es upon the transports
en route to France; they have fouled the springs of knowledge through
their hired reporters; with all the cunning developed by long practice,
they have spread their insidious and perilous influences into the
remotest regions of the land. But over against these spies and secret
agents have stood the United States Secret Service men, and with
everything in favour of the German plotter, our defenders have beaten
the German at his own game.

War was declared against Germany on April 6, 1917. One Sunday night two
or three weeks later a large company of German-Americans belonging to
the secret German league met in their accustomed place of assembly.
There were several hundred Germans present, but among them were three
Secret Service men. The German lawyer who opened the meeting was very
bitter. Having made certain that only German sympathizers were present,
he went on to say that the occasion of this war could be traced to Wall
Street. Certain rich bankers and American plutocrats had loaned perhaps
a billion dollars to England. Since the war was going against England,
these rich men were afraid that they would lose their investment. In
their emergency they forced war upon Congress. The speech was clever,
specious, cunning, shrewdly calculated to stir up passion. And the
speech was applauded to the echo. The second speaker made a no less
skillful appeal to the prejudices of the members of the secret
German-American league. Since the war was a money war, originated by
Wall Street, the Government could be defeated as to its plans only by
money. Therefore, every member of the league must make his contribution;
no one present but must give at least ten dollars. And, he added, in
view of the fact that it was Sunday night and that some might be without
money, and since no checks could be accepted, there were several German
bankers present, who would be glad to advance money to the members who
wished to make cash contributions. The Germans had provided in advance
against every possible emergency.

Then came the opportunity for the Secret Service men. The first one
arose and began with an apology for a German brogue that in reality he
was assuming. He spared no words in praising the first two speakers.
"What a wonderful man was the Kaiser! What victories von Hindenburg had
achieved! The Fatherland was standing with back against the wall. How
wicked a nation was France, and Poland! What a black heart England had