Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-08-07
War Department Interested in
Girls Charges.
FIRST CASE UNDER LAW
Fort Totten Commandant Doubts
Petr Is Austrian Agent
AFFIDAVIT ON WAY HERE
Letters Said to Have Been Written
to Girl Also Sent to
Department.

The War Department today, for the
first time in many years, Is perturbed
over the case of an alleged spy in the
army.
Capt. James Watson. the army recruit
ing officer at indianapolis. ind, has ad-
vfsed the department that he holds affi-
davits charging Private George Petr
with being an Austrian secret agent.
The department is considering the
charges, with view to determining a
course of action.
This is the first case to be brought up
under the law passed at the last ses-
sion of Congress to prevent the dis
closure of national defense secrets. The
act is broad in it's provisions, and is
applicable to all attempts to secure
military information improperly. Any
one who endeavors to procure such data
may be fined $1,000, or imprisoned for
one year, or both. If an attempt be
made to communicate any secrets of
defense TO a foreign government the
maximum punishment is Imprisonment for
ten years.
Speculate on Object
1t is not believed that the charges. if
we'll founded, indicate that the Austrian
government even remotely contemplates
future hostiities with the United States.
The probable object of the alleged spy
was to discover for his government the
composition of the remarkable high ex-
pioslve, 'dunnite,' used in the army and
navy shells, and said to be far superior
to any foreign explosive.
One OF the papers in the possession OF
Capt. Watson IS an affidavit of Miss Clara
A Dyer, who had previously inquired
about obtaining Peters release from the
army. She said Petr was stationed at
Fort Totten, New York city, in the 135th
Company. Coast Artillery, and that he
was an Austrian spy sent to the United
states 10 obtain the secret of manufac-
turing the powerful explosive used by the
United States government.
MISS Dyer claimed she met Petr on
an ocean liner en- route from Europe last
September, and later. during visit of
Peters to her Kentucky home, had be-
come engaged to him. The girl turned
over number of letters from Petr
Petr, she said. is Count Windisch-
Graetz, whose home is at Prague, Bo-
hemia.
Has Good Record.
FORT TOTTEN, n. Y, August THE
commandant at Fort Totten said today
that he had received no information either
from the War Department or from Capt.
ing office at Indianapolis, regarding
Private George Petr of the 13Jth Coast
Artillery, whom Miss Clara Anita Dyer
OF indianapolis Is said to have charged
with being a spy in the employ of the
Austrian government.
Petr has been stationed here year
and half He is said to be one of the
best soldiers at Fort Totten. Before conf
ing here he served three years in tn.
cavalry, the greater part of the time III
the Philippines. The commandant said
he believed some mistake had been made
In the absence Of official information. he
added. no action in Petr's case had beeni
taken.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, August Capt
James D. Watson the local recruiting
officer. forwarded to the War Department
at Washington today the affidavit made
by Miss Clara A. Dyer. accusing Private
George Petr of the 135th Coast Artillery
% being spy from the Austrian govern
ment. Pending instructions from Wash
ington Capt. Watson declined to discuss
the case. Along with the affidavit he
mailed the letters Petr Is alleged to have
written to Miss Dyer and Capt Watson
is of the opinion that these may throw
a great deal Of light on the case
The only new feature in connection with
the case was the statement made by
Corp. William H. Lahr of the army re-
cruiting station here, who says he served
with one George Petr in Troop NJ of the
9th United States CavalIy in the Philip
pines and in Montana Corp Lahr said
Petr was an Austrian, a man Of educa-
tion and refinement and received remit
tances regularly from that country For
some time he posed as an American army
officer. had his mail addressed as Capt
OF nd ho nNrfvV %lnI
commander for assuming to hold q COM
mission in the United States Army.
Corp. Lahr said that the man whom
Miss Dyer accuses might not be the SOL
der he knew.
Miss Dyer. it was reported, had left the
city and was IN Muncie today, but efforts
to locate her there by the police were un-
successful.