Committee the news that relentless submarining would begin immediately, and read to the committee the text of the memorandum detailing the prohibited zone, together with the Note to America — documents which reached the Embassy only several hours later. There was, therefore, no opportunity or occasion for any negotiations to prevent a crisis. Nothing could be done except to report to Washington the developments which had already appeared in the press of the world before the Embassy despatches had oven started from Berlin, and to await the anticipated explosion. This came in the shape of a rupture of relations, even earlier than America had expected, and certainly with a promptness which astonished, and, perhaps, even dismayed the German official world, prepared though it was for energetic American action by the definite warnings conveyed in the Sussex correspondence.” Another correspondent tells the story of the maltreatment to which departing officials were subjected. Probably the most serious complaint heard is that wives of American Consuls have been stripped, bathed, and searched at border stations, despite their rights as members of official households, three specific instances being recently reported from Warnemuende. Mr Gerard protested vigorously to the Foreign Office against this practice, but was informed that the Foreign Office was powerless to act, because the military authorities instituted it. Officials reaching Berne unreservedly condemned the German handling of news despatches, not only for holding up the despatches, but for colouring those that were allowed to pass, and for using the overseas service in an effort to mould American public opinion. For months the censors had not permitted the transmission of news of real developments, including anKi-Ameri-can speeches in the Reichstag, fiery attacks on the American Army and Navy, and wholesale charges of unneutrajity against the United States. An instance how news was controlled is the fact that more than one American correspondent had succumbed to the practice of signing telegraph blanks and allowing the Press Bureau to write his stories.