The German Secret Service In America - free ebook by John Price Jones

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The German Secret Service In America

John Price Jones

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The German Spy in America :: The Secret Plotting of German Spies in the United States and the Inside Story of the Sinking of the Lusitania :: By John Price Jones

The German Spy in America :: The Secret Plotting of German Spies in the United States and the Inside Story of the Sinking of the Lusitania :: By John Price Jones

I have read the galley proofs of your book, and I wish to say, with all emphasis and heartiness, that you are doing this country a great service in publishing it. Your statements are evidently for the most part based on official Government records, happening in the course of prosecuting the various criminals, who by the direct instigation of the German Government, have for the last two and one-half years been using this country as a base for war against the Allies, and more than this, have in ef

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FOREWORD

FOREWORD

There have been two kinds of German propaganda. One, devoted to setting before the American people Germany’s side of the war, may be classed as legitimate. The other has been illegal and criminal. While both are set forth in this narrative, the greater space has been devoted to illegal activities. The author claims for this book no other distinction than a plain unvarnished statement of facts—vital, dramatic, absorbing facts of the manner in which secret agents of the Teutonic governments, actin

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INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

When the German note announcing that the Imperial German Government intended to resume with greater vigour its ruthless submarine warfare was handed to the Secretary of State of the United States, a crisis in the affairs of this nation was abruptly precipitated. The President met that crisis with courage, with promptness and in a way that merits, and has, the unqualified support of every American who is proud of his citizenship. After the receipt of such an insulting note it was unthinkable that

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RAMIFICATIONS OF UNDERGROUND PLOTS

RAMIFICATIONS OF UNDERGROUND PLOTS

So perfectly organized and so responsive to the slightest suggestion from Berlin is the American branch of the Kaiser’s secret service that vast undertakings—some legitimate, many in violation of American laws—were carried out. The magician, who invented the wireless, enabled the German General War Staff to move to New York. The splash and splutter of electricity over oceans and continents virtually transported Germany’s leading statesmen, tacticians, and scientists at will to hold sessions in M

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THREE EXECUTIVES IN THE UNITED STATES

THREE EXECUTIVES IN THE UNITED STATES

Over all the thousands of reservists, trained agents, and other spies were the men in charge of the centres of information to whom they made their report; and the three or four chief lieutenants in charge of the various and distinct line of activities into which these matters of war, finance and commerce automatically were divided. There were practically, outside of the Chief Spy, three important executives in this country, supervising respectively the commercial, military and naval lines of inf

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CONTEMPT FOR DEMOCRACY

CONTEMPT FOR DEMOCRACY

Confident that he was eluding the watchful eye of the United States authorities with more skill than his associates, he sent a telegram one day to Captain Boy-Ed, warning him to be more careful. Whereupon the latter, smiling cheerfully to himself, wrote this letter: “Dear Papen: A secret agent who returned from Washington this evening, made the following statement: ‘The Washington people are very much excited about von Papen and are having a constant watch kept on him. They are in possession of

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UNDER ORDERS FROM BERLIN

UNDER ORDERS FROM BERLIN

He had been selected in his youth for secret work because of an aptness which he early displayed. He had been trained especially for the work which he undertook in other countries under direction of the German General Staff and for the tasks that devolved upon him in America both before and after the war. As a young officer he was sent out from Germany, travelling as a civilian, making special studies of the sentiment of the people, the topography of the country, and getting in touch with other

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AT WORK IN MEXICO

AT WORK IN MEXICO

How well von Papen, as an organizer and military investigator, acquitted himself in the interest of the Kaiser is set forth in Rear Admiral von Hintze’s own language in a report which he made from Mexico to the Imperial Chancellor recommending von Papen for a decoration. That letter is striking; for it suggests the work which von Papen afterwards did in America, if he had not already made the arrangements for it prior to the outbreak of the European conflict. The admiral wrote that von Papen “sh

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CALLING RESERVISTS

CALLING RESERVISTS

The military attaché also had help from Germany and from German reservists coming from other countries. The War Office in Berlin sent him men. Captain Hans Tauscher, the husband of Mme. Gadski, was in Germany when war was declared. A reserve officer of the German Army, he immediately offered himself for duty. His order was to return to America at once and report to Captain von Papen. Likewise, soldiers and secret agents with special equipment, who were in different parts of the world and who had

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FOREIGN ARMY ON U.S. SOIL

FOREIGN ARMY ON U.S. SOIL

Von Papen sought to protect his Wall Street suite of offices from public investigation by installing therein a safe bearing the seal of the Imperial German Government. That safe, protected by time-locks and by electrical devices against the curiosity of other secret agents or the prying eyes of policemen, is said to have contained the plans of the military phases of German propaganda. When the Federal agents suddenly descended upon the office one day to arrest von Igel, they found the safe open

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SECRET AGENTS BLOCK OUT AMERICA

SECRET AGENTS BLOCK OUT AMERICA

Captain von Papen’s cheque counterfoils are a veritable diary of some of his criminal—or if you please, military—activities in America. They give the names and the aliases of his secret agents; and day after day are recorded therein the payments made by von Papen to the persons working for or with him. The counterfoils tell the story of the purpose of the payment and by means of the endorsements on the cheques one can gather in skeleton form the story of a part—but not all—of the propaganda whic

