Evening star., 1917-03-01
STORY OF A PLOT
STIRS THE SENATE
Continued from First Pase.)

Continued from First Page.)
Massachusetts will be acted upon and I
am sure the President will respond to
it There may be reasons for not Civ
ing the information, If Incompatible
with the public interest.
1.-The fact Is the Associated Press has
given this entire story to the public
with what seems to he q most i'm
portant document 1t is probably au-
thentic.'
Thinks Inquiry Welcome.
Senator Lodge said he cared little
regarding the form Of his resolution.
Nothing is further from my mind
dent" said he. I'VE ought to have this
informa tion-the people ought to nave
ito know whether the document Is
true or not. & II we .sa are to, to act together
Il have every reason to believe that
the inquiry is not distasteful to the
President. We must not act on news
paper reports. and we ought to have
Is asking great power. For one. / think
we ought to give 1t to him. And we
ought to have this information In that
connection.
Senator Pomerene, democrat. Of Ohio.
said that in addition to the Associated
Press dispatches tho Senate had the
statement of Senator Swanson that the
Zimmerman dispatch was authentic
Substantially correct. tnterjected
Senator Swanson.
'If there Is any variance We ought to
know that fact" returned Senator
Pomerene. "The resolution amply pro-
withhold the information II incom.
patible with public interests. We all
realize the gravity OF the situation. l
want the most explicit information be-
fore acting In a matter which may be
SO grave in its consequences"
Urges Immediate Adoption.
Senator Smith, democrat, of Georgia
said he hoped the resolution would be
adopted at once.
After carefully reading the resolu-
tion, Senator Stone, chairman Of the
foreign relations committee. said:
"It seems to mo that the resolution
ought to go to the committee on foreign
that the secretary Of foreign relations
of the German government has sent the
German ambassador in Washington
certain letter which appears in the
morning papers. We are not informed
upon which to determine our judgment
as to the re.'olution's accuracy.
There may be information in the
hands of tbs State Department Of
confidential nature that it might not
be thought compatible with public in
terest to reveal. Then, again. this al
legged dispatch may not be authentic
1t may not be true.
Senator Stone Cautious.
There may be something behind all
this we do not know about" continued
Senator Stone. 1T seems to me in the
exigencies of this moment it is the
part OF prudence and sound judgment
to proceed deliberately. 1 think the
wiser course would be to send the res
olution to the committee and have that
committee make the necessary investi-
cation and then report what action, in
their opinion. should be taken. But if
that view is not coincided in by the
Senate then we ought at least to have
the resolution broadened SO as to call
on the President for all information re-
specting the sources of this statement
said to have been given out ofiicially or
mi-otficially- l would like to know
all about it; how 1t was obtained and
from whom, and 1 want to know the
facts tending to establish its authen-
ticity. We might fall into situation
we do not care to touch. I do not see
how we can act until we know the
facts. We ought to be fully ad-
vised. not only as to the Associated
Press. but as to the State Depart
ment' 4rH
Senator Smith republican. aof Mich
igan suggested. the President could re-
fuse to give the information il he de-
sired,
But the senat tor AIDED Senator Smith,
"as the counselor to the executive in
these matters ought at least to ask for
the information. / have sustained the
President throughout this crisis and 1
am going to sustain him now. but
think We are entitled to information
properly within his possession, without
any hesitation or delay"
Poindexter Not Alarmed.
Senator Poindexter. republican. OF
Washington. asked Senator Pomerene
why the publication of the Zimmerman
instructions created a situation of great
gravity.
Il fail to see very much news in the
item," he said. I'VE have been reading
for months of alleged activities of this
kind concerning which this Zimmerman
note appears to me to be a mere incident.
Every senator in this body has read OF
the melting of insurrection in Cuba and
ports like this have been in circulation
for weeks and months. Even If this is
true what change is there in the situa-
tion?"
rumors" replied Senator Pomerene,
but this morning. for the first time,
we have a concrete statement purport-
ing to be.-a note issued by high Off
cial Of the German government. I pray
to God it is not true. bat at the same
time when confronted with what
seems to be documentary evidence and
with the statement by the senator from
Virginia in effect that the President
said the matter published was sub
stantially correct think I am with
in the bounds of reason when say
that there is a grave situation I am
not willing to act until we can have
the fullest information the President
can give compatible with the public
interest"
We'll that does not change our sit
uation," Senator Poindexter continued
1T does not alter the fact that it is
impossible for US to send an army to
Mexico or Germany, or navies either"
Senator Hardwick Objects.
Senator Hardwick said he did not
object to referring the Lodge resolution
to the committee. but objected only to
immediate consideration.
Senator Townsend. republican. de-
nlored the objection of the Georgia