The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-03-10
PLOT EVIDENCE
BEFORE SENATE
President Wilson Assures Up
per House Report of Ger
man Intrigue is True.
CAN'T TELL MORE At PRESENT
Chief Executive Says Further Infer
nation Now Would Be Incompat-
ibIe With Public Interest

Washington, Mar president Vii
son tonight, in response TO the Sen
ate's call, laid before that branch OF
Congress official information that the
United States is in possession of evil
dence which establishes the authen-
ITCHY Of the sensational document dis
closing how Germany intrigued to ally
Mexico and Japan with her to war on
this country.
In response to Senate resolution
the President transmitted a report
from Secretary Lansing stating that
the evidence had come to the posses
sion of the United States within the
last week and that the authenticity Of
Zimmermann's instructions to the
German minister, Won Eckhardt, in the
City Of Mexico, is established as re-
vealed by the Associated Press.
The Presidents Statement.
The Presidents reply to the resolu-
ton and Secretary Lansings report
are as follows:
ITO the Senate: In response to the
resolution adopted by the Senate
March 1, 1917, requesting the Presi-
dent to furnish the Senate, if not in
compatible with the public interest,
whatever information he has concern
ing the note published in the press on
this date purporting to have been sent
January 10, 1917, by the German sec
rotary of foreign affairs to the German
minister to Mexico, 1 transmit here
with a report by the Secretary of
State, which has my approval.
WOODROW WILSON,
TO the President: The resolu-
ton adopted by the United States
Senate March 1, 1917, requesting that
that body be furnished, if not incOm-
patible with the public interest, what
ever information you have concerning
the note published in the press of this
date purporting to have been sent
January 19, 1917, by the German sec
rotary for foreign affairs to the Ger
man minister to Mexico, 1 have the
honor to state that the government is
in possession of evidence which es-
tablishes the fact that the note re-
ferred to is authentic, and that it is
in possession of the government of
the United States, and that the evil
dence was procured by this govern
ment during the present week; but
that it is, in my opinion, incompatible
with the public interest TO send to the
Senate at the present time any fur
Their information in possession of the
government of the United States rela-
tive to the note mentioned in the reso-
luton Of the Senate. Respectfully
submitted.
ROBERT LANSING
The Senate without comment or
dered the report and letter printed
and referred to the foreign relations
committee.
After Day of Debate.
Adoption of the resolution asking
for the information came at the close
Of a day of solemn debate which
reached a climax with Republican SEN
ators joining Democrats in condemn
| ing the attitude OF Senator Stone,
! chairman of the foreign relations COM
mittee, who declared the story Of the
| plot was given out by the government
| to affect public opinion and insisted
upon asking the President whether
| the information was received from the
representative of any belligerent ma
ton.
House Limits President.
! A bill to empower the President to
arm merchant ships, but not extend
ing the authority he requested to use
"other instrumentalities" in defend
| ing American rights against the sub
I marine menace, was passed by the
House tonight by a vote of 403 to IS.
Speaker Clark announced the vote
amid applause and cheering. OppO-
sition to the bill had faded during the
day before patriotic appeals from
leaders on both sides of the House.
Thirteen Against It
At roll call only nine Republicans,
three Democrats and the Socialist
voted in the negative. They were:
publicans-Benedict of Califor-
mia; Cary of Wisconsin; Cooper of
Wisconsin,; Davis of Minnesota; Hell
gesen of North Dakota; Lindbergh of
Minnesota; Nelson OF Wisconsin;
Stafford Of Wisconsin and Wilson of
| Illinois.
Democrats-Decker of Missouri /;
Shackleford of Missouri and Sher-
wood of Ohio.
Standardization of New York.
-, = (L--