Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1917-09-28
LANSING D|SCLOSES
BERNSTORFF'S PLOT
PUBLICITY SPOTLIGHT TURNED
ON REVEALING GERMAN
INTRIGUE.
INVESTIGATION BEING URGED
kaiser's Ambassador Asks HIs Gov.
eminent for $4,000 to Expend In
Influencing Americas Congress
Against War.

~s W. vSo'oVo 10 GNpcno IN
Influencing Americas Congress
Against War.
Washington.-The American gov.
ernments publicity spotlight reveal.
ing German intrigue m neutral lands
turned upon the expenditure OF money
by the Berlin foreign office In an eff.
Tort to influence congress on the eve
of the ruthless submarine campaign
which drove the United States to war.
Secretary Lansing made public
without comment the text OF a mes.
sage sent by Count Won Bernstorif to
Berlin last January. asking authority
TO use $4,000 to influence congress
through an organization, which the
foreign office was reminded had per.
formed similar services before. To
supplement this move Won Bernstorff
suggested an official declaration In
FAVOR OF Ireland for its effect here.
"Pacifists" His Tools.
The organization to be employed
was not named 1t was freely sug.
sested among other officials, however.
hat II was one OF the societies which
Hooded members OF congress with
peace messages when President vii.
son was asking that state OF war be
recognized
This disclosure adds another chap.
er to the amazing story begun with
OF the famous thinner.
nan note. II connects the German
government and Count Won Bernstorfr
lirectly and conclusively with machi.
lations which the American public had
ssumed were part OF the world wide
'eutonic intrigue. but which many
'eople firmly believed were carried on
r financed by German-Americans
Without actual authority from Berlin
Little surprise was occasioned either
n official circles or at the capitol. al.
hough members OF congress were
ighly indignant. There was some
ak at the capitol of demanding an
lvestigation and Senator Overman,
hartman of the senate lobby commit.
re, and Representative Flood. chair.
ian of the house foreign affairs com.
littee. arranged to go TO the state de.
artment and ask for more informa.
on.
Acted suspciously.
On the floor OF the house. Represen.
tive Hehin Of Alebama asserted that
e could name Is or IA members OF
he two branches OF congress who had
tied susplclously and expressed the
,inion that they should be investigat.
!. Generally. however, the disposi
on was to regard as absurd any sug.
sstlon that any part of the $4,000
'ught by Won Bernstorf was intended
IT members of congress.
The Won Bers IF message, dated
lnuary %, follows:
request authority to pay out up to
% 900 fifty thousand dollars). in or.
II as on former occasions to influence
ngress through the organization you
low OF, which can perhaps prevent
ar.
I am beginning in the meantime to
/ accordingly.
In the above circumstances pub. H
) official German declaration in fav. |
OF Ireland is highly desirable. in
der to gain the support of Irish In.
Ience here. II
Renewed kaiser's Pledges.
This message was sent nine days be.
re- the German government pro.
limed Its unrestricted submarine
lrfare. When he wrote it Count Won h
was assuring the American
vernment and press that under no
would Germany violate
r pledges Of the Sussex case or do
ything that might draw the United b
ates into the list OF her enemies, Il
e American government had made "
move since the Sussex pledge and d.
ere was nothing on the surface to b,
'eshadow impending trouble. II
Evidence has been accumulated TO Sc
I'VE that the ambassador not only W
s cognizant OF. but actually direct r,
the activities Of Boyd and Won v,
pen. the military and naval at. ri
hes. respectively. who were sent q
me long before the United States S,
IKE relations with Germany. W
More Revelations Coming. al
low complete is the evidence OF as
rman duplicity In possession of the pl
Ternment Is only conjectural, but h,
Il II is far more than has been gen. p,
lily supposed now Is certain. II was b,
mated by officials that the series h,
revelations is now nearly complete. al
I'm the outside there are reaching
state department echoes of the ap.
hension sounded by friends OF men
ards whom suspicion has long
nted. vi
here may be some discussion Of the te
ident in the senate. New provis. al
s proposed by conferences on the &C
ding with the enemy bill, authoriz. VI
the president to impose censor. al
. over foreign cable. radio, mail
all other communication and for 81
nsing of foreign language news. 81
'ers, are the subjects on which. dis. In
sion might hinge. ly