Norwich bulletin., 1917-09-22
German Intrigue in Neutral Lands
FURTHER REVELATIONS OF VoN
 BERNsToRFF's DUPLIcIrY
EXPOSED BY LANSING
He Sent Message to Berlin Request ing Authority to Use $5o,ooo to In- fluenoe Congress.

Washington, Sept. 21-The Aneri-
 can governments publicity spotlight | revealing German intrigue in neutral | lands turned today upon the expendi-
 tgre or money by the Berlin foreign | off1ce in an effort to influence con | gress on the eve of the ruthless sub
 marine campaign which drove the United States to war.
 s5o,ooo to Influence Congress Secretary Lansing made public without comment the text of a mes-
 sage sent by Count Won Bernstofr to ity to use $50.000 to influence con gress through an organization which
 the foreign office was reminded had performed similar service before. To supplement this move Won Bernstorff
 suggested an official declaration in favor of Ireland for it's effect here. The organization to be employed was not named in the message and tity. It was freely suggested among other officials, however, that it was
 one of the various societies which
 flooded members of the house and President Wilson was asking that a state Of war be recognized.
 Worldwide German Intrigue.
 This disclosure adds another chap ter to the amazing story begun with the. publication of the famous Zim- mercann note in which Germany pro posed an alliance with Mexico and Japan against the United States and which has included the German-Swed- ish breaches of neutrality in Argen- tina and Mexico. It connects the German government and Count Won Bernstorff directly and conclusively with machinations which the Ameri- can public had assumed was a part of the worldwide Teutonic intrigue, but which many people firmly believed f0 country by German agents without &C., tual authority from Berlin.
 Members of Congress Indiunant
 Little surprise was occasioned eith- CT in official circles or at the capitol, although members of congress were highly indignant. There, was some talk at the capitol of demanding an investigation and Senator OverTraan. chairman of the senate lobby commit tee, and Representative Flood, chair man of the house foreign affairs com mittee, arranged to go to the state department tomorrow and ask for fur ther information.
 Reflection on Members of Congress
 On the floor of the house, Represen- tative Heflin of Alabama asserted that he could name thirteen or four teen members of the law branches of and expressed the opinion that they should be investigated. Generally, however, the disposition was to re- gard as absurd any suggestion that any part of the $50,O00 sought by Von Bernstorf was intended for members of congress.
 Bernstorff's Message.
 The Won Bernstorff message, dated January 22, follows:
 T request the authority to pay up to $50, 900 in order, as on former oc- casions, to influence congress through ar1iz 1r-A ,fn1, might lead to the prevention of war. am beginning in the meantime to act accordingly. I am trying to make public an official declaration in favor of Ireland which Is highly desirable in order to gain the support of the Irish influence here."
 This message was sent nine days before the German government. pro- claimed it's unrestricted submarine warfare. When he wrote it Count Von Bernstorff was assuring the American government and press that under no circumstances would Ger many violate her pledges of the Sus- sex case or do anything that might draw the United States into the list of her enemies. With the Lusitania and other cases in abeyance, the Ameri- can government had made no move since the Sussex pledge and there was nothing on the surface to foreshadow trouble.
 Two weeks later. when Won Bern storff was handed his passports, he orofessed ignorance of prior know1- ,dge of his governments intentions to hrow its promises to the winds.