Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-14
GERMAN SPIES COST
STEEL HEAD MILLIONS
Charles Nj. schwab Swallowed on
Trip to England, Where He
Got Huge Order.
SAILED UNDER ASSUMED NAME
Before He Returned to America,
State Department Had Full Knowl-
edge Of Trip, and Contract Is Can
celed Following Protest by Kaiser.

NEW YORK, December 12.-The New
York Tribune prints the following
story:
Germans in New York and Wash
ington In and out OF the diplomatic SER
Vice are chuckling over story said to
involve Charles NJ. Schwab president
OF the Bethlehem Steel Corporation,
and the German Secret Service. Ac-
cording to the story. when Mr.. Schwab
recently returned to this country from
a mysterious flying visit to England
with n certified check for 100000
tucked snugly away In his pocket he
little dreamed that the efficiency OF the
German Secret Service organization
would be the cause OF the cancellation
Of the largest individual order that had
ever been obtained for his concern
and that he would have to return to
the British government the 10 per cent
deposit of s6.000,000 which had clinched
the order.
ITO conceal the purpose and result of
his flying trip to England on the
Olympic few weeks ago Mr.. schwab
is said to have sailed under an assumed
name, was hurried ashore at Tough
Swilly before the Olympic landed the
crew OF the British Dreadnought Au-
dacious there, hastened to London on a
special train, and returned few days
later to America with the statement
that he had been in England for his
health.
Before tho Mauritania, aboard which
the steel king returned to America. had
reached Sandy Hook the State Depart
ment had full knowledge of the real
purpose of Schwab's trip When a few
days later. 1t Is understood, Secretary
of State Bryan Invited him to Wash
ingto9 and told him that the execution
OF Great Britain's contract would con-
stitute q violation of the neutrality
proclamation of President Wilson. Mr..
Schwab got the surprise of his life.
He was certain that neither he nor the
British government had revealed the
matter.
Had he been better acquainted with
the thorough. methodical, unobtrusive
work Of the German Secret Service. he
might have found reason for thu
mysterious leak of his inncrmost ae
crets In that direction.
How this coup Of the German Secret
service was accomplished Is a matter
OF conjecture.
That Germany has a large star NJ
active agents In neutral countries. who
openly carry on n lively propaganda
In her behalf Is we'll known. But NV
iar the more Important work is done
by her secret agents, who operate in
the MIDST OF those countries with
whom Germany rs waging a death
struggle.
Ihat II Is shown occasionally in the
Lhemarkable manner In which Germany
mas nnen poem zen able to keep herself posted
nike relevant to her cause.
The efforts of American bankers a
t lev Weeks ago to negotiate loan to
&c 10 . me 5he German government, which i'm
meaiateiy instructed it's diplomatic
ident Wilson. with the result that the
called OF. "eso''a'iohs were
The fact that English cruisers vera
peing supplied with coal and provisions
~ American ships. both on the Pa
f fenf az ard r, Atiantic coast. was the sub
ington. ''e ~ WASH
How. in spite of all precautionary
the American government to enforce
the Presidents neutrality prociamn
ttlon' Germany has succeeded in keep
system is question which United
States Secret Service agents have been
Occasionally it is reported that n
secret wireless plant Is operating in
the woods of Maine, or In q secluded
SPOT sIt along the Pacific Coast. But def
ports has never been obtained.
zach one of the score or. more Ger
man man vessels which are informed in
At. Shortly after the outbreak OF the
war, government agents sealed up their
sending instruments. But they were
not dismantled. AS consequences, it
1s possible to use these outfits for re-
cetvtng purposes.
Messages between British warships
cruising about In the Atlantic, make
interesting material for the German
Secret Service. Radiograms received
at the official wireless station, Mt Say
vile, may be rejected by the censor
and forbidden to, be published. Yet
they might have been Intercepted by
scores Of Instruments with properly
adjusted radiation key.
Some weeks ago there was a British,
complaint to the State Department
that messages OF an unneutral character
had been intercepted by English war
ships cruising along the Atlantic Coast
which were evidently sent from some
point along the Maine coast and in
tended for Germany.
"At that time the North German
Lloyd liner, Kronprinzessin Cecilie. was
interned In Bar Harbor, Me. Appar-
emily her wireless outfit was out Of
commission. according to the United
States marshal and his assistants, who
had been ordered to take charge of
the vessel. When the steamer was
moved. few days later, wireless mes
sages ceased to emanate from the
Maine coast"
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