The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-05
IT'S A STRAIGHT STORY


quarters OF the general staff at Kon-
1gratzerstrasse, Berlin. During my SER
vice there l several times translated
papers bearing information concerning
French Notifications, arsenals, war
ships AMI land plans, and know all those
concerned in the purchase of this in
formation. The obtaining of intelli-
gence regarding the French army and
navy was operated by the secret SER
vice department of the imperial min
lstry of marine. This bureau was at
one time under the control of Prince
Bismarck and Herr Won Moltke. The
Germans in Paris We're always on the
alert for information. When a docu-
ment was obtained from the officers of
the minister of marine or the war de-
partment in Paris, it was taken to
Prince Heinrich Helms Pless, the Ger
man representative in Paris. Through
him 1t went to the house of one of his
sweethearts, where copy was made
A few hours later the original paper
was returned to the Office from whence
IL came. The next move was to get
these papers to Berlin. Herr Franz, a
TOY manufacturer at Sonnenberg, Ger
many, aided in this. He would send
dolls to Paris to be dressed. In the
bodies of these little playthings these
copies of drawings and descriptive
notes were securely sewed and started
on their journey to the Fatherland.
from Paris they were sent by post to
Holmbrook, village in England Here
another agent was located
He was Herr Lindau, at that time a
partner in some mining operations be-
ing carried on there. Lindau performed
his duty by remailing the doll messen-
gers to Herr Franz al Sonnenberg, and
once there, they were safe From Son
nenberg they were brought to the
great headquarters by Herr Franz.
Herr Alvin Florschuetz, a bank direc-
tor of Sonnenberg, was also in the
scheme
about this time, by the way" said
Mr.. Bentheim, Herr Florschuetz was
recommended by the German govern
ment to the United States as consul for
this country at Sonnenberg. He was
accepted and later. on being allowed
for clerk hire, put his wife in thac po-
sltlon, giving her name on the reports
as L. Florschuetz All the time that
the traffic in war office merchandise
as 1t was known, was going on, Herr
Florschuetz was vice consul of the
United States"
Was the doll plan the only one
adopted as means of communication
between the two countries?"
Not the Only Way.
ooh, no." replied Mr.. Bentheim,
several times l received documents of
this kind in the United States con-
sular envelopes. l remember it dis
tinctly 1t was a large white envelope,
with the usual official business only
and something about a penalty on 1t
and sealed on the back with a white
paper seal about the size of half dol
lar and had a serrated border on it,
The eagle was the center figure and
above 1t in a semi-circle were the words
United States consulate On the other
half of the circle and below the eagle
was the single word 'Sonnenberg.'
There was, of course, considerable
correspondence going on between those
few people regarding the war office
traffic, and this was always done on
the letter heads bearing the line in
scription United States consulate, Son
nenberg.' Nearly all the descriptions
of war vessels, new inventions, armor
plate, underground mines, fortifica-
tons, ETC., were on letter heads bearing
the inscription 'Ministre de la Marine,
Paris or .Minstre de la Guerre, Paris.
Whenever frigate Captain Sigel, who
was in charge of this work at Berlin
went on a scouting trip by himself, he
carried a supply of United States sta
tionery, and l have seen Information of
this kind from the French war Office
come into the staff headquarters i'll an
envelope bearing the consulate seal of
the United States government. This,
you will know, was safeguard as no.
body would open letter with this seal
on it. Florschuetz, however, did more
travelling from Germany into France
than either Sigel or Franz and he al
ways had some of this paper in his
satchel. He would not go into France
direct as that would bring him in too
close scrutiny at the frontier. He
would go first to Bremen and from
there to Southampton. Here he would
board a steamer, either from Cher
bourg or Toulon, and land without any
trouble.
IT will tell you how Florschuetz got
the plans of the new submarine boat
Goubet while it was being built at Tou-
lon. This he told me himself at a the
alter in Berlin a week or two after he
returned from the expedition. He land
ed at Toulon and went to hotel. Here
he sent a note to Madame Jansen,
telling her what he wanted, and then
proceeded to Monte Carlo for day OF
two, 1t was arranged. of course, that
if there was any trouble over the Work
word would be sent him. Madame
Jansen is the wife of a naval officer
and had the entire to the arsenal at
Toulon. She secured all the informa-
ton desired and it was handed to Herr
Florschuetz on his return to Toulon IN
less than one week. Information re-
garding the construction of the war
vessel Gymnote, at that time building
at CnerD0ufS, was uDtdIiSu III NiiS SAINT
manner.
1t Was Easy.
II will cite another case to show how
easily anything that Germany wanted
could be obtained. A sergeant in the
naval arsenal at Toulon, Chief Thomas
by name, at the request of one of the
five or six women skirnishing around
there at the time, purloined drawing
which gave clearly the inside of the
fortress with the location of the sub
marine mines in the barber. This IN
formation I know went to EsterhaZy,
but it took a half dozen women to get
it to him. This drawing was copied at
the home of one of Prince Pless' sweet
hearts in Paris and the original draw
ing returned two days later to Toulon.
Thomas was found out in this matter,
however, and is now in prison.
THE espionage system was such that
Germany was advised of the meeting
of all boards connected with any ar
senal or fertilization. For instance If
a new gun was to be tried, a German
agent would be lettering near the test