person! If the second "Paul" letter had been found, that too would have been published in full, and the entire country would have read a story to the effect that both letters had come from Upton Sinclair, who was thus caught red-handed in a vile German conspiracy against his country!
Maybe you are like my wife; maybe you never believed in the "frame-up." But study this case, and see what else you can make of it. Ask yourself: How comes it that the raids of both the Federal agents and of the Los Angeles County officers are so precisely timed to the arrival of letters from a mysterious "Paul" whom nobody has ever seen? And how comes it that this mysterious "Paul" puts the name of Upton Sinclair on his envelope? If "Paul" is afraid to put his own name on the envelope, why does he not mail it without return address, as millions of letters are mailed every day? And why does he employ the words: "As I stated in the papers"—when he hasn't stated anything whatever in the papers, and when Flowers must know he hasn't stated anything? Is it not plain that some dark agency is here working behind the scenes, plotting to ruin Upton Sinclair, and "tipping off" both the Federal authorities and the county authorities at the precise critical moment?
What is this agency? I do not know, and my lawyer, who takes this conspiracy very seriously, will not permit me to guess in public. But he admits my right to study these "Paul" letters, and to point out a peculiar bit of internal evidence. It would seem that this dark agency which is plotting to ruin Upton Sinclair is also interested in injuring the "Los Angeles Examiner." The first "Paul" letter offers to supply Flowers with the names of more German papers, if he will insert a request in the personal columns of the "Examiner"; and the "Times" publishes this letter in full, calling particular attention to the damaging mention of the "Examiner." Day after day the "Times" is attacking the "Examiner," calling it a pro-German sheet; and here is a German conspirator using this pro-German sheet as a medium for his schemes!
The above is what is done to me before this book comes out. What will be done after my enemies have actually read the book, I cannot imagine. All I can do is to repeat my warning to you. Twenty years ago old "One-hoss" Wayland told me he had made it the rule of his life never to write a letter that he would not publish in the "Appeal to Reason."