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TO INVADE CANADA

TO INVADE CANADA

The diary, too, tells us of Captain von Papen’s plan to invade Canada. Scarcely had he arrived in this country from Mexico, a few days after the Germans had invaded Belgium, than, as general-in-chief of the German reservists, he began to mobilize his forces for a military enterprise in Canada. If you look at the Captain’s diary you see these entries: “September 1, 1914, Mr. Bridgeman Taylor, $200;” “September 16, for Buffalo, Taylor, Ryan, $200;” “September 22, for Ryan, Buffalo, $200;” “October

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BLOWING UP CANALS

BLOWING UP CANALS

Captain von Papen next asked “von der Goltz” to see at his hotel two Irishmen, prominent members of Irish associations, both of whom had fought in the Irish rebellion and who had proposed to Captain von Papen to blow up the locks of the canals connecting the Great Lakes, main railway junctions and grain elevators. “Von der Goltz” says he received the gentlemen at his hotel, the men bringing with them a letter of introduction written by Captain von Papen. After having taken them to his room he go

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SCATTERING DYNAMITE

SCATTERING DYNAMITE

“In order to get the dynamite it was necessary for me to hire a motor-boat at a place near 146th Street, Harlem, and to put the dynamite on board in suit-cases. After returning to the dock, where I had hired the boat, I went in a taxicab, having two suit-cases with me, to the German Club to see von Papen, who told me to call for the generators and then wire again at the club. I took the dynamite to my rooms, where I kept also a portion of the arms packed in small portmanteaus ready to be moved,

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OBEDIENCE IN AMERICA EXACTED

OBEDIENCE IN AMERICA EXACTED

Captain Tauscher, in the witness-box, testified that he was in Germany at the outbreak of the war; that he had proffered his services as a reservist officer and that he had been directed to return to America and report to Captain von Papen. He said he knew von Papen as the head of the German secret service and that he was compelled to obey him. He protested, however, that he had exacted a promise from von Papen to the effect that he would not be asked to do anything contrary to American laws. He

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RECKLESS ADVENTURERS HIRED

RECKLESS ADVENTURERS HIRED

Without doubt, according to facts gathered by the Federal authorities and developed in Canada, Captain von Papen and reservist German army officers in the country did plan a mobilization of German reservists to attack Canadian points. Hundreds of thousands of rifles and hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition that were to be available for German reservists were stored in New York, in Chicago, and different places along the border. While the Canadian and the American officials developed evi

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BUYS UP EXPLOSIVES

BUYS UP EXPLOSIVES

Captain von Papen was keenly alive to the production of explosives in America for sale to the Allies. He was watching closely the product of the different ammunition factories. He was locating the source of the ingredients for such explosives, and he was naturally concerned in any method for preventing the export of arms and ammunition to the Allies. He possessed an unusual mind for economic data—a quality which aroused the admiration of Dr. Albert. The two men were much in conference over indus

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STOPPING SHIPMENTS FROM AMERICA

STOPPING SHIPMENTS FROM AMERICA

This search for information of military value and these plans for acquiring monopolies on certain ingredients for high explosives, carried on during the winter and spring of 1914–15, were but preliminary to a much more extensive campaign in which, as will be shown later on, Dr. C. T. Dumba, the Austro-Hungarian Ambassador, assisted by von Papen and Boy-Ed, worked with the idea, first, of controlling the arms and ammunition factories in this country, and next, of preventing the shipment of such p

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CONSPIRACIES ON LAND AND SEA

CONSPIRACIES ON LAND AND SEA

One indictment against the five defendants, phrased in legal terms, is vivid and forcible though barren of details. It accuses the German representatives and their hirelings of plotting to blow up railway tunnels, railroads, railroad trains, and bridges, already mentioned. Over this vast system of transportation, the indictment explains, supplies were being shipped westward for transportation on the ships Talthybius and Hazel Dollar . The defendants, it is stated, hired Smith to help them gain i

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EXPLOSIONS IN FACTORIES

EXPLOSIONS IN FACTORIES

While these plots in the West were developed in vain and some of the culprits have been convicted, still other enterprises were conceived and set in motion in the East. A great number of explosions and fires have occurred in factories in the eastern part of the country. Though many of them were due to natural causes, yet suspicions seem to show that bombs were manufactured and placed in various plants and that incendiary bombs were hidden in other factories. The men believed to have committed th

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FIRE BOMBS

FIRE BOMBS

Another part of this vast conspiracy against the export of arms and ammunition was the scheme to manufacture the so-called fire bombs, which could be placed in the holds of ships and which, exploding after a certain time, would set fire to the cargoes. By this means, thirty-three ships were stealthily attacked, with New York as a basis of operation, and damage of $10,000,000 was done. Vessels sailing not only from New York, but from Boston, Galveston, and even from Pacific ports, carried these b

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PASSPORT FORGERIES

PASSPORT FORGERIES

The passport bureau is a striking instance of Germany’s disregard of the rights and laws in a neutral country. With the sending of Great Britain’s ultimatum to Germany, the cable between Germany and the United States had been cut. The United States forbade the use of wireless for the transmission of messages in code to Germany, or the use of the cable for cipher dispatches to the warring countries. The Allies’ war vessels began at once to search all passenger ships for German citizens, taking th

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BUYING PASSPORTS WHOLESALE

BUYING PASSPORTS WHOLESALE

The passports which von Wedell, and later on his successor Carl Ruroede, Sr., obtained, were used for the benefit of German officers whom the General Staff had ordered back to Berlin. American passports, then Mexican, Swiss, Norwegian and the passports of South American countries, were seized eagerly by various reservists bound for the front. Stories were told in New York of Germans and Austrians, who had been captured by the Russians, sent to Siberia as prisoners of war, escaping therefrom, and

