The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-08
DISCOVER ALLEGED SPY IN U. 5. ARMY Girl Notifies War Depart ment of An Austrian
 Secret Agent

Washington, August 7.-lEor the first time in many years the war department today is perturbed over the case of an alleged spy In the army.
 Capt. James Watson, the army recruit ing officer at Indianapolis, has advised the department that he holds affidavits accusing Private George Peters of being ar Austrian secret agent. The depart mept is working on the charges to deter miIe a course of action.
 This Is the first case coming under the law passed at the last session of Congress to prevent the disclosure of national de- fense secrets. The act Is very broad in it's provisions and applicable to all att tempts to secure military information im- properly. Anyone who endeavors to pro- cure such data can be fined s1o00 or im- prisoned for one year, or both. If an at- tempt is made to communicate any secrets of defepse to a foreign government the maximum punishment is imprisonment for 10 years.
 It is not believed the charges, if well founded, indicate that the Austrian gov eInruent even remotely contemplates fu- ture hcstiiities with America. The prob able object of the alleged spy was to discover for his government the compo- sition of the remarkable high explosive, "dunnite," used In army and navy shells, and sai1 tc be far superior to any for eigr explosive.
 One of the papers in the possession of Captain Watson is an affidavit of Miss Clara A. Dyer, who had previously in- quired about obtaining Petrs' release from the army. She said Petrs was stationed at Fort Totten. N. T., in the 135th company, coast artillery corps, and that he was an Austrian spy sent to the United States to ob- tain the secrets of manufacturing the powerful explosive used by the United States government
 Miss Dyer claims she met Petrs on the ocean liner en route from Europe last September, and later, during a visit of Petrs to her home, at Philpot, Ky, had become engaged to him. The girl turned over a number of letters from Petrs in which he told of his plans. Petrs' real name, she says, is Count Windisch -Graetz, whose home is at Prague, Bohemia.
 POTt rotten. N. I. AuRuSI t.-IHe commandant at Fort Totten said that he had received no information re- garding Private George Petrs of the 135th coast artillery, whom Miss Clara Anita Dyer of Indiana polls is said to have accused as a spy in the employ of the Austrian government. He said he believed there had been some mis- take.
 The fort was besieged throughout the 5ay h,y interview Private Petr but Colonel Strong, the commandant denied them admission. Colonel Strong said he believed Petr had not been advised of the charges which Miss Dyer made and it was not proposed to call the matter to his attention off cially until some action had been taken in the war department.
 Not the slightest information had been received at the fort tonight concerning the case Colonel Strong admitted that on the strength of the newspaper reports, Petr was being kept under some surveil- lance but the colonel felt certain. he said that Petr was innocent of any pur- pose to spy in the interest of the Aus trian government.
 Indianapolis. August 7.-Capt. James D. Watson, the local recruiting army officer, forwarded to the war department at Washington today the affidavit made by Miss Clara A. Dyer, accusing Private George Petr of the Thirteenth North Coast artillery, as being spy from the Australian government. Captain Watson declined to discuss the case. Along with the affidavit he mailed the letters Petr IS alleged to have written to Miss Dyer.
 Corporal William H. Lahr of the army recruiting station here, said today he had served with one George Petr in Troop M of the Sixth cavalry in the Philippines and in Montana. Corporal Lahr said Petr was an Australian, a man of education and refinement and received remittances regularly from Austria. For some days he posed as an American army officer, had his mail addressed as Captain Petr, and was reprimanded by the commander for assuming to hold commission in the United States army. Lahr added. how ever, that the man whom Miss Dyer ac- cuses might not be the soldier he knew. Miss Dyer, it was reported. has left the city and was in Muncie, but efforts to al