▁the ▁debate , ▁declaring : ▁ ▁Mr . ▁Stevens on ▁has ▁never ▁been ▁an ▁officer ▁or ▁an ▁employee ▁of ▁the ▁Military ▁Int elligence ▁Division ▁of ▁the ▁War ▁Department .... ▁I ▁personally ▁have ▁no ▁sympathy ▁with ▁the ▁publication ▁of ▁lists ▁of ▁persons ▁class ified ▁with ▁reference ▁to ▁their ▁supposed ▁opinions , ▁and ▁grouped ▁under ▁general ▁design ations , ▁such ▁as ▁' p ac if ists ,' ▁which ▁may ▁mean ▁any ▁one ▁of ▁a ▁dozen ▁things , ▁some ▁of ▁them ▁quite ▁consistent ▁with ▁the ▁fin est ▁loyal ty ▁to ▁the ▁country ▁and ▁some ▁of ▁them ▁incons istent ▁with ▁such ▁loyal ty . ▁ ▁The ▁attack ▁on ▁Stevens on ▁by ▁liberal ▁critics ▁drew ▁conserv ative ▁supp or ters ▁to ▁his ▁defense , ▁including ▁U . S . ▁Senator ▁Lee ▁Sl ater ▁Over man , ▁who ▁proc laimed ▁in ▁committee ▁that ▁Stevens on ▁had ▁studied ▁" G erman ▁propag anda " ▁in ▁America ▁for ▁over ▁a ▁year ▁and ▁was ▁thus ▁" pro bably ▁more ▁familiar ▁with ▁the ▁various ▁groups ▁of ▁German ▁and ▁radical ▁propag anda ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁than ▁anyone ▁else ▁in ▁this ▁country ." ▁ ▁Though ▁his ▁influence ▁at ▁the ▁War ▁Department ▁had ▁at ten u ated , ▁Stevens on ▁still ▁ex ert ed ▁considerable ▁influence ▁as ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁powerful ▁conserv ative ▁Union ▁League ▁Club , ▁a ▁patri otic ▁organization ▁organized ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War . ▁On ▁January ▁ 9 , ▁ 1 9 1 9 , ▁a ▁meeting ▁of ▁that ▁influ ential ▁social ▁organization ▁of ▁New ▁York ▁City