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CHANGING OFFICIAL STAMPS

CHANGING OFFICIAL STAMPS

Though in the early days of the war it had not been necessary for the applicant to give to the Federal authorities anything more than a general description of himself, the reports of German spies in the Allies’ countries became so insistent that the Government directed that the document, bearing the United States seal, must have the picture of the person to whom it was issued. The Germans, however, were not worried. It was a simple matter to give a general description of a man’s eyes, colour of

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FOMENTING REVOLTS

FOMENTING REVOLTS

Captain von Papen was a supervisor and a promoter of sedition. His headquarters in Wall Street were the centre of lines running out to British and French colonies, where Germany planned at critical moments to start revolutions, if it would help her interests. One of the enterprises which Captain von Papen, acting under orders from Berlin, supervised in the United States, was a revolt against British rule in India. Preparations for this insurrection had been in the making for years, and, in the c

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HINDUS LAUNCH BOMB CAMPAIGN

HINDUS LAUNCH BOMB CAMPAIGN

Many Hindus, who were assembled in the West, also had an opportunity to study the fine art of explosive and bomb making at a bomb factory up in the state of Washington. On several occasions groups of Hindus equipped with money and carrying secretly arms with them sailed from San Francisco for the Philippines, planning thence to go to India. Furthermore, ships were chartered by German agencies to carry arms and ammunition to India and Ceylon. The American schooner Annie Larsen and the ship Maveri

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THE REVOLT IN IRELAND

THE REVOLT IN IRELAND

The extensive conspiracy on the part of Germany to start a revolt in Ireland has been thoroughly set forth in the public prints in connection with the arrest and trial of Sir Roger Casement as a rebel. Sir Roger worked openly among the Irish prisoners in Germany, travelling backwards and forwards between Ireland and Germany by means of a German submarine. Nevertheless, a very large and important American phase of this whole revolution occupied von Papen’s attention prior to his recall. German ag

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FORCING WAR IN THE UNITED STATES

FORCING WAR IN THE UNITED STATES

Throughout all the crises arising between the United States and Germany over the submarine campaign, German agents constantly kept in view the possibility of a war between their country and this nation. They prepared for it. “Before I left New York,” confesses von der Goltz, “I had some conversation with Captain von Papen about the war, and while speaking of the end of the war Captain von Papen said: ‘ Should things start to look bad for us, there will be something happen over here. ’ In connect

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WHO WAS VON IGEL?

WHO WAS VON IGEL?

Concerning young von Igel there is much mystery. At the outbreak of the war he was reported to be wandering around looking for a job, willing to work for any wages. Then von Papen picked him up, paying him a salary of $238 a month. There is a rumour, too, that he is a grandson of Graf von Waldersee, one time Germany’s Chief of Staff. That he is a man of importance is indicated by the manner in which he was trusted by von Papen, Boy-Ed, and Dr. Albert. When in an automobile ride from Captain Taus

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HANDLING MONEY FOR EVIL ENDS

HANDLING MONEY FOR EVIL ENDS

Von Igel also handled money for von Papen. For instance, on March 27, 1915, the latter gave to his secretary a cheque payable to his order for $1,000 and on the counterfoil of his cheque-book he wrote “for A. Kaltschmidt, Detroit,” who since has been accused by the Canadian authorities as an accomplice in the project against Canadian armouries and munition factories. It was von Igel, furthermore, who cashed many cheques for von Papen, the proceeds of which were to go to secret agents starting on

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“P.K.”

“P.K.”

“P. K.,” as his hirelings called him, was a sort of boss, an unmerciful autocrat in the lower world, physically fearless, trusting no man and driving every man to work by the use of violent abusive language, boastful of his skill, physical prowess and his craft. In appearance, he gives this impression. A tall, broad-shouldered man, he has bony fingers and arms long and powerful reaching almost to his knees. His dark, sharp eyes dart suspiciously at you from beneath black, arching eyebrows, showi

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KEEPING WATCH ON SPIES

KEEPING WATCH ON SPIES

“P. K.” also kept a most carefully prepared note-book of his spies and of persons in New York, Boston and other cities who were useful in furnishing him information. In another book he kept a complete record of the assignments on which he sent his men, the purpose and the cost. In this book of names were several hundred persons—German reservists, German-Americans and American clerks, scientists and city and Federal employés—showing that his district was very large and that his range for picking

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SHADOWS FOLLOWING SHADOWS

SHADOWS FOLLOWING SHADOWS

He sought likewise to elude Americans trailing him. He never went out in the daytime that he did not have one or two of his agents trailing him to see whether he was being shadowed. He used to turn a corner suddenly and stand still so that a detective following came unexpectedly face to face with him and betrayed his identity. Koenig would laugh heartily and pass on. He loved to jibe the American authorities and ofttimes he would dodge around a corner and then reappear to confront the detective

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STARTING TROUBLE IN CANADA

STARTING TROUBLE IN CANADA

“P. K.” also despatched men to Canada to gain information concerning the Canadian preparations for war, and facts that could be used by the Germans here in planning attacks upon munition factories, railroads and transportation facilities in the Dominion. An Irish employé of the Atlas Line has been arrested on a charge of planning with Koenig to start a “military enterprise” against the Dominion. The employé, named Justice, is accused of going to Quebec to ascertain the number of troops which wer

