Evening star., 1915-08-16
Not Known Whether Investiga-
ton Is Planned of AIIega-
tions Against Germany.
PAPER SAID TO HAVE
LETTERS AS EVIDENCE
Imperial Government Held to Have
Financed Conspiracy Against
the United States.

upon the question Whetner fTeSiueHl
Wilson will order an investigation of
direct charges printed by the New York
World, backed by the publication OF
many letters, that the German govern
ment has for months financed in the
United States, at an immense cost,
publicity propaganda designed to dis
credit the administration. to influence
public opinion through secretly owned
newspapers and news agencies; to en-
broil the United States in trouble with
Great Britain and the allies, and, in
addition, to bring about strikes in
manufactures having contracts with
the allies; to buy up plants and fac
tories making munitions for Europe,
not to refer to many other activities.
1t is hinted today that the newspaper
which acquired the correspondence will
he able to lay before the President much
correspondence and data that cannot be
published, but which will confirm it's
charges that 'the German propaganda has
become conspiracy against the govern
ment and people of the United States"
No Formal Inquiry Undertaken.
The administration has long suspected
the expenditure Of great sums Of money
under German direction in the United
States, but it has given the people credit
for being aware of this state of affairs
and has not undertaken formal investi
cation. 1t is believed, however, that secret
agents Of this government have obtained
information which will be available for
use at the right time. This chiefly relates
to the alleged attempts of German
partisans to place bombs in transatlantic
Ships to ramidcations of the work of
Holt, who exploded bomb in the Senate
wing Of the Capitol; to the attempt to
assassinate j. p. Morgan. and to affidavits
that the Lusitania carried cannon for de-
fense purposes The object of the latter
investigation was to substantiate Presi-
dent Wilson's statements in the original
German note that the Lusitania was un-
armed.
Secretary Lansing. who visited Presi-
dent Wilson today, admitted that the
the letters and facts was being watched
with interest, but he did not indicate
what steps. If any. would be taken.
The State Departments deepest con-
oerslpseouid' be the possible linking OF
Am bassador Won Bernstorff with the
German activities in such a way as to
bring these to the attention of the gov
ernment. The Cleveland administration
set precedent years ago by causing
the recall of Lord Sackville-W West,
British minister, because he wrote a
letter touching upon American poll
tics. The charges now are that a for
eign government has conducted on
American soil a propaganda against
the President of the United States, the
administra ton, Congress, American in
dustry and labor and against national
integrity itself.
Administration May Have to Act.
If Ambassador Won Bernstorff has
been connected with this propaganda
in any direct way the federal authori-
ties cannot remain Indifferent, 1t was
said today, and they may not remain
Indifferent on the showing that the
German government itself has foment-
ed all sorts of intrigues to corrupt pub
lie opinion in the United States. Its
only recourse against the German gov
ernment, If the charges are substanti-
ated, would be a notification that these
methods are very Objectionable to the
government Of the United States.
In the interest of freedom of speech
and public discussion, the administra
tion has ignored much, on the ground
tE--t certain pro-German activities
were due to the excessive sympathies
of overzealous American citizens of
today. There is no law under which
activities of this kind can be reached.
They can only be dealt with by public
opinion, but when it is charged that
serious activities have been going on
for months, fostered and paid for by
the German government and supervised
by it's representative in this country.
the government may have to take cog
nizance, in the opinion of officials to-
day.