“Zwiedinek.”
When that letter was shown to Baron Zwiedinek by Secretary of State Lansing, he admitted the authenticity of the signature, but denied he remembered anything of its contents. He explained that it was probably dictated by a clerk, and that in his haste he signed it without reading it. He also disclaimed any responsibility for it on the ground that Dr. Dumba was at the date of the letter the Austro-Hungarian Ambassador.
MUNITION PLOTS
Part of the schemes considered and recommended by Ambassador Dumba to prevent the exportation of war munitions from the United States is set forth in the secret communications which he gave to Captain Archibald to carry to Baron Burian, Austrian Foreign Minister. The first document discusses the diplomatic efforts that have been made toward that end, deprecates the arguments put forth by the State Department in declining to take any action to forbid the export of war munitions.
“The true ground for the discouraging attitude of the President,” wrote Dumba, “lies, as his confidant, Colonel House, already informed me in January, and has now repeated, in the fact that authoritative circles are convinced that the United States in any serious crisis would have to rely on foreign neutral countries for all their war material. At no price, and in no case, will President Wilson allow this source to dry up.
“For this reason I am of the opinion that to return to the question whether by a reply from your Excellency or by a semi-official conversation between myself and the Secretary of State would not only be useless, but even, having regard for the somewhat self-willed temperament of the President, would be harmful.”
Dr. Dumba’s plans for causing strikes in munition factories in the United States are related by himself in the following official document which he sent to Baron Burian: