The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-27
WARNS OF FOREIGN
MACHINE" IN U. S.
Maurice Leon Charges Plot to
Control Government i'm Fa-
vOr Of Bclligercnt.
WRITES TO THE PRESIDENT

Maurice Leon has sent letter to Pres
ident Wilson charging that the agents of
foreign Government now at war are
doing their utmost to form a machine"
out OF a foreign born element our pop
ulatlon 80 further the interests OF that
foreign Government in it's dealings with
the Government Of the United states"
While MIR. Leon does not mention this
foreign Government by name he Ises a
suggestive passage In which he refers to
the efforts Of tina; Govcrnments agents In
this country TO proloug "a discussion con-
corning the good faith OF the Government
which has sent them hither in represent
ing itself a. the victim Of conspiracy
by other nations agains. It's existence"
seeds Of dscord have been sown. are
being sown every day. says Mr. Leon
which II allowed TO ripcn IN our land
may, indeed are sure. to cause damage in
hnitely greater than any which IL likely
10 be caused by force operating from
| without"
The letter IN part 'olows:
COMMITTEES OF our citizens are con-
! corning themselves with the state of gu.
national defence That discussion is go.
I ing on at a time when. as pointed out by
/ you, the prospects Of any armed aggrcs-
I sion against us arc very remote; mean.
while little attention is being paid to a
/ problem Of infinitely greater and more
! immediate Importance.
Agents OF a foreign Government now
at war, some accredited to our Govern
] ment others not and still Others who hold
office under the Government Of the United
/ States. are at work and have been AT
work for months past. in ways generally
secret or devious, attempting to sesre'
/ gate our population into divergent ele-
/ ments, to organize such elements as they
may succeed IN segregatins into ma
| chine to he used to further the Interests
of that foreign Government IN its deal
ings with the Government OF the United
States
While certain Of those agents are dl
vertinS the attention OF our public from
the true object of their activities by pur'
suing "A discussion. which long ago los
/ all usefulness, concerning the good faitl
, Of the Government which has sent then
hlther In representing itself as the vic
tim OF a conspiracy by other nationi
against its existence. those same agents
resortlng to newspapers and other lit
erature published here IN their natIy,
laug uuge and to Other means, are push
Ing with the utmost energy Il mOvemcn
TO restore a large element OF our furcigl
born population to its former al,egiduc,
by enlistinS its Efforts Tor the same cause
for which the kindred OF that elemen
abroad are lighting on the battlefield
Of Europe,
The restoration OF that allegiance Il
not being effected merely by legal process
under warrant Of a law for which there Il
no parallel in any other country: disre
gardng all forms of law. the agents II
question are existing the political powe
! represented by millions OF our fellow
citizens. to be used in debating TO on
Government compliance with the wishe
OF that foreign Government
can we allow our country to b
honeycombed by AN organization or or
ganizatioSs acting under foreign diTec
tion to carry out the policy ~ a fore!S
Government and compel adherence to tina
policy by our own Government" What
ever be our private sympathies In tn
struggle nov g"inw on In Eurone. "
ought all TO he agreed upon the necessit
for preserving our national life from a
. Interference which involves 50 seriou
, a menace 20 our institutions, TO our indie
pendencc.
81 commend. Mr.. President. these con
sderatiuns TO you. on whom. as our Chic
Magistrate, the responsibility rests q
dealing with a situation the mercst out
line Of which is presented above but con
corning which you must necessarily hay
at your disposal much information nc
accessible TO the public"