The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1915-09-14
Canadian Report Tells Of Plan
Developed Early Last Year For
Admiral Won Specs Fleet To
Seize British Columbia Ports
WERE TO HAVE BEEN
IN PORT ON A VISIT
Geier Alone Is Left of the Ships
Which Figured In the Alleged
Scheme To Harass Commerce
or British On the Pacific Coast

Tale of a German plot, in which the
gunboat Geier, now rusting in idleness
in the Honolulu harbor, was to have
played a part, comes TO Honolulu from
Vancouver. The plan was for the Ger
man Pacific fleet, of which the GeieT
is today the sole survivor, to seize the
Canadian coast cities on the outbreak
Of the war, thus giving Germany Pa,
cific base, drydOck and coal supply, a
tremendous advantage in the carrying
on of the Pacific naval campaign.
The Vancouver Province gives what
it alleges to be the details of the plan.
which was laid months before the out
break of the war. Says the Canadian
paper:
| "Admiral Won Specs account of his
! victory off the Chilean coast last No.
! vember, proves to be of special inter.
est at this time to the people of Brit
ish Columbia, and particularly to the
residents of the coast cities, in view Of
facts just brought to light of a plot
months before the declaration of war,
to capture Vancouver on the very day
of the outbreak of hOstilities. Had the
| nefarious designs of the men, who
called Vancouver their home, been
brought to a successful termination,
this city, instead of mourning the
| death of but one of her citizens by the
guns of the German Pacific squadron,
| DIR. F. l.. de Nerteuil, who met gal.
liant death on the deck of the Good
Hope, would in all probability have
suffered a worse fate than Hartlepool.
and Scarborough, which were shelled
by the Germans last year.
Commenced in February
l.. Gin February of last year, according
to reliable information obtained by a
Province representative, AlvO Won AL
vensleben, whose activities are already
well known throughout the province,
and who, it is stated, was later "cre-
ated" governor of British Columbia by
the Kaiser, was in Germany. From
Berlin he sent advices by cable and
letter to a TPutonic resident of this
city, who claims American citizenship,
and now resides in Seattle, to call a
Meeting of those whom he could trust.
| The object of this meeting was to agi-
tate the citizens of Vancouver to ask
he German squadron to visit Vaneou.
GER and Victoria during the summer
months, and invite their own destruc-
ton.
"In accordance with the instructions
of Alvensleben, a meeting was held,
not in the German Club, where gath.
crings of that nature were usually
convened, but in a room in a down
town hotel. There were several mem
hers of the German club who were
70 hai nj ha
trusted to plot against the nation and
city which was giving them their daily
bread These men were excluded
from the meeting. Private invitations
were given to those, who it is said
could be relied upon, and they were
sworn to secrecy as to what transpir-
ed behind the closed doors to which
they were admitted after scrutiny.
Fleet to Visit Seattle
! - Several meetings in private were
later held by those vitality interested
in the scheme, and the only infotma-
ton which leaked out was that 1t
was to be announced at a later date
that the Scharnhorst, Gneisenau,
Nurnberg, Leipzig and Geier were to
pay friendly visit to San Francisco
and Seattle in return for the visit
paid to Germany several years before
by the United States fleet, which en-.
circled the world Upon the official
announcement being made to this eff.
feet the traitorOus residents of Van
cOuver, many Of whom had assumed
the cloak of Canadian citizenship,
were to bring every influence at their
disposal to bear to have the citizens
of Vancouver invite Won Spec and his
ships to partake of the hospitality of
this city.
In Control Of Seaports
1.-The date set for the arrival of the
KaiSer's ships was to be, it trans
pires, about the time that Germany
had prepared to declare war. Then
r with powerful feet in the sheltered
waters of the Gulf of Georgia, the
cities of Vancouver and Victoria, and
the great coal fields of Vancouver
Island would have been at the mercy
of the Huns, while the railway ter
minals here and the almost -complet
ed drydOcks and terminals at Prince
Rupert would have been easily des
troved. All trade with the Orient
would have been cut Off, the Austria
liam cables would have been cut, and
I'm place Of the coast cities which
have sent so many men to the tren
rhcS in Flanders and France and t.
the far off Darlanelles, nothing would
have remained but charred ruins.
Started Hindu Trouble
" Not only did the Germans plan this
destruction of Canada 3 western sea
ports but the same Germans who
acted as agents for the Kaiser in thii
country had much to do with the
troubles incident to the KomapAts
Maru, in the hope that it would cause
friction between the two great do
minIons. Canada and India. At the
recent trial of the Lahore eonspira