citizens, and of safeguarding their free exercise and enjoyment."


Never in history had a neutral nation indicted another as the United
States did Germany in its first _Lusitania_ note without immediately
going to war. Because the Foreign Office feared the reaction it might
have upon the people, the newspapers were not permitted to publish the
text until the press bureaus of the Navy and the Foreign Office had
mobilised the editorial writers and planned a publicity campaign to
follow the note's publication. But the Navy and Foreign Office could
not agree on what should be done. The Navy wanted to ignore Wilson.
Naval officers laughed at President Wilson's impertinence and, when the
Foreign Office sent to the Admiralty for all data in possession of the
Navy Department regarding the sinking of the _Lusitania_ the Navy
refused to acknowledge the request.

During this time I was in constant touch with the Foreign Office and
the American Embassy. Frequently I went to the Navy Department but was
always told they had nothing to say. When it appeared, however, that
there might he a break in diplomatic relations over the Lusitania the
Kaiser called the Chancellor to Great Headquarters for a conference.
Meanwhile Germany delayed her reply to the American note because the
Navy and Foreign Office were still at loggerheads. On the 31st of May
von Jagow permitted me to quote him in an interview saying:


"America can hardly expect us to give up any means at our disposal to
fight our enemy. It is a principle with us to defend ourselves in
every possible way. I am sure that Americans will be reasonable enough
to believe that our two countries cannot discuss the _Lusitania_ matter