The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-10-09
GERMANY PLANS REVOLUTION.
FORMER OFFICER IN THE KAIs-
ER'S ARMY LAYS BARE THE
SCHEME.
Proposes to Obtain German Sphere of
influence in santo Domingo and
Haytt by Promoting Trouble.

Washington, Oct. 6.--A most re-
markable story has reached the ad-
ministration which purports to give
the details of an. attempt on the part
of alleged representatives Of the Ger
man government to establish German
.nluence In the Western hemisphere.
a New York lawyer who has interests
In West Virginia. is authority for the
statement that he was recently ap-
preached by a representative of the
German government, who submitted
ample credentials. and urged TO en-,
gage under contract in a plan to en-
list fifteen hundred sturdy mountains
eers in West Virginia to lead a revo-
luton In Santo Domingo and In Hay
Il. The plan was not unfolded to the
New Yorker at the outset. His visi-
tor felt him out The New Yorker
says that he took pains to look up
the credentials of his visitor and
found that the latter fomer!y served
In the German army and everything
indicted that he had right to speak
With authority in. submitting the pro-
posai. The lawyer to whom the prop
osition was submitted is the SON of
a former Representative in Congress
from an Eastern State, and was at
one time Federal officer himself.
holding a responsible position as
law officer in one Of the government
departments in Washington.
II required nearly two months time
and much maneuvering on the part
of the German army officer to make
known the details of his plan. After
securing an introduction to the New
York lawyer and stating that he had
come TO him because of the latter's
wide acquaintance in West Virginia
the German took pains to ascertain
whether the New Yorker was entirely
free TO engage in an enterprise of an
International character that would
mean good pay. Step by step he un-
'spl1s shlel .pAen. irhs Amercan xas
Interested and encouraged his visitor
In order to obtain the full details. It
was an interesting. not to say shock
ing proposal to a patriotic American
citizen.
- p
The German explained that there
was plenty of infiammable material in
santo Domingo with which to start a
revolution to upset the existing re-
public there. but he appeared to think
that 1t required backbone and he
felt the injection of thousand or
fifteen hundred mountaineers would
furnish the necessary stifening for
the native revolutionists and make
the movement formidable. He declar-
ed that Germany had long feh the
necessity of securing a naval base
and coaling facilities In the West In
dies and In South America, to say
nothing OF certain commercial advan-
tages. He spoke Of the disappoint-
ment felt In Germany over the failure
by that government to acquire the
Danish West Indies. He said that II
was not proposed by the German gov
eminent to acquire territory In San
TO Domingo or Hayti. What was de-
sired was to establish a new republi-
can form of government that would
grant fair concessions to Germany
and AFFORD her full comemrcial op-
portrnities. He explained that the
taking of Santo Domingo could be
accomplished along with the subjuga-
ton of Hayti and practically as a re-
suit OF the same movement. The
German officer referred to the grow
ing power Of Germany in Brazil. and
when he had finally taken the Amer
lean colleague into his confidence full
~ he told him that 1t would be only
question OF time when the growing
German influence in Brazil would up-
'Ve '"e present government there and
reestabiish republic that would give
greater advantages in commercial
way to Germany and afford opportun-
tiles for the necessary naval and coal
ing basis.
The German officer appeared to
tninx that 1t was only a question of
tine when test would be made ne.
-"een t"e united states and Germany
5 to the right Of the latter to estab-
iish sphere OF influence in the West
Indies and In South America. He
seemed to think that the plan he had
outlined for revolutionary movements
could not De construed as an affront
to the Monroe Doctrine as an attempt