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VARIOUS ALIASES

VARIOUS ALIASES

In his meetings with various persons who had been picked for some daring enterprise, Koenig is accused of having employed various names. The Federal authorities give him at least thirteen, among which are Wegenkamp, Wegener, Kelly, Winter, Perkins, Stemler, Rectorberg, Boehm, Kennedy, James, Smith, Murphy and W. T. Munday. After indictments had been returned against some of the Hamburg-American officials for conspiring to defraud the United States of legal clearance papers, Koenig, assisted by a

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SPIES IN BANKS

SPIES IN BANKS

Through the arrest of Koenig and the facts obtained thereby, one of the mysteries concerning the Germans’ method of getting information about the shipment of munitions of war to the Allies was cleared. They knew the number of the freight car rushing to the Atlantic seaboard and its exact contents. They knew the ship’s hold into which that product was to be placed; but how they got this data was a mystery until Koenig was caught. Then Metzler, Koenig’s secretary, made a confession that cleared th

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SECRET INFORMATION ON BANKS

SECRET INFORMATION ON BANKS

When the war started Schleindl registered with the German Consul, giving his address and his place of business. One day word reached him that a German wished to see him, and going to the Hotel Manhattan he was approached by a man who introduced himself as Koenig. The latter sounded him thoroughly as to his sentiments on the war, and then outlined the scheme by which Schleindl was to help Germany and make $25 a week. Schleindl was to keep his eyes open for all letters and cable messages bearing o

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BOY-ED’S CAREER

BOY-ED’S CAREER

Born of a Turkish father and German mother—the latter, Ida Boy-Ed, a novelist much loved in Germany—he possessed an unusual combination of traits, a mingling of Oriental subtlety, the brutal frankness of the Prussian, and the artistic genius of his mother. He elected for the navy, and early displayed qualities that attracted von Tirpitz’s attention. The admiral took him up and made him one of his “Big Six,” young German officers who were admitted to the naval lord’s most secret councils and trai

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NAVAL STUDENT IN TIMES OF PEACE

NAVAL STUDENT IN TIMES OF PEACE

His duties in peace times, naturally, were to study the American Navy and gain whatever facts he could about American war vessels, the personnel of the navy, the government’s plans for increasing the fleet’s power and building up coast defences; also to pick up whatever he could, openly or stealthily, about the secret plans of America in the use of her battle-fleet. When the war started, a thousand and one more tasks devolved upon him. As von Papen was in Mexico, he had for a time to look after

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WATCHING BRITISH VESSELS

WATCHING BRITISH VESSELS

Seated in his room 801, Captain Boy-Ed gathered a great mass of facts of value to Germany from enemy sources and from neutral nations. From his room, which was stacked with maps of the sea and steamer routes, he sent directions to his spies. He forwarded information about ships—English merchantmen and British warships—that could be utilized by the German Government in raids on Allied commerce. He also gave directions for provisioning the German raiders scouring the Seven Seas for enemy ships—an

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SMUGGLING SUPPLIES TO RAIDERS

SMUGGLING SUPPLIES TO RAIDERS

Two years before Germany sent a declaration of war to England, and just when a crisis in European affairs was impending, Dr. Karl Buenz, who never before had engaged in steamship business, came to New York as the American head of the Hamburg-American Line . Prior to that he had been a judge in Germany, a consul in Chicago and New York, and a minister to Mexico. One of the first things which came to his attention was the completion of a contract between the Admiralty Division of the German Govern

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RISKY WORK FOR SKIPPERS

RISKY WORK FOR SKIPPERS

Very few of the supercargoes, however, accomplished their aims. The Berwind reached a point near Trinidad where Supercargo Poeppinghaus directed the ship to lie to. Presently five German ships, the Cap Trafalgar , Pontus , Elinor Woerman , Santa Lucia and Eber appeared, and after the task of transferring the supplies to them was begun, the British converted cruiser Carmania came up. A brisk fight ensued between the Carmania and the Cap Trafalgar , lasting for two hours, and ending when the Germa

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MONEY SPENT FREELY

MONEY SPENT FREELY

How part of the money was spent is shown by the following account of payments through the Hamburg-American Line : But Boy-Ed’s supervision of supplies to the raiders covered both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. While the Hamburg-American took charge of handling the supplies in the North and South Atlantic, another German agency is accused of doing similar work on the Pacific. That accounts for Boy-Ed’s transfer of money to the West, where his cash also was used in the purchase of at least o

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QUEER WIRELESS CODES

QUEER WIRELESS CODES

Another operation that appealed to Captain Boy-Ed’s ingenuity was the use of the wireless to frustrate the enemy. He had given implicit instructions to Skipper Suhren in regard to the use of the wireless. Members of the crew of the Sacramento are accused of breaking the Government seal and using the radio plant. The Government officials also found such extensive misuse of the German-owned wireless plants in America that they were obliged either to close them down or take them over. The Sayville,

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CUTTING IN ON MESSAGES

CUTTING IN ON MESSAGES

But Boy-Ed delighted in circumventing the Federal authorities. A few instances have been published, but there remain hundreds of cases which the Federal radio inspectors have uncovered. To Chief Flynn of the Secret Service and Charles E. Apgar, an inventor, much credit is due for detecting one ingenious method used by Boy-Ed and others for sending out wireless messages. Apgar, an enthusiastic wireless operator, spent much time “listening in” to the messages sent every night from the wireless pla

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FRAUDULENT PASSPORTS

FRAUDULENT PASSPORTS

Like von Papen, Boy-Ed was under orders to send spies to the adversaries’ countries, to make arrangements for naval reservists to return to Germany, all of which required the use of fraudulent passports. While there have been charges that Germany had a factory for forging passports and while the New York World charged, at the time of Boy-Ed’s recall, that he had dealings with a gang of forgers and counterfeiters, who made passports, there is evidence that the naval attaché did pay money to Germa

