The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1917-05-29
BOLD SCHEME
ATTEMPTEO
GERMAN AGENTS TRIED I'D
To INVOLVE THIS COUNTRY
WITH ALLIED NATIONS.
THE DETAILS DISCLOSED
Organized Ship Company Herc In
Order To Involve United States
With Allies Over Question
Seizure OF CargOes.

4 ~ - sS-Ns &Sassy AsOs---1A s1>sNnA-
or startling German plot was rc-
yealed before tine Interstate conn
] merce committee Of the house to-
day. Secretary Lansing dIscIos-
ell that s.Germans or German Off
cers'' attempted shortly before this
nations declaration Of war to In
volve the United States in tliffer-
ences with Great Britain and
France through the organization
Of a big steamship company that
was deliberately to violate the
foreign trading with the enemy
acts.
The plot is now being inyestigat-
ed by the department OF justice ON
the authority Of reliable govern
ment information, Lansing told
tho committee.
Secretary Lansing. Secretary
Of Commerce Retifield and Assis-
tant Attorney General Warren.
author OF most OF the war legisla-
ton, were to-day before the inter-
state commerce ccmittee In behalf
OF the Adamson trading with the
enemy act introduced last week.
| Lansing was questioned by the
ct mmittce members regarding the
need for such an act:
There was an attempt" Lam
sing said, 'sby Germans or German
officers-I do not know which
to force a breach between this
country and Great Britain or
France. A steamship company WAS
organized with an American board
OF directors to make trouble he
fore Americas declaration OF war
with Germany between the United
States and England or France
Lansing declared that before this
country entered into the war Ger
many sent an agent here or tiesig-
mated one of her spies ON American
! soil to organize the steamship cOn,-
pany. This agent, he said, loaned
Americans money with which TO buy
grain and place ii aboard ships In
order to raise some issue between
this country and one OF the allies
lover the question OF seizure Of Anur-
lean cargoes.
There are many cases." Lansihg
continued. s'doubtless inspired by
Germany. while we were neutral, OF
organizations affecting this country
:. for the sole purpose OF creating fric-
Ition with England or France"
today before the interstate commerce
!, committee intimated that German
propaganda had caused much of the
correspondence between the United
. States and the allied countries re-
= gariing the seizure OF American c:sr-
goes ostensibly consigned to ne,a-
: trails that really were eventually ts
be reshipped into Germany. Beth
p Lansing and Redfield declared that
% the Adamson trading With tho encm,
L act was designed to prevent an,
e commerce between American citizen.
" either here or in Germany or German
,citizens in the United States or Gel.
10 man firms, or between such citizen
le and firms in countries nltieti witt
l. Germany.
:" Lansing, Retifiell and Warren sal,
- that the Adamson bssl, an adnlinis
tration measure, WAS mnlelesl some
70 what after the trading with the en-
u emy acts OF other countries Crea
n Britain's acts prevent trading wit
r any subject of Germany or Austri,
no The American act is designesi Ia n,
no vent trading with any firm whsss
a. products might get into Gerhsany
by Municipal League Meeting.
a DALLAS Teyax Nav % I'll