The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-09-26
IllI10ls n CONGRESS-.
1uLM or ALABAMA URGES IN.
vDsdIGAT0N.
1n1eesds AHhaoador Asked his Gov
esAnssae Soe $4,000 to Expcnd In
I xn0aeac1ng Anserica's Congress
Ihroagh ~ Organisati0n That He

- 0Uvotumentu publicity spotlight
revealing German intrigue in neutral
}lan6s turned today upon the expendi-
turs Of money by the Berlin foreign
o<hcs IN an effort to influence congress
on the eve of the ruthless submarine
< csmpaisn which drove tho United
States % war. ,,fs
Secreeary Lansing made public
. without comment the text of mes
Ogs ssut hy Count Won Bsrnstorff to
Berlin ,lase Js.nuary. asking authority
TO uss s5O.oOo 70 influence congress
through IN organisation. which thu
I FOREIGN once was reminded had per-
& formed similar services before. To
: supplement this move Won Bernstorff
raogselsd an oaacial declaration in
4 favor of Ireland for Ito effect here.
Tho organization to be employed
vas not naned- II was freely sug-
s gpsesA among other oficials. however.
that e We one Of the societies which
I ooedsd msmbsrs Of congress with
peoco ms1agss when President Will
~ wss sslkins that state of war be
reeooniBsd.
This disclosure adds another chap
ter to the amazing story begun with
publication Of the famous thinner
mann note. It connects the German
government and Count Won Bernstorr
directly and conclusivcly with machi.
nettoas which the American public
had assumed were part Of the world
wids Teutonic intrigue but which
many people nrmly believed were car
rssd on OF financed by German Amer
Acaas without actual authority from
psfiin.
lsstls surprise was occasloned eth
- IN omciai circles or at the capitol.
aleheuGh msmbsrs Of congress were
A1gAly in'iigaant. There was some
oak at l.hs capitol Of demanding 40
tavestisAtion and Senator overman
soairuan Of the senate lobby commit
~. and Representative Flood. chair
man Of the house foreign affairs com
mfttse. arranssd to 60 to the state de-
partmsnt today and ask for more in
formation.
, On the moor Of the house. Repre-.
sentative Helm Of Alabama asserted
that he could name ls or II members
OF the two branches Of congress who
had acted suspiciousiy and expressed
the opinion that they should be inves-
tisatsd. Generally. however. the dis.
position was to regard az absurd any
suggsstion that any part Of the $780,
600 sought by Won Bernstorff was in
tended for members of congress.
The Won BernstorfY message. dated
January "a. follows:
i request authority to pay out up
TO $4,000 (nfty thousand dollars), in
order ~ on former occasions to in.
nuence cOnsress through the organ
isation you know Of. which can per-
haps prevent war.
am beginning in the meantime to
act accordinsiy.
In the above circumstances pub
hc oflcial German declaration in fav-
or Of Ireland rs highly desirable. in
order to gain the support Of Irish
influence here.
This message was sent nine days
before the German government pro-
claimed its Unrestricted submarine
warfare. When he wrote 1t Count Won
Bernstorff was assuring the American n
government and press that under no
circumstances would Germany vio-
late her pledges Of the Sussex case or
do anything that might draw the
United States into the list Of her ene-
mics. The American government,
had made no move since the Sussex
pledge and there was nothing on the
surface to foreshadow impending trou-
Bile.
Two weeks later. when Won Bern
storf was handed his passports. ne
professed ignorance Of prior knowl-
edge OF his governments intentions
TO throw its promises to the winds.
Evidence has been accommodating to
prove that the ambassador not only
was cosnizant Of. but actually direct
cd. the activities Of Boyd and Won
Pspsn. the military and naval attach
%. respectively. who were sent home
Ions before the United States broke
relations with Germany.
How complete In the evidence OF
German duplicity In possession of the
government In only conjectural. but