The German Secret Service in America 1914-1918

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Author: Jones John Price

Title: The German Secret Service in America 1914-1918

Release Date: 2019-01-08

Type book: Text

Date added: 27 March 2019

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THE GERMAN SECRET
SERVICE IN AMERICA
1914-1918

Count Johann von Bernstorff, the
responsible director of Ger-
many'ssecret policies
in America

THE GERMAN SECRET
SERVICE IN AMERICA
1914-1918

JOHN PRICE JONES

AUTHOR OF "AMERICA ENTANGLED"

AND

PAUL MERRICK HOLLISTER

BOSTON
SMALL, MAYNARD & COMPANY
PUBLISHERS

"It is plain enough how we were forced into the war. The extraordinaryinsults and aggressions of the Imperial German Government left us noself-respecting choice but to take up arms in defense of our rightsas a free people and of our honor as a sovereign government. Themilitary masters of Germany denied us the right to be neutral. Theyfilled our unsuspecting communities with vicious spies and conspiratorsand sought to corrupt the opinion of our people in their own behalf.When they found they could not do that, their agents diligentlyspread sedition amongst us and sought to draw our own citizens fromtheir allegiance—and some of these agents were men connected withthe official embassy of the German Government itself here in our owncapital. They sought by violence to destroy our industries and arrestour commerce. They tried to incite Mexico to take up arms against usand to draw Japan into a hostile alliance with her—and that, not byindirection but by direct suggestion from the Foreign Office in Berlin.They impudently denied us the use of the high seas and repeatedlyexecuted their threat that they would send to their death any of ourpeople who ventured to approach the coasts of Europe. And many of ourown people were corrupted. Men began to look upon their neighbors withsuspicion and to wonder in their hot resentment and surprise whetherthere was any community in which hostile intrigue did not lurk. Whatgreat nation in such circumstances would not have taken up arms? Muchas we have desired peace, it was denied us, and not of our own choice.This flag under which we serve would have been dishonored had wewithheld our hand."

—Woodrow Wilson, Flag Day Address
June 14, 1917

INTRODUCTION

A nation at war wants nothing less than complete information of herenemy. It is hard for the mind to conceive exactly what "completeinformation" means, for it includes every fact which may contain thelightest indication of the enemy strength, her use of that strength,and her intention. The nation which sets out to obtain completeinformation of her enemy must pry into every neglected corner, fishevery innocent pool, and collect a mass of matter concerning theindustrial, social and military organization of the enemy which whencorrelated, appraises her strength—and her weakness. Nothing less thanfull information will satisfy the mathematical maker of war.

Germany was always precociously fond of international statistics. Shewanted—the present tense is equally applicable—full information ofAmerica and her allies so as to attack their vulnerable points. Shegot a ghastly amount of it, and she attacked. This book sets forth howsecret agents of the Teutonic governments acting under orders haveattacked our national life, both before and after our declaration ofwar; how men and women in Germany's employ on American soil, plannedand executed bribery, sedition, arson, the destruction of property andeven murder, not to mention lesser violations of American law; how theysought to subvert to the advantage of the Central Powers the aims ofthe Government of the United States; how, in short, they made enemiesof the United States immediately the European war had broken out.

The facts were obtained by the writer first as a reporter on theNew York Sun who for more than a year busied himself with no otherconcern, and afterwards in an independent investigation. Some ofthem he has cited in a previous work. This book brings the story ofGermany's secret agencies in America up to the early months of 1918.Because the writer during the past six months has devoted his entiretime to the Liberty Loan, it became necessary for him to leave therearrangement of the work entirely in the hands of the co-author, andhe desires to acknowledge his complete indebtedness to the co-authorfor undertaking and carrying out an assignment for which the fullmeasure of reward will be derived from a sharper American consciousnessof the true nature of our enemy at home and abroad.

So we dedicate this chronicle to our country.

John Price Jones.

New York, June 1, 1918.

CHAPTER		PAGE
I	The Organization	1
	The economic, diplomatic and military aspects of secret warfare in America—Germany's peace-time organization —vonBernstorff, the diplomat—Albert, the economist—von Papen and Boy-Ed, the men of war.

