Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1917-10-04
GERMAN PLOT TO
SWAY CONGRESS
AsT0UNOs NATION
Revelations BY Secretary Of
State Lansing Bring Storm
Of 0enunciation.
sERssToRFF WAS PAYmAs1ER
Ameessade~s Request for $4,000 10.
sardsd ~ indicating That Mensy
Mad Been Ussd 0sfers for
Same pvrpess.

~
Mad De-" Ussd osfsrs for
Same evrpess.
washington Members Of congress,
government officials and members Of
we diplomatic corps have not yet re-
covered from their Amusement at the
astounding revelations made By Sec.
retary OF State Lansing Of the plans
OF Count o Bernstorf, former Ger.
man ambassador to the United States,
to expend $4,000 IN an effort to infu-
ence congress and prevent this coun-
try from going to war with Germany.
Tn revelation Of this plot, follow
Ing the disclosures Of other cases of
German duplieity In its diplomatic re-
iations with the United States and
other countries, had the effect OF
sweeping away such antiwar propa.
ganda as may still have been alive In
the national capital and giving more
convincing evidence Of the hostile acts
which forced the United States into
the war.
How Plot Was Revealed.
Here Is the statement Of Secretary
Lansing:
THE secretary Of state issues the
following statement from Ambassador
Bernstorf to the Berlin foreign Office,
dated January 30, 1917:
81 request authority to pay out up
to $4,000 (ffty thousand dollars), in
order, as on former occasions, to influ.
ence congress through the ~organiza.
ton you know of which can perhaps
prevent war.
81 am beginning in the meantime
to act accordingly.
I'm the above circumstances, q pub
Vc official German declaration In fa-
eor of Ireland is highly desirable in
order to gain the support Of Irish in
fuence here"
Capital Stunned by Revelations.
The publication Of this letter ap-
parently revealing the fact that Bern.
storf had previously Influenced
congress through the organization you
know Of" actually stunned the cap
Itol.
IN the floor of the house, congress
men were denounced as suspicious"
1t was openly stated by some that they
believed their colleagues had received
Herman money.
According to Representative Tom
Helm, Alabama, he believes he could
name IL or IA men In the two houses
OF congress who have acted suspi-
aously.
Tess Of Ohio and Howard of Geor.
gia both declared the German propa-
ganda worked directly, with money
changing hands und reaching govern.
ment officials.
Additional startling revelations Of
the free use Of money by the Ger
man government to sustain the Ger
man propaganda in the United States
will follow Lansing's expose.
These revelations. it was indicated,
will c%orrobornte the indictment Of
the German embassy as the disburs:
Ing bureau for propaganda. Certain
lrish-Amerlcan ~agltators in the cOun-
try who have allied themselves with
hostile German-Americnns may expect
TO he. the next objects Of the govern
ment's attack.
conviets Count e~ernstorff.
The shower of indictments of Ger.
man clnndestine pre-war activities In
this country Is relied upon by the
state department to set ut rest all
doubt remaining In any quarters that
the German government officially
through Count von Bernstorf con-
$s",ired tiagrantly, us asserted In Presl-
dent Wilson'S war proclamation, to dt.
vide the American people on the Is.
sssues Of the war. 1t Is believed by the
state department that public opinion,
after digesting the contents Of the
series Of exposes, may be depended
upon to deal effectively with those
who became the catspnws Of the Ger.
man embassy.
The message was decided by Scot.
land Yards expects after vain 1t.
tempts by Americans.
Expulsion might have been Won
RernstOrffs fate az remotely MS 1915 II
the state department had then known
US much about the secrets Of the Ger.
Man code as It knows today.
Other Shots 10 Follow.
One by one the exhibits In the evi,
dence In the case, 1t vas said ut the
state department, will be given to the
public.
That Americans In high public posi-.
tons lent themselves to the German
embassy's plan to split congress on
the question Of war. further decided
messages III the possession Of the gov
crninsnt are expected to demonstrate
MGhclssively.
More than n Of these welI.knOwu
persons Inns been under public s,,A
4 plcIOn, but proof Of their compljclt.
with the German government has moi
come Forth. 1t II known TINT syi.
dencc " the most damaging and con,
vlnclng character l'ns finally been
,Mtain~i by the agents Of the govern
ilent.
Vice President Marshall made q
clear.rut statement Of his views to.