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Show WILSON VISITS SEC, LANSING Sudden Call on the Secretary of State Surprises Washington Washing-ton Officials. ENTERS UNANNOUNCED Alleged Plot of Austrian Ambassador Am-bassador Dumba Assumes Grave International Aspect. Washington, Sept. 8. President Wilson went to the state department today and conferred with Secretary Lansing. It was generally understood they discussed the case of Dr. Dumba, ,the Austrian ambassador. The president's action was so unusual un-usual that house and state department depart-ment attaches were slow to realize what had happened. So far as officials offi-cials could recall, the only precedent for a president going to call on a secretary sec-retary of state was recorded when President McKInley went to call on Secretary Day. President Slips Away. The president's call was not arranged ar-ranged in advance. He left bis study and passed out of the executive offices of-fices through a little used entrance, crossed the avenue which separates the White House grounds from the state, war and navy building, and walked up the main stairway unattended, unat-tended, while dozens of surprised tourists tour-ists and employes stopped to look. The president continued on up the inner stairways and into one of the long corridors leading to Secretary Lansing's private office where he passed by the messenger on the door and entered unannounced. Mrs Lansing was calling on her husband and the secretary was at his desk with his coat removed, as is his custom, ready to begin a day's work. Guard Pushes After President. Men of the secret service guard piled out of the White House and Into the state department building through all entrances, and some of them finally caught up with the president as he was about to enter Mr. Lansing's office. It has been customary for the president presi-dent to summon the secretary to the White House when he wished to confer con-fer with him. President Wilson, however, has departed from that custom a great deal by using tho telephone. He has shown it to bo his habit, howover. to visit other officials when ho has something important to talk about and, as was tho case of today, to-day, he does it without being announced. an-nounced. Ambassador Dumba Offends. Late yesterday Ambassador Dumbav conferred at length with Secretary Lansing about tho correspondence taken from an American correspondent correspon-dent by British secret service men which disclosed that the Austrian ambassador am-bassador was concerned in a project to interfere with the operations of American munition plants. The ambassador am-bassador explained that his government govern-ment had instructed him to give widest wid-est publicity to a decree making it a criminal offense for any Austro-Hun-garian to be concerned in the manufacture manu-facture of munitions of war for his nountrv's enemies. Dumba Admits Action. So far as was known, the ambassador ambas-sador did not disclaim his action nor did he dicslaim having reported on tho project to his home government in documents which were found on tho American correspondent The stato department takes the view that there is no precedent to cover his case but it regards the use of an American Ameri-can passport for messenger to one of the belligerent governments as serious. seri-ous. Secretary Lansing heard all Dr. Dumba had to say and let it be known that he would present the ambassador's ambassa-dor's explanation to the president. It is known that officials regarded Dr. Dumba's statement that he had acted on instructions of his government as making tho situation more grave as they previously had assumed that he was acting for himself. Corridor Thronged With Clerks. After spending fifteen minutes with Secretary Lansing the president started back for the White House. The. state department corridor by that time was thronged with clerks eager to get a glimpse of the president presi-dent on such an unusual occasion. No attempt was made to keep them back and as the president moved on he was surrounded by correspondents who nsked him about his talk with the secretary. "Tho stato is not trembling, ' he said. "I just brought over some papers pa-pers of a routine nature, which ordinarily ordi-narily I would have sent over. There is nothing new at all." President Wilson was asked if there was anything new in connection with Ambassador Dumba's case. "Nothing at all," he said. 'The secretary is handling thaL" Then, surrounded by the secret service men. Mr. Wilson walked across the street to his office by the same route as he came. Brought Copies of Dumba Papers. Later it was learned that the papers pa-pers which President Wilson took to Secretary Lansing Included a copy of the letter Dr. Dumba had sent to his foreign office and which was found by tho British secret service men. Photograph copies also had been sent to tho state department by Ambassador Ambas-sador Page in london. After the president returned to tho executive offices. White House officials offi-cials said the visit to the state department de-partment would not be discussed further. fur-ther. Ambassador Dumba, in the meantime, mean-time, had been to call on Secretary WilHon of the department of labor In connection with a plan to aid in se- curing employment for" any Austrian 3ubjects who might leave their places in the munitions plants' as the results of publication of the decree threatening threat-ening nunlshment. Secretary Wilson was not at his office and the ambassador ambas-sador returned to his chancellory, intending in-tending to return to the summer embassy em-bassy at Lenox, Mass., later today. News of tho president's call on Secretary Lansing was received at the embassy with undisguised surprise. sur-prise. Secretary Lansing would not discuss dis-cuss the president's visit, except to say he was taken by surprise when the chief executive entered his office of-fice unannounced. oo |