II	The Conspirators' Task	19
	The terrain—Lower New York—The consulates—The economic problem of supplying Germany and checking supplies to the Allies—The diplomatic problem of keeping America's friendship—The military problem in Canada, Mexico, India, etc.—Germany's denial.

III	The Raiders at Sea	28
	The outbreak of war—Mobilization of reservists—The Hamburg-American contract—The Berwind—The Marina Quezada—The Sacramento—Naval battles.

IV	The Wireless System	43
	The German Embassy a clearing house—Sayville—German's knowledge of U. S. wireless—Subsidized electrical companies—Aid to the raiders—The Emden—The Geier—Charles E. Apgar—The German code.

V	Military Violence	60
	The plan to raid Canadian ports—The first Welland Canal plot—Von Papen, von der Goltz and Tauscher—The project abandoned—Goltz's arrest—The Tauscher trial—Hidden arms—Louden's plan of invasion.

VI	Paul Koenig	73
	Justice and Metzler—Koenig's personality—von Papen's checks—The "little black book"—Telephone codes—Shadowing—Koenig's agents—His betrayal.

VII	False Passports	82
	Hans von Wedell's bureau—The traffic in false passports—Carl Ruroede—Methods of forgery—Adams' coup—von Wedell's letter to von Bernstorff—Stegler—Lody—Berlin counterfeits American passports—von Breechow.

VIII	Incendiarism	100
	Increased munitions production—The opening explosions—Orders from Berlin—Von Papen and Seattle—July, 1915—The Van Koolbergen affair—The Autumn of 1915—The Pinole explosion.

IX	More Bomb Plots	117
	Kaltschmidt and the Windsor explosions—The Port Huron tunnel—Werner Horn—Explosions embarrass the Embassy—Black Tom—The second Welland affair—Harry Newton—The damage done in three years—Waiter spies.

X	Franz Von Rintelen	138
	The leak in the National City Bank—The Minnehaha—Von Rintelen's training—His return to America—His aims—His funds—Smuggling oil—The Krag-Joergensen rifles—Von Rintelen's flight and capture.

XI	Ship Bombs	154
	Mobilizing destroying agents—The plotters in Hoboken—Von Kleist's arrest and confession—The Kirk Oswald trial—Further explosions—The Arabic—Robert Fay—His arrest—The ship plots decrease.

XII	Labor	171
	David Lamar—Labor's National Peace Council—The embargo conference—The attempted longshoremen's strike—Dr. Dumba's recall.

XIII	The Sinking of the Lusitania	190
	The mistress of the seas—Plotting in New York—The Lusitania's escape in February, 1915—The advertised warning—The plot—May 7, 1915—Diplomatic correspondence—Gustave Stahl—The results.

XIV	Commercial Ventures	203
	German law in America—Waetzoldt's reports—The British blockade—A report from Washington—Stopping the chlorine supply—Speculation in wool—Dyestuffs and the Deutschland—Purchasing phenol—The Bridgeport Projectile Company—The lost portfolio—The recall of the attach�s—A summary of Dr. Albert's efforts.

XV	The Public Mind	225
	Dr. Bertling—The Staats-Zeitung—George Sylvester Viereck and The Fatherland—Efforts to buy a press association—Bernhardi's articles—Marcus Braun and Fair Play—Plans for a German news syndicate—Sander, Wunnenberg, Bacon and motion pictures—The German-American Alliance—Its purposes—Political activities—Colquitt of Texas—The "Wisconsin Plan"— Lobbying—Misappropriationof German Red Cross funds—Friends of Peace—The American Truth Society.

XVI	Hindu-German Conspiracies	252
	The Society for Advancement in India—"Gaekwar Scholarships"—Har Dyal and Gadhr—India in 1914—Papen's report—German and Hindu agents sent to the Orient—Gupta in Japan—The raid on von Igel's office—Chakravarty replaces Gupta—The Annie Larsen and Maverick filibuster—Von Igel's memoranda—Har Dyal in Berlin—A request for anarchist agents—Ram Chandra—Plots against the East and West Indies—Correspondence between Bernstorff and Berlin, 1916—Designs on China, Japan and Africa—Chakravarty arrested—The conspirators indicted.

XVII