The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-09-24
SHOOT TRAITORS"
ADVISES SENATORS
AFTER BIG EXPOSE
King, of Utah, Does Not Be-
lieve Any Member of Con-
gress Shared in Slush Fund

Washington. Sept. 23.-''Shoot the
traitors In this country is the advice
of Senator King, of Utah.
The western senator whose revels-
tions OF the Vaccinations of the Aus
tro- Hungarian embassy so stirred con-
gress yesterday. said today;
The only thing to do is to 20 ahead
and expose this crowd Of pacihsts. cow
ards. spineless degenerates and treach-
erous individuals that have throngec
the country,
They should be execrated and
thrown into public contempt.
And If it liz found that they have
been absolute traitors they should be
put against the wall and firing squad
brought into action without delay
While greatly depiortng the ten
dency of some men In congress to de-
tiay legislation that would aid the war,
Senator King does not believe that
any members Of the body have been
actually Influenced by German money
He said he could not credit this.
There Is still much talk of an inVes-
tigation of the charges implied ia
Count Won Bsrnstorff's request for $40
oaa that members of congress receiv-
ed part OF q slush fund. SO that they
would throw their weight against q
declaration OF war
However, although the lobby com
mittee of the senate will have meet
Ing tomorrow, there seems little
chance at present of any movement
in the upper house to investigate the
charges.
Senator 0verman, OF North Car
DINA. chairman of the committee. Ia
waiting for some definite charges to
be brought The fact that the state
department is not serious that con
gress should now take the matter
into it's own hands will undoubtedly
have influence with Democratic SEN
ators. 1t is said that secret service
operatives are already at work try
Ing TO trace connections between Ger.
tain senators and congressman and
the corruption fund.
Until some trails have been uncov-
credit they do exist--4t is not prob.
a bic that the senate committee will
act.
Senator Overman will visit the
state department, tomorrow and have
Smoot. the acting Republican leader
Senator Curtis. the Republican whip
and two or three influential Demo
cram, held an informaf conference
just after the disclosures were made
Senator Curtis said today the matter
had been left to the lobby com NIT
tee.
As he has been very active In light
ing the German propaganda In this
country the fact that Senator King
does not think that members Of con
OrA M ~, T..
important, The Utah man IL IN close
touch with the state and justice de-
partments. II was he who revealed
the fact YESTERDAY that the Austro-
Hungarian embassy had been trying
to subsidixe foreign language news
papers in the United States even while
this country was still preserving strict
neutrality. ~.
When asked today whether he
Of the implied charges necessary,
Senator King said:
I do not think II would add very
much to the successful prosecution
of the war OK the elaboration OF the
policies upon which we have already
resolved. The people generally un-
derstand that In building their net
work of intrigue and conspiracy, Aus
tria and Germany were trying to in
uuCACc Auu uSOdUCn anyone and
everyone they could
Il would be glad to- see a multitude
of papers published exposing the per-
idy, and treachery of these nations.
even when we were extending friend
ly hospitality to their representatives
within our borders.
So far as the charge is made that
members OF congress have actually
been influenced. l would be very sor-
ry to believe that l do not think I
can believe IT,"
Senator King paid tribute to the
loyal press for It's work in fighting
the systematic propaganda
In the exposes. said he. the press
Is one OF the chief mediums The
newspapers all through the war, with
few exceptions, have shown fne 10y
atty, and splendid. forward vision.
They have seen. all along, the COM
ing peril. They have in most in
stances In their editorials shown a
broader vision than most senators
and representatives Rome Of the
editorials have been as worthy as
state papers