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NEW YORK, THE CENTRE FOR SPIES

NEW YORK, THE CENTRE FOR SPIES

“I was to make constant, though guarded inquiries, of the location of the Dreadnought squadron which the Germans in New York understand was anchored somewhere near St. George’s Channel. I was to appear as an American citizen soliciting trade. Captain Boy-Ed advised me to get letters of introduction to business firms. He made arrangements so that I received such letters and in one letter were enclosed some rare stamps which were to be a proof to certain persons in England that I was working for t

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LODY SENT TO DEATH

LODY SENT TO DEATH

Stegler also said that he had been told that Boy-Ed previously had sent to England Karl Hans Lody, the German who in November, 1915, had been put to death as a spy in the Tower of London. Lody also had been in the navy, had served on the Kaiser’s yacht and then had come to this country and worked as an agent for the Hamburg-American Line , going from one place to another. Still another man who had a fraudulent German passport was a German naval reservist, who had shipped as a hand on the freight

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INVOLVING AMERICA IN THE MEXICAN MUDDLE

INVOLVING AMERICA IN THE MEXICAN MUDDLE

One of the causes for the summary dismissal of both Boy-Ed and his confrère , von Papen, from America, was their schemes to involve this nation in a conflict with Mexico, to bring about American intervention in that country and thus prevent America’s supply of explosives and rifles from being used exclusively against Germany. Boy-Ed, prior to the war, had opposed the suggestion of intervention, but he changed his mind when he began to appreciate the fact that America in arms would take the powde

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PLANNING WAR WITH THE UNITED STATES

PLANNING WAR WITH THE UNITED STATES

Of Boy-Ed’s schemes to do his share in preparing, from a naval standpoint, for war between Germany and the United States, of the plots to create disorganization in the American seaports and to render the German merchantmen useless to Americans, much evidence has been gathered by Federal investigators. Of his methods in getting information secretly from the Navy Department and from battleships, of his placing spies, ready for any deed of daring, on the warships, a greater amount of information ha

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PICTURES OF VON RINTELEN

PICTURES OF VON RINTELEN

In every one of them, von Rintelen looms as the audacious plotter, man of mystery, user of a hundred aliases, supreme egotist, a vaunted aid to the Kaiser and a Teutonic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In one picture, you see him in exclusive homes on Fifth Avenue, a “mould of form”—scarcely thirty-eight years old, slim and upstanding, with stalwart shoulders, the bearing of an aristocrat, short stubborn hair, a moustache with a like independent twist, and greenish-grey eyes that sparkled defiance. He

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VON RINTELEN’S VALUE

VON RINTELEN’S VALUE

And who is this man? He is so important that when made a prisoner in England, the Kaiser offered to exchange for the nobleman any ten British prisoners that King George might select. He is so esteemed in Germany that large amounts of gold were placed at the disposal of Americans to go to England and by hook or crook effect his escape. Rumour has sought to make him a relative of the Hohenzollerns. Another report has put him down actually as the Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. But persons, who knew

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A SECRET AGENT’S TRAINING

A SECRET AGENT’S TRAINING

Von Rintelen’s work was cut out for him in his early youth. His qualifications were considered and he was assigned to studies in preparation for the tasks he gave promise of performing most efficiently. At the gymnasium and the university, he divided his time between economics and finance. In addition, he spent considerable time in the navy, finally became a Captain-Lieutenant, and as such qualified for the General Navy Staff. He, too, was one of von Tirpitz’s young men chosen for definite lines

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BACK TO GERMANY

BACK TO GERMANY

So, returning to Berlin in 1909, he again took up his banking business and continued his close affiliation with von Tirpitz and the Big Navy crowd, setting forth the facts he obtained and making recommendations for the development of Germany’s secret service in America. He became more prominent socially than ever, making it a point to entertain Americans. When his American acquaintances turned up in Berlin, they invariably found von Rintelen a most cordial and extravagant host. He obtained intro

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JEKYLL AND HYDE

JEKYLL AND HYDE

Herr von Rintelen, having dropped the guise of E. V. Gasche, immediately began to play Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Dr. Jekyll, visiting the Yacht Club, and calling upon wealthy friends, proved a more charming, more delightful von Rintelen than ever, meeting influential business men who were selling supplies to the Allies. He was presented to society matrons and débutantes, whom, by flattery and subtlety, he sought to use to further his purposes. To these, he was Herr von Rintelen in America on an i

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A PLOTTER AT WORK

A PLOTTER AT WORK

Von Rintelen, startled by his mistaken estimate of American industrial preparedness, and frantically determined that Russia’s supplies must be crippled, that the cargoes going to France and England must be held back, began mapping out his gigantic enterprises. These conditions were the big compelling motive; for von Rintelen’s reputation was at stake. The work for which he had been so carefully trained was bound to fail unless he acted quickly. Desperate measures were necessary. With that situat

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IN THE MAZE

IN THE MAZE

This officer, it is charged, had dealings with Dr. Walter T. Scheele, the alleged manufacturer of fire bombs, and arranged with him to mix lubricating oil, so urgently needed in Germany, with fertilizer, and ship the oil as “commercial fertilizer.” The oil was to be extracted by a chemical process in Germany. Von Rintelen, through Steinberg, importuned Dr. Scheele to ship munitions as farming implements, giving him $20,000 for that purpose. Dr. Scheele did bill the shipment as requested, but he

