The Washington herald., 1917-09-23
TO ROUT OUT SPIES, s,
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

hS1A AoE oNE.
In any way reflects upon Congress-, OF
any member of that body. Apparent.
ly 1t was the purpose of Won Bern.
storff to employ agencies to influence
Congress. members of which they
would have no knowledge, and IN case
they were Influenced, would be en-.
tirely innocent
Il do not know what the organiza
tlon was. This expose is apropos OF
Germany's methods OF peace prom.
aganda. and there IL no intention of
casting suspicion on members of Con.
gress.'
State Department Neutral.
At first this was taken to mean
that the State Department absolute.
ly was against an Investigation: but
later Interpretation was that Secre.
tary Lansing personally would take
no position for or against the in.
qulry.
Still puzzled as to the attitude OF
the State Department. members OF
The House were nevertheless positive
on one score. They were determined
the State Department should produce
any further information 1t may have.
The question Of a fund to influence
members cannot, they declared, be left
as it is now.
ut seems to me that the State De-
partment has either said too much OF
too little. And as the situation Is
now, 1t is too little"
This declaration by Representative
Henry w. Temple, of Pennsylvania,
member of the Foreign Affairs Com
mittee, was echoed by many others.
Declare for Publicity.
Everything that is known about
Count Won Bernstorffs attempts tc
influence Congress should have the
widest possible publicity" Mr.. Tenn
pie added. kilograms in great num-
bers poured in upon members of Con-
gress from many organizations. II
Won Bernstorff was Paying for them,
or If he tried in any other way to in
fuence Congress. every item of in
formation about his action should be
made public"
George Edmund Foss, of Illinois, an
other member Of the Foreign Affairs
Committee, asserted Congress should
find some way of learning imme-
diately whether there was any de-
finite basis for suspicion that Bern
storff worked on Congress as he said
he would. II that basis were found.
he declared, Congress should get right
after the matter hard.
No meeting of the committee was
held yesterday. but Chairman Flood,
after being in touch with Secretary
Lansing, repeated his announcement
of Friday niGht, that an investiga-
ton by the House is practically GER
tain to come.
II think it altogether likely there
will be an investigation" he said
"And that we will have a resolution
calling for It, to be introduced Mon
day
The State Department has no OBJ
lection to the probe. he intimated
but added that Lansing does not see
any need for Congress to try to cleal
up things.
"Will your committee handle the in
vestigation?" he was asked.
Yes, but We have not determined
on the method to be followed" was
Chairman Floods reply. Other mem.
hers of the committee indicated the
State Department and other govern
ment officials connected with running
down evidences OF German propa-
ganda would be requested to appear
before the committee and testify.
Majority Leader Kitchin. of the
House. put his 20. X" on the probe
plan yesterday afternoon. saying the
resolution Chairman Flood expects to
introduce Monday will go through
without opposition.
1T will clear up the whole affair"
he said. THE investigation plan Is
the right thing"
Representative Heflin, OF Alabama.
who demanded an investigation yes
terday. repeated his charges that there
are men in Congress whose acts on
war problems require thorough in
vestiGation.
There are men in Congress" he
declared. whose speeches have re-
suited in draft riots. Men have
been arrested and Jailed for ex-
pressing sentiments uttered in Con-
Gress by Senators and Representa-
tives. and it is not fair that they
should suffer. and the trainers OF
the statements go free"
These Congressman" he added.
should stand up in Congress and
demand that their acts be inquired
into"
They know who I mean." he as
serted.
Heflin and other Southern Repre-
sentatives yesterday recalled that
they had received letters from con-
stitutents telling of German efforts
to cause a general negro uprising.
The negroes were to overthrow the
government with foreign aid and
then to receive the State of Texas
as a separate country of their own.
Heflin sent one such letter to the
Department Of Justice.