Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1917-10-24

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 Ian
sing will give the names of persons in
the capital against whom proof of ac-
tivity in behalf of q 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
missal papers. carried with it the
names of some persons and organiza-
tons directly connected with the plot
ington, however, for n 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 group OF men thar
among those to whom he was talking
were several who he knew were acting
as instant carriers of information con-
corning 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. II
was somewhat later than this that the
secretary gave an intimation of the
possession of material which, if made
public. would convince the American
peopIe beyond any kind of q doubt that
German agents were seeking to divide
this country against itself to the adj
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 dfS-
closures concerning German intrigue.
He has timed each disclosure so that II
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 It's 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
Deace proposals. In the days that have
e,ansed since the disclosure was made
there have come additional reasons to
make it seem certain that the Won
Bernstorff material was given pub
licity then because the moment was
thought to be the right one in which to
strike.
The Won Bernstorff influences were
felt in all ranks of Washington society.
After his juniors had been sent away
because of their discovered plottings
against the good of this country, the
ambassador remained here and 50 FAR
as officialdom was concerned was In
good standing because he had not been
caught as his juniors had been in the
active work of trouble making. During
All this time there were men and wom-
on in Washington who kept up their
intimacy with the German ambassa-
dor and who were openly and pro-
nouncedly pro-Cerman In their senti-
ments.