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THE “LUSITANIA” GOES DOWN

THE “LUSITANIA” GOES DOWN

Then the Lusitania was torpedoed. Americans who were connected with von Rintelen’s schemes to ship supplies to Denmark and to buy the Krags, became alarmed over the prospect of war with Germany. They cut off negotiations with him and fearing possible government investigations, they began to talk. Part of the activities of a mysterious German of the name of Meyer and Hansen reached both the Government officials and newspapers. A reporter on the New York Tribune who got a “tip” of the real facts a

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STIRRING UP MEXICO

STIRRING UP MEXICO

He seized, therefore, upon President Wilson’s opposition to General Huerta, and he planned to start a revolution in Mexico with the aim of returning Huerta to power and thus placing the United States in a position where it would be compelled to go into Mexico and restore order. The United States would not be in a position then to dictate terms for the settlement of the Lusitania controversy, would seize the war supplies going to the Allies, and, incidentally, would be hampered for the remainder

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BEFUDDLING THE PACIFISTS

BEFUDDLING THE PACIFISTS

Von Rintelen’s first step , as he outlined it to Lamar, was to use the horrors of the European War as an appeal for universal peace, and to enlist the labouring men and the farmers of America in raising their united voice against the exports of arms and ammunition. And thus a great labour peace propaganda was originated by a German whose patriotism had driven away his scruples, and an American who had gone money-mad. The details of the organization were set forth, and soon von Rintelen had a sta

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PAYING THE HIRELINGS

PAYING THE HIRELINGS

“How is this movement to be financed?” one of the newly-elected executive board asked another. He and one of the vice-presidents waited for an answer. They got none, he says, and the question was repeated by another. Then one of the officers answered: “This thing is big enough, so that I do not care where the money comes from to finance it.” Another member asked: “What, after all, does this council want to do?” “We want,” was the answer, “to stop the exportation of munitions to the Allies. Germa

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CONSPIRACY GROWS BOLDER

CONSPIRACY GROWS BOLDER

These public acts mentioned above, however, are stated by the Federal Government to have been merely a cloak, covering a more extensive conspiracy financed by von Rintelen. By a series of strikes in munition factories, humming with the Allies’ war orders; on railroads carrying the articles to the seaboard, and on steamships, von Rintelen, it is alleged, sought to cut off commerce among the United States and the Allied countries. Von Rintelen and several others are accused in the Federal indictme

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CRIMINALS SET TO WORK

CRIMINALS SET TO WORK

While von Rintelen was reaching out in so many directions in his frantic endeavour to build a barrier between the United States and the Entente Powers, he did not hesitate to resort to criminals. Keeping his quick eyes on the progress of the peace propaganda, he had schemes which, while distinctly separated from that organization, were designed to work in harmony with the developments in the strike propaganda. Von Rintelen planned by aid of reservists and crooks to take other measures in munitio

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EXIT VON RINTELEN

EXIT VON RINTELEN

Von Rintelen was on the high seas. He had left $40,000 in the bank in charge of his friends, and some of the plotters tried to get that on the strength of a promise to stop the Anglo-French bond sale of $500,000,000. Before sailing he had applied for a passport as an American citizen named Edward V. Gates, of Millersville, Pennsylvania. But whisperings concerning von Rintelen’s activities had reached the White House from society folk who had heard von Rintelen’s rash talk and who knew of some of

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A VALUABLE PRISONER

A VALUABLE PRISONER

While von Rintelen, after his strenuous days in America, was resting comfortably in a luxurious prison camp at Donington Hall, England, the American authorities were busily delving into his record. Mr. Sarfaty presented witness after witness and thousands of documents to the Federal Grand Jury. Von Rintelen and Meloy were indicted, first, for the fraudulent passport conspiracy; and Meloy finally made a confession to the Government authorities. Von Rintelen’s agent, called before the Grand Jury a

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A COSTLY FAILURE

A COSTLY FAILURE

From the viewpoint of picturesqueness, fantastic conceptions, recklessness, extravagance, and a remarkable mastery of detail, von Rintelen stands forth as the most extraordinary German agent sent to America. Boy-Ed and von Papen are now telling their friends in Berlin that their recall was due not to what they did but to what von Rintelen did and said. The energetic nobleman had hoped to cause an absolute cessation of exports from this country to the Allies and to create a political situation wh

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WARRIORS AT WORK IN AMERICA

WARRIORS AT WORK IN AMERICA

In their secret conferences the conspirators worked their way round obstacles and set their scheme in operation. Hired spies had made numerous trips on the Lusitania , and had carefully studied her course to and from England, and her convoy through the dangerous zone where submarines might be lurking. These spies had observed the precautions taken against a submarine attack. They knew the fearful speed by which the big ship had eluded pursuers in February. They also had considered the feasibilit

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BERLIN GIVES WARNING

BERLIN GIVES WARNING

The German officials in Berlin looking ahead, sought to prearrange a palliative for their crime. Their plan, which in itself shows clearly how carefully the Germans plotted the destruction of the Lusitania , was to warn Americans not to sail on the vessel. While the German Embassy in Washington was kept clear of the plot and Ambassador von Bernstorff had argued and fought with all his strength against the designs of the Berlin authorities, he, nevertheless, received orders to publish an advertis

