The Colorado statesman., 1917-10-20

members were not above suspicion OF
having profited through their pro-Ger-
man activities, has not yet died away.
1t was and probably always will be
impossible to prove that any member
of congress received money to pay him
for what has been called an unpatriot-
ic attitude, but Ii is easy enough to
see as one goes over the record of
the past what II was that led one con-
gresham to give voice to his suspi-
cions in the house.
Their Former Attitude Blamed.
Since the United States declared
war on Germany the overwhelming
majority of senate and house have
been staunch in their expressions of
anti-Germanism, but the activities of
many of the members prior to the en-
try of the United States into the con-
filct made 1t appear that at that time
they were sympathetic with Germany
In Its fight against the nations now
the allies of the United States, and
therefore 1t has been hard for some
men to believe that those who stood
for the German methods in this war
can be whole-hearted In their conver-
sion.
Senators and representatives are
human and good many of them of
course cannot by any kindness be called
statesmen. The desire of nearly oil
of them certainly is to be entirely
patriotic, but when patriotism In its
pure essence seems to involve the pos
sibility of defeat at the polls at the
next election there are senators and
representatives who yield to the temp
tation to hedge in their expressed opin-
ions so that they can be certain to Sc
cure the votes in their districts Of men
of whatever opinion on the war.
There are senator's and representa-
tives who have been straight for
Americanism In the face of seeming
danger of defeat when they stand for
reelection, and as things have devel-
oped In Washington, 1t now appears
that the man who thought of his coun-
try first and rocked little or nothing
of the voting that was to come Is
more certain to be reelected than are
the men who, as the language of the
street hath It, tried to play both ends
against the middle"
May Tell Their Names.
There Is belief in Washington
which amounts almost to conviction
that in forthcoming additional dis
closures concerning German in
trigue in this country Secretary Lam
sing will give the names of persons in
the capital against whom proof of ac-
tivity in behalf of a foreign power has
been secured.
The recent publication of the details
of plots Matched in the United States
before this country declared war
against Germany, and before Count
Won Bernstorff had received his dis
mlssal papers, carried with 1t the
names Of some persons and organiza-
tons directly connected with the plot
making. 1t has been believed in Wash
ington. however, for a long time that
Mr.. Lansing has in his possession the
names of persons in this city who are
more than suspected of being carriers
of tales and Information to Count Won
Bernstorff at his residence on the Ter
race overlooking Massachusetts ave-.
nue..
One day the Secretary of state went
so far as to say to a group of men that
among those to whom he was talking
were several who he knew were acting
as instant carriers of information con-
cerning his daily conversations to the
German embassy.
Washington correspondents knew
Secretary Lansing well enough to I'M
derstand that, cautious as he is under
all circumstances, he would not have
said what he did unless he had good
proof of the truth of his words. 1t
was somewhat later than this that the
secretary gave an intimation OF the
possession of material which. If made
public, would convince the American
people beyond any kind of a doubt that
German agents were seeking to divide
this country against itself to the ad-
vantage of the kaiser's cause.
Disclosures Well Timed.
It is nothing new for Washington to
realize that suspicion is directed
against certain persons in this capital.
There Is realization today that per-
haps the secretary of state has done
wise thing in spreading out his dis
closures concerning German intrigue.
He has timed each disclosure so that 1t
would come coincidently with some
attempt on the part of Germany to be-
cloud the issues or to secure peace
virtually on its own terms. The Won
Bernstorff message with Its request for
$4,000 fund to influence congress
and the Won lyle disclosures came al
most simultaneously with the answers
of Germany and Austria to the pope's
peace proposals. In the days that have
ELAPSED since the disclosure was made
there have come additional reasons to
make 1t seem certain that the Won
Rernstorff material was given pub
,t,,ty then because the moment was