Evening star., 1915-11-12
AUSTRIAN CONSULS
ACCUSED Of SPYING
Plot Against Munitions Fac
tories in U. S. Alleged by
Dr.. Joseph Goricar.
CLAIMS 1T IS APPROVED
BY GERMAN AMBASSADOR
Austro- Hungarian Embassy De.
nounces the Story as Untrue in
Every Particular"

fuDl1Slled charges, attributed tt
DR.. Joseph Goricar, former Aus
| tro-Hungarian consul at Sar
Francisco, that Austrian consul:
in the United States, working un
der the direction of Consul Gen
eral Won Nuber and Count vor
Bernstorff, the German ambassa
! dor, are active in propaganda fol
destruction of munitions factories
and fomenting strikes among the
workers, will be referred by the
State Department to the Depart
ment of Justice for investigation
The Austro-H Hungarian embassy here
denounced Goricar's published state
ment as untrue in every particular and
announced it would try to find some
way to prosecute him for it. Goricar
the embassy announced, left his post on
leave and failed to return.
Mr.. Lansing Declines Comment.
Secretary Lansing today declined to
comment on the charges. as has been
his invariable custom when dealing
with like cases which were of an un-
official character. The department OF
justice has a good deal of Information
on hand regarding the activities of Con-
sui General Won Nuber, which 1t gath
cred while Investigating his connection
with the case of DR.. Dumba, the re-
called Austrian ambassador, but so far
has nothing definite on the charges at
tributed to Dr. Goricar.
| In substance, Goricar is accredited
| with making the statement that he re-
| signed his post after fifteen years in
the Austrian consular service because
| he declined to perform the work of a
spy. He charges that while consul at
| San Francisco. Commander Macmillan
Burstyn, the Austrian naval attache in
| Washington, ordered him to gather
plans of the fortificatio of San Fran
cisco harbor and along the Pacific coast
and to get. especially, details of the
| works at Bremerton navy yard. When
| he refused, Goricar is accredited with
saying he was transferred to Berlin.
dered to proceed to Vienna. This he
| feared to do because of his pro-Slavic
Affiliations. SO he fed to Rome, where
he resigned last December.
| Substance of Charges.
| Goricar's story contends that the
| German ambassador. working with Won
Nuber, is in touch with the Austrian
consuls at Cleveland. st. Louis. Pitts
| burgh, st. Paul. Chicago and Philadel-
| phia, who spread propaganda among
| the foreign workers in the munitions
| factories, and such activity, GoricaI
| alleges, extends even to controlling the
| foreigners through fraternal and Sc
cret organizations. The alleged extent
of the activities of the Austrian con-
suls and the so-called spy system are
described at length in Goricar's pub
lished statement.
Goricarss record shows he first came
| to this country in 1909 and was consu!
at Pittsburgh. then at Denver and
finally San Francisco, where he served
three years.
Statement Issued by Embassy.
The Austro-Hungarian embassy is-
sued the following statement:
"Ex-Consul DIR. Goricar, formerly al
San Francisco. has been on leave of alb
sence since the time of the outbreak Of
the war and has been temporarily attached
for time to the Austro-Hungariar r
consulate general in Berlin, Germany
!
tanned knowledge that the Austro-
| Hungarian authorities had received in
formation aboTt his secret connections
| with the enemies of Austria.-HungarJ
and evidently fearing detection, ht
suddenly left his post without permits
sion and disappeared. Later on 1t was
learned that he had gone to Italy anc
wy staying in Rome, from where h'
rendered his resignation. thereby pre-
| venting his displissal.
| while he was in Rome ft'was as
Icertained that he was in close relation
with Russian and Serbian agents. OBJ
viously with the purpose of going tt
the United States to use his knowledge
of the centers of Slavic immigration
coming from the monarchy in the serv.
ice of the Slavic propaganda ant
with the inteDt of disseminating dis
loyalty among our immigrants agains
their country of birth.
Many Enlisted With Allies.
The Aastro Hungarian embassy ha!
been informed that quite a number O
southern slavs from the monarch.
have been enlisted by the agents o
the allies and have left this countr,
to fight against the Austro- Hungarian
army. 1t is very probable that DR.
IGoricar's subversive activity contrib
uted to the very regrettable acts 0
treason which. certainly withou
changing the outcome of the war. viii
be of the gravest consequence for thos,
who may be made prisoners Of war.
The Austro- Hungarian embassy wa
informed several months ago of DR.
Goricar's agitatory propaganda, car
ried on in this country. butt ha
} refrainsd until now from taking coun
ter measures. being aware Of the dis
grace brought about by the fact tina
, a former consular officer has broker
in such the faith and allegiance t
his fatherland.
'In view, however. of his statement
: TO the press. which contain tn
. strongest accusatioei against the rep
resentatives of Austro- Hungary, tn
embassy must emphatically declar
these accusations false and abso
lutely baseless. Otherwise, silenc
would be taken acknowledgment
and would create the belief that ou
! consulates actually are engaged Il
( activities In violation of the laws o
this country"
Oil King Entertains Children.
II. A