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FATEFUL MAY 1, 1915

FATEFUL MAY 1, 1915

So when the Lusitania backed from her pier in the North River on the morning of May 1, 1915, there was more than the average levity that makes the sailing of an ocean liner so absorbing. On the pier were anxious friends somewhat perturbed by the mysterious whisperings of impending danger. Mingling among them also were men who knew what that danger was, and who had just delivered final instructions to German hirelings on board. On the deck of the great vessel, as she swung her nose down-stream to

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BERLIN’S DELIBERATIONS

BERLIN’S DELIBERATIONS

For such intricate action Germany had been preparing with infinite patience both before and after the war began. Prior to the outbreak, representatives of Germany had started the building of the wireless plant at Sayville, Long Island, by which aerial communication was established with Berlin. After the war began, the equipment of the station was increased, and instead of 35 kilowatt transmitters, 100 kilowatt transmitters were installed, the machinery for tripling the efficiency of the plant ha

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THE EXPLOSION THAT ROCKED THE WORLD

THE EXPLOSION THAT ROCKED THE WORLD

The British Admiralty also received his wireless message—just as the Sayville operator had snatched it from the air, and despatched an answer. The order from the head of the Admiralty directed the English captain to proceed to a point some seventy or eighty miles south of Old Head of Kinsale and there meet his convoy, which would guard him on the way to port. But Captain Turner never got that message, and the British convoy waited in vain for the Lusitania to appear on the horizon. The Lusitania

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AMERICA REVOLTED AND APPALLED

AMERICA REVOLTED AND APPALLED

The indignation and the revulsion of Americans against Germany because of the destruction of the Lusitania with the appalling loss of life was a surprise to the Kaiser and his war staff. They apparently had believed that the warning contained in the official announcement of Germany, declaring the waters about the British Islands a war zone, and the advertisement published would be sufficient excuse, and that their act would be accepted calmly by America. They were not prepared for Colonel Roosev

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LIES AND DECEIT

LIES AND DECEIT

German secret agents began to manufacture evidence to support the Kaiser’s contentions. Here a hireling of Boy-Ed looms as an obedient servant of the naval attaché, whether he knew all the facts or not. It was Koenig, who, using the alias of Stemler, obtained from Gustave Stahl an affidavit to the effect that he had seen four fifteen-centimetre guns on the decks of the Lusitania before she left port on her ill-fated voyage. There were three other supporting affidavits. All these documents were h

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THE EQUIPMENT OF A COLOSSUS

THE EQUIPMENT OF A COLOSSUS

Albert was equipped for the gigantic task, as few men in the world have been equipped. He knew finance, the economy of industry, the finesse of diplomacy and the odd, yet scientific twists of the inventor’s mind. He had been trained in the things that interested kings and the problems that appealed to the labouring man. His field of knowledge was broad, for in preparation for his tasks he had to seek the best commercial, banking, industrial methods and inventions of the world to help Germany. So

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HIS VIEW OF THE FUTURE

HIS VIEW OF THE FUTURE

How Dr. Albert looked to the future is set forth in a report which was prepared for him on June 3, 1915, by a trade representative in the German General Consulate, New York, on the effect of the British embargo. This document, compiled by a scientist, was undoubtedly only one of hundreds of such instruments worked out by Germans in this country for the help of the Fatherland. In this paper the writer, named Waetzoldt, says: “There can be no doubt that the British Government will bring into play

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A MAN OF MYSTERY

A MAN OF MYSTERY

Naturally one of the most vital problems that stirred Dr. Albert was the British Order in Council in regard to the blockade of Germany from which resulted the seizure of meat and food supplies and cotton by British war vessels. He was always on the alert for information as to what was the attitude of the Administration and the people of the United States toward the blockade. That he used secret and perhaps devious means to get it is revealed by a confidential report which he received under most

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WHAT HIS SECRET CORRESPONDENCE REVEALED

WHAT HIS SECRET CORRESPONDENCE REVEALED

Dr. Albert also was in close communication with the American branches of German industries. This fact is apparent from secret correspondence found in his dossier, showing how after much deliberation and consultation a group of German representatives in America forbade the American branch of a German firm to fill a Russian war order. This correspondence shows that the American branch first sought information as to whether or not it should fill the order either as a means of making money or, secon

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GERMANY IN THE STOCK MARKET

GERMANY IN THE STOCK MARKET

When it appeared that the Kaiser would not yield to demands made by the President, the prices of stocks went down and Germans bought stocks cheaply. After they loaded up a liberal supply, word would come that Germany was yielding and the stock market would become buoyant, thus allowing the German group to sell hundreds of thousands of shares on a substantial profit. There is absolutely no doubt that as a result of every crisis the German Government realized millions of dollars in the market. An

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THE SHIP PLOTS

THE SHIP PLOTS

Another matter of importance to which he gave thought was the problem which had been in every German mind and mouth since the beginning of the war, namely, the prevention of the shipment of war supplies to the Allies. A letter mailed to Dr. Albert from Chicago under date of July 22, 1915, sets forth how zealously his agent was working on an embargo conference with the aim of arousing sentiment in this country against the export of arms and ammunition. The letter says that he had obtained the co-

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NEWSPAPER PROPAGANDA

NEWSPAPER PROPAGANDA

To Dr. Albert also was assigned the task of studying sentiment in this country regarding the war and taking steps to influence it in favour of Germany—in other words, highly paid press work. Through Dr. Albert arrangements also were made for many German professors, either in Germany or connected with American institutions, to give up their occupations as teachers and devote themselves in America exclusively to lectures before high-class audiences. In these talks the speakers devoted themselves t

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EFFORTS TO OUTWIT THE BRITISH BLOCKADE

