The Arvada enterprise. (Arvada, Colo.) 1908-1970, 1917-09-27
GERMAN PLOT TO
SWAY CONGRESS
AsT0uNDs NATION
Revelations by Secretary Of
State Lansing Bring Storm
Of Denunciation
sERHsToRFF WAS PAYmAsrER
Ambassadors Request for $4,000 RI.
sardsd ~ Indicating That Money
Had Been Used Before fer
Same Purpose.

Observation-Disclosures of congress,
government officials and members of
the diplomatic corps have not yet re-
covered from their amaxement at the
astounding revelations made by Sec
rotary Of State Lansing of the plans
of Count Won Bernstorff, former Ger
man ambassador to the United States,
to expend 10000 in an effort to lnflu-
ence congress and prevent this cOun-
try from going to war with Germany.
The revelation of this plot, follow.
Ing the disclosures of other cases of
German duplIclty in It's diplomatic re-
lations 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:
1.-The secretary Of state issues the
following statement from Ambassador
Bernstorff to the Berlin foreign Office,
dated January %. 1917:
Il request authority to pay out up
to $4,000 (fifty thousand dollars). In
order, as on former occasions, to infiu-
ence congress through the organiza-
tlOn you know of which can perhaps
prevent war.
NJ am beginning in the meantime
to act accordingly.
In the above circumstances, pub
lie oficial German declaration In fa-
vor Of Ireland is highly desirable In
order to gain the support Of Irish In
Guence here"
Capital Stunned BY Revelations.
The publication Of this letter ap-
parently revealing the fact that Bern.
stOrff had previously Influenced
congress through the organization you
know Of" actually stunned the cap
itOl.
On the floor Of the house, congress-
men were denounced rs suspicious"
1t was openly stated by some that they
believed their colleagues had received
German money.
According to Representative Tom
Helm, Alabama. he believes he could
name 10 or II men In the two houses
Of congress who have acted sispi.
ciOusly.
Tess Of Ohio and Howard OF GeOr-
Rta both declared the German prOpa.
ganda worked directly, with money
changing hands and reaching govern.
ment Oilicials.
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 I.ansing's expose.
These revelations. II was indicated.
will corrObOrate the indictment Of
the German embassy AZ the dIsburs.
ing bureau for propaganda. Certain
Irish.American agitatOrs In the coun.
try who have allied themselves with
hostile German Americans may expect
to I've the next objects Of the govern.
nent's attack.
Convleto Count 09eNot0eU.
The shower Of indictments Of Ger.
man clandestine pre-war activities In
this country II relied upon BY the
state department to vet ut rest all
doubt remaining In any quarters that
the German government officially
through Count vOn BernstOrff con.
spIretl nagrantly. a. asserted In Presl.
dent Wilson'S war proclamation, to d..
vide the American people on the ~.
sues Of the war. II is believed by the
state department that public opinion.
after digesting the contents Of the
series of exposes. may be depended
ulWn to deal effectively with those
who became the catxIaws Of the Ger.
man embassy.
The messNEe was decided by Scot.
land Yards experts after vain 1t.
tempts b. Americans.
Expulsion might have been Won
Rernstortf's fate ~ remotely M 1918 II
the state department had then known
Ms much about the secrets Of the Ger.
man code as Il knows today.
othsr ohsts - Fellow.
One by one the exhibits In the evi.
d"nce In the case. II WAS said at the
state department. will be given 10 the
public.
That Americans In high public posi-.
tions lent themselves IL the German
"n,bsssys plan 10 split congress on
the question VI war. further decided
messages IL the possession Of the gov.
eminent are expected 10 demonstrate
concluslvely.
More than ooe Of these weli.known
persons has been under public suS.
picion. but prof Of their completely
with the German government has not
come forth. Il Ii known that evi.
dsnce II the nsOst damaging and con.
vincing character has finally been
+ obtained BY the agents Of the govern.
meat.
Vice President Marshall mnde q
eicar.cut stn.4:asAt Of his Views -