The Monticellonian., 1917-10-19

It was and probably always will be impossible to prove that any member of congress received money to pay hita for what has been called an unpatriot- ic attitude, but It is easy enough 10 see as one goes over the record or the past what 1t was that led one con gressman to give voice to his suspi- ciens in the house
 Their Former Attitude Blamed Since the United States declared war on Germany the overwhelming majority of senate and house have been staunch in their expressions of anti-Germanism, but the activities of many of the members prior to the en- try of the United States into the con fiiet made it appear that at that time l they were sympathetic with Germany in it's fight against the nations now the allies of the United States, and therefore it has been hard for some men to believe that those who stood for the German methods in this war can be whole-hearted in their conver- sion.
 Senators and representatives are human and good many of them of course cannot by any kindness be called l statesmen. The desire of nearly all of them certainly Is to be entirely patriotic, but when patriotism in its 1 pure essence seems to involve the pos Sibility of defeat at the polls at the 1 next election there are senators and l rnnrpCnnfafiVnc yt,ho x+in fn hn, tation to hedge in their expressed opin ions so that they can be certain to se- cure the votes In their districts of men of whatever opinion on the war There are senators and representa- lives who have been straight for Amerieanism in the face of seeming danger of defeat when they stand for reelection, and as things have devel- oped in Washington. it now appears that the man who thought of his coun- 1 try first and rocked little or nothing of the voting that was to come is more certain to be reelected than are the men who. as the language of the street hath it. tried to play both ends against the middle"
 May Tell fheir Names. There is belief in Washington which amounts almost to conviction that in forthcoming additional dis closures concerning German in- trigue in this country Secretary Lan- sing will give the names of persons in the capital against whom proof of ac- tivity in behalf of a foreign power has been secured.
 The recent publication of the details of plots matched in the United States before this country declared war against Germany. and before Count von Bernstorff had received his dis
 missal papers, carried with it the names of some persons and erganiza- 1 tions directly connected with the plot making. It has been believed in Wash 1 ington. however, for T long time that Mir. Lansing has Tn his possession the names of persons in this city who are more than suspected of being carriers of tales and information 10 Count von Bernstorff at his residence on the Ter race overlooking Massachusetts ave nue.
 One day the secretary of state went so far as to say te a group of men that among those to whom he was talking were several who he knew were acting as instant carriers of information con corning his daily conversations to the i German embassy.
 Washington correspondents knew
 Secretary Lansing well enough te un- derstand that cautious as he is under i all circumstances, he would not have said what he did unless he had good
 proof of the truth of his words. It was somewhat later than this that the secretary gave an intimation of the possession of material which. if made public. would convince the American people beyond any kind of doubt that German agents were seeking to divide
 this country against itself to the ad-
 vantage of the kaiser's cause.
 Disclosures We'll Timed.
 It is nothing new for Washington to realize that suspicion is directed against certain persons in this capital. There is realization today that per l haps the secretary of state has done a wise thing in spreading out his dis 1 closures concerning German intrigue. He has timed each disclosure so that it would come eoincldently with some attempt on the part of Germany to be- 1 cloud the issues or to secure peace virtually on it's own terms. The Von Bernstorff message with it's request for S5O.O00 fund to influence congress and the Von Igle disclosures came al- | most simultaneously with the answers l of Germany and Austria to the pope's peace proposals. In the days that have elapsed since the disclosure was made 1 there have come additional reasons to make it seem certain that the Von Bernstorff material was given pub 1 licity then because the moment was thought to be the right one in which to strike.
 The Won Bernstorff influences were felt in all ranks of Washington society. | After his juniors had been sent away because of their discovered plottings against the good of this country, the ambassador remained here and so far as officialdom was concerned was in good standing because he had not been caught as his juniors had been In the active work of trouble making. During all this time there were men and wom- en in Washington who kept up their intimacy with the German ambassa- dor and who were openly and pro nouncedly pro-German in their senti- ments.