701.6211/279½
The Acting Secretary of
State to President Wilson
Washington,
September 25, 1914.
Dear Mr. President: I enclose a newspaper
interview alleged to have been given by Baron von Schoen, formerly
Secretary of the German Embassy at Tokio and now attached to the Embassy
here, and also his written repudiation of the interview.3
The Baron called on me yesterday morning and asked me if I had seen the
reported interview. I replied that I had. He then asked if I had seen
his letter denying it. I answered that I had and that, when I read the
interview imputed to him, I could not believe that he had uttered such
silly remarks or been guilty of such extremely
[Page 76]
bad taste and improper conduct, and I was glad that
he had disavowed the report.
His manner, when I spoke thus frankly of the interview, which his
repudiation made possible, and subsequent statements made to me by the
reporter, who said that he obtained the interview, convince me that he
was reported with substantial accuracy.
Do you think that the matter ought to be dropped or that the attention of
the German Ambassador should be called to it?
Very sincerely yours,
Robert Lansing
[Enclosure]
Extract of Interview With the Secretary of the
German Embassy (Schoen) as Published in the Washington “Evening Star,” September
23, 1914
“I have heard many persons in Japan say they believe war with the
United States is unavoidable,” said Baron von Schoen, and he
repeated this today to a representative of The
Star, in confirmation when requested to do so. “From
repeated statements of this sort I have come to believe that it is
the general opinion of the Japanese people. I have seen frequent
evidence of very strong anti-American feeling. There seems to be
intense hatred for the United States throughout Japan.
“I have just come from Japan, having been transferred to Washington.
An astonishing thing about the war is the complete apathy of the
Japanese people toward it. The people have no interest in it at all.
In England, Russia and France there was really an anti-German
feeling, and patriotic demonstrations for their own countries were
held, but nothing of the kind took place in Japan. A stranger in
that country would not know from appearances that Japan was at
war.
WELCOMED MEXICAN TROUBLE
“Before war was declared there were preparations for it, and the
people said, ‘Yes, it is for Russia or America.’ When the Mexican
government sent Senor Francisco de la Barra on a special mission to
Tokio there were great demonstrations, although there was no feeling
of admiration by the people for the Mexicans, despite the alleged
race kinship. It was the trouble between Huerta and the United
States that gave the people an opportunity, on the occasion of de la
Barra’s visit, to vent their feelings in great anti-American
demonstrations.
“I remember just after going to Japan in 1913, during the
negotiations between Washington and Tokio over the California Webb
alien
[Page 77]
land act, an incident
impressed me. I lived rather close to the United States embassy, and
one morning as I went by it I saw that some Japanese people had
written on the walls big sentences in English insulting the United
States government.
“There was a strong pro-Mexican feeling in Japan when the United
States had difficulties with that republic on account of the
Japanese antagonism to the United States. Should both Japan and
England be victorious in this war—which, of course, I do not believe
is possible—the danger to the United States will be great.