EFFORTS TO OUTWIT THE BRITISH BLOCKADE

Varied and important as were these various duties, already mentioned, still the paramount task to which Dr. Albert devoted himself was a scheme to outwit England’s blockade of Germany. This tall, silent man, working in his little office, was concerned with the purchase of millions and millions of dollars’ worth of supplies—cargo after cargo—for shipment to Germany, direct or through neutral countries. In this campaign he used every means of deceiving the enemy that were in his power. Let it be s

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A TWO-FACED PROPAGANDIST

A TWO-FACED PROPAGANDIST

Dr. Albert issued a statement which purports to be a complete reply to the charges in regard to a secret German propaganda in the United States. He said that the purchase of ammunition plants in this country was justifiable, argued for an embargo on arms and ammunition, charged Great Britain with piracy on the high seas, denied that the German Government financed press agents, and asserted that the German Government had not started any under-cover newspaper campaign in this country. He said it w

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MORE PASSPORT FRAUDS

MORE PASSPORT FRAUDS

Attorney-General Gregory caused a thorough investigation of these documents and also of von Nuber’s office in New York. Many consular employees were taken before the Grand Jury and practically every member of the Consulate, excepting von Nuber and his immediate associates, was rounded up one night in the office of Superintendent Offley in New York. They were questioned, and they gave much information. Baron Zwiedinek was a busy person at the summer Embassy at Manchester-by-the-Sea after the outb

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MUNITION PLOTS

MUNITION PLOTS

Part of the schemes considered and recommended by Ambassador Dumba to prevent the exportation of war munitions from the United States is set forth in the secret communications which he gave to Captain Archibald to carry to Baron Burian, Austrian Foreign Minister. The first document discusses the diplomatic efforts that have been made toward that end, deprecates the arguments put forth by the State Department in declining to take any action to forbid the export of war munitions. “The true ground

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PLANS FOR STRIKERS

PLANS FOR STRIKERS

The enclosure, or “ aide mémoire ,” written in Hungarian, outlines the scheme which the diplomat recommended. “I must divide the matter into two parts, Bethlehem and the Middle West business” (says this paper), “but the point of the departure is common in both, viz., press agitation, which is of the greatest importance as regards our Hungarian-American workmen. It means a press through which we can reach both in Bethlehem and in the West. In my opinion we must start a very strong agitation on th

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EXIT DUMBA

EXIT DUMBA

Following the receipt of those documents by the State Department, Dr. Dumba and Secretary Lansing were in conference. The Ambassador admitted he had written the letter, and had consigned it to the care of Captain Archibald. He defended his course on the ground that he was under orders from his home government, and that he wished to prevent Austro-Hungarian workmen from committing high treason by helping turn out munitions for the Allies. President Wilson, however, insisted on the Ambassador’s re

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DISLOYAL CITIZENS

DISLOYAL CITIZENS

“The subtle and active minority” to which the President made such a sensational reference is a group of Americans—German-Americans swayed by sentiment for Germany and Americans influenced by gold—who have been following the dictation of Teutonic agents in America. They have received orders and sought to carry them out. They have been puppets that worked and argued in the interest of the Central Powers when certain men pulled the strings. They have been active workers in carrying out clever polit

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UNDERGROUND DIPLOMACY

UNDERGROUND DIPLOMACY

Meantime, Count von Bernstorff and Dr. Dumba were seeking by diplomatic means to effect a stoppage of the flow of war equipment to the Allies. Each addressed appeals to the Secretary of State and each presented notes from his respective Government protesting against the shipment of munitions as unneutral. Their protests were unavailing and the answers of the Secretary of State were so clear and determined that it became clear to the Teutonic agents that their efforts along such a channel would b

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HOLDING THE CLUB TO CONGRESS

HOLDING THE CLUB TO CONGRESS

The German agents, as has been told, did not cease their efforts to arouse the sentiment of the country, hoping to force Congress and the President to take steps in the direction that the Germans wished. The fear which a Representative in Congress has of displeasing his constituents was a factor carefully taken into account by the German agents. Every means of impressing upon a Representative the belief that the men who voted for him wanted an embargo were used. These were the motives behind a p

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PULLING WIRES BEHIND SCENES

PULLING WIRES BEHIND SCENES

Germans made it a point to get behind resolutions presented to Congress in the early part of 1916 bearing on the submarine controversy. These measures, regardless of the aims of the legislators, had features that would be helpful to Germany in her desire to sink merchantmen on the high seas. Senator Gore introduced a resolution “to prohibit the issuing of passports for use on vessels of a belligerent country,” and another bill “to prohibit a belligerent vessel from transporting American citizens

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TWO AND A HALF YEARS OF HIGH TREASON

TWO AND A HALF YEARS OF HIGH TREASON

Go back over the events since 1914, and study them in the light of the moves made by Germany or by her secret agents here, and you will realize how, in America, Germany has had a hand in practically every domestic or foreign event of any importance. Her agents sought to control the Congress. They planned trouble between the United States and Mexico with the aim of stopping the shipment of war supplies to the Allies, and of getting this country so absorbed in other matters that we could not call

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AMERICA’S VITAL QUESTION

AMERICA’S VITAL QUESTION

The great question that confronts the American people is one of preparedness against this or a like system. Any foreign government that knows the moves of the United States before they are made is in a position to do the country much harm in peace, and tremendously greater harm in war. In view of the crimes perpetrated by Germans and Austrians in America in 1914, 1915 and 1916, it behoves the American Government to take steps to destroy the system, root and branch; to see to it that no nation ev

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