The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-09-21
MESSAGE
ASKING $4,000
IS MADE PuBlD
Lansing Reveals January Plot
Of German Envoy,
SCHEME WORKED BEFORE
Money Paid to ''0rgapIzatlon''
to Influence So|ons, !,

10 influence SO|0nS,
WASHINGTON, Sent. q. - SccsVs
'ary lansing today made public On ~
founding addition to the series Of dlss
,lofures covering German intrigues ID
America and elsewhere, !, was q mess
,age sent by Count Won Bernstorff Ia
anuary Of this year to the Berlin ios.
rign Office requesting authority to nay
ou, $4,000 to influence conareoA
through al unnamed organisstte~, %.
parently known to the Berlin authoSl.
ties.
Money Paid Out Before. h
Count Won Bernstorff indicated In hls
that money had been paid thjo
organization on former occasions u
perform the same work.
The text of the messsRe, made publlf
without comment, follows.
The message, dated Jan q, 1917
follows \
Il request authority to pay ess
up to $4,000 (fiity thousand lej.
hn) IN order % On former ecea.
aioas. to iaflusncs congrsss tArcugb
the orgasisation you kaow Of, Wild
can psrhsps prevent war.
~ An ssSinsins, 10 ths usaa. \
time. to act seeordlssly. ss4
In the above eivcumstsSees 4
puhlie offieisi 0srmas desiaeoNao V
IN iavef et lsslasl n hlghly 49,
strabis. n erlss 70 aAis ~ esn
pest n lrisA ialluonGS 1efeS 3y
Whssher the Seats depAfmIege 4
posssssion Of Other evidence iNolU23)
ne arnba.sador's activities has moi ~
revealed. but ne extraordinary djeeloSs
ures already made has fixed ike hellol
that agents Of the United StsV0s noss
ernrnent have collected and COMPLIED ~
entire story Of German dupiiclty ~
intrigue and that additional chspSof(
will be added. :.
Knsw Of o. boat PIas. yS
The reference to avoiding war =
taken a. an indication that Ambss sado@
Bernstofff had prior knowledge oi ~
governments intention 10 proeIstN z
merciless widespread submarine NV
isre and that he was equally coniidel9
that the United States govssnm0G
could not be easily placated By moto
promises The German announeauof1
oi It's intention TO expand its submsYtno
activities was not made public unai|
January 81. when the world was stsetjG1
not only by the determination to remove
all restrictions, but by the ststeu,ens
that Il would become effective on ~
following day, Three days later ~
United States government expressed n
disapproval by severing relations viii
Germany.
That the German ambassador lu,ev
OF his governments intention ives o.
sumed by some officials. although ,so
the same time he denied prior knowl.
edge and those in close touch with ~
embassy were given to understand TIT
he did not spprove the course I'D
worked to secure modification.
Probably Paid to Members. "
II has not been assumed that ~
ambassador actually attempted TO bsibo
or personally influence any membss e
congress or doubt that such was ~
purpose is supported to some extent ~
the comparatively small amount e
money he asked Fifty thousand dolloso
Il was pointed out, would 10 1T Z
short way toward buying the influegol
OF any congressman. Judiciously -
pended, however, Il might do much Z
compensatins paid agents such % q
now known to have belonged 10 di
elaborate machine Bernstorif lhal q
carefully built up for the productioo 4
propaganda and for purposes OF ssnlo1
age. fS J,
Information in the possession al tI
government, but not yet revealed n
said to show conclusiveiy 4 more dire
connection of the German machine 4
America with the Irish question thai
that indicated in Count Won Bernstorff',
message, The records At the depart
'ment Of justice are said 10 contain TIN
names Of men implicated in that phass
OF Germanic inttieues we'll known Ia
erica.
First Personal Revelation.
Todays announcement Is the first
official utterancc Of the governments
with reference 10 the German ambassa-
doris active personal participation IN
the maze Of plots and inirigues con-
Quoted for Germany's benefit IN thm
country since the beginning OF the war.
The evidence OF Count Won be!n-
yorffs personal activities bears tho
date of President Wilson'S address %
congress. January l2. reciting his AZ.
neal TO the warring nations TO enter mn
peaee negotiations. At the same time
President Wilson was addressing cue.
rte,s, apparently Count Won Bernstosss
was appealing to hi, government r.
funds with which TO influence coaos1e
sional action. 49,. lsS,
Not His first AttsaoG Is;
7, was not the first time. ayVagu y