Evening star., 1917-10-12
M'LEM0RE RESENTS
'|NNUEND0' ATTACK
Says State Department Seeks
to Reflect on Congressman
in "Germany's Plots"
DEFENDS HIS OWN COURSE

Representative McLemore of Texas
today gave out the following state
ment:
I'm the issue of The Star of Wednes-
day, the 10th, in leading news ar
ticie dealing with 'Germany's plots
etc. some sensational kilograms were
published that were given out by the
State Department, and which, as stated.
passed between the German govern
ment and its embassy in this country
Several names are mentioned in tho
kilograms. and after commenting on tho
persons thus named and connecting
them with an embargo conference and
a German propaganda that was at
tempting to influence Congress with
mass of kilograms and letters, there
occurs this statement:
-' State Department officials regard
the evidence that has come to them as
a simple explanation of the rapidity and
strength with which the embargo
movement swept the country. finally
finding expression in Congress in the
McLemore resolution to forbid Ameri-
cans to travel on ships carrying arms
and ammunition
Says Charges Implicate Him.
Thus by inuendo of State De,
partment officials ! am implicated
with the embargo conference and
the German propaganda 1t is not the
| first time the State Department has
sought. by inuendo, either directly or in
directly, to reject members OF Con-
gress. as witness the Won Bernstorn tele-
| gram given TO the press shortly before
| the adjournment of the late Npectal ses-
sion of Congress. That telegram, with
,J,a !. l.i,h aiad Inn
| picated members Of Congress and II was
| SO accepted generally, judging from the
| many denunciatory editorials 1t inspired
| in the press of the country, a portion OF
something that will give Ii an opportunity
| 10 denounce Congress, collectively or in
| diyidualiy. Twenty-four hours after that
| Won Bernstorff telegram had been pub
/ lished throughout the land and had been
| given plenty of time to soak fn,' the
| Secretary OF State issued another state
| ment in which he denied that any reflec-
| ton on Congress or congressman was in
| tended. 1t then too late. however.
| for the harm had been done.
/ so broad was the intimation con-
tanned in the telegram and the state
ment which accompanied ii, that a
resolution was introduced in the House
| asking for an investigation. This reso-
| luton was referred to the committee
on rules, but the committee failed to
report it, the chairman OF the commit
! tee stating to the House that to enter
| INTO an investigation at TINS tffn0 wOulQ
| interfere with the work of the secret
service force of the Department of Jus
4 tice. which was engaged in an fnvesti-
cation similar to that sought by the
resolution. There you have it-one de-
partment of the government makes
| statements that justify Congress in
making an investigation, while an
other department of the same govern
ment declares that such an fnvestiga-
! ton will greatly hamper 1t in it's secret
service work. And the request of the
! latter prevails with the rules commit
tee, and thus the stigma placed upon
| Congress by fnnuendo is permitted to
remain.
| .1f the Secretary of State really has I'M
formation that will involve congressman
| in German intrigues or show that they
have been the beneficiaries Of Germany
money, he should place such Information
| squarely before the country and cease to
| irplicate congressman or others. by
| innuendo.
Suggests Investigation.
| las far as 1 am individually concerned,
! 1 think there should be an investigation
tby Congress all along the line The In
vestigation should not stop at German
| intrigGes and German plots, but It should
| be of wide scope and should include the
propaganda that is said to be fathered
| by Lord Northcliffe. and which, IL 1t ex-
lists, is more dangerous to American in
stitutions than any German propaganda
that ever existed; to the propaganda that
|
grams urging war with Germany, and
then. after war had been declared bend
| ing its efforts and energies to have con-
scrfption, and now engaged in influencing
| Congress to fasten compulsory military
training upon the country. Let it also
/ find out why defective ammunition was
sent to the American expeditionary force
| in France, and last, but not least, let it
| investigate without whitewash the leak
and show up the men who profited by that
leak
Congress will meet again in Decem-
! ber and one of its first duties should
! be to order such an investigation as
| that outlined above and determine for
| all time to come whether or not the
weapon of innuendo is to be used
against congressman at will by those
high in Office and accepted without SO
much a protest.
In conclusion. let me state that the
McLemore resolution did not forbid
Americans to travel on ships carrying.
arms and ammunition. stated in the
paragraph quoted near the beginning
of this communication, but instead it
only requested the President to warn
American citizens 10 refrain from
travelling on the armed boats of the
beiligerent nations"