Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1915-06-17
DOUBLE IDENTITY
HOAX STORY WILL
Be INVESTIGATED
New York Tribune Says BerR-
storff Envoy Was In Real
ity Head of German Array
Supply Bureau.
SWEEPING INQUIRY BEGUN
Red Cross Propaganda Said to
Have Been Screen to Hide
Activities In Buying Up
War Stores.
SWEEPING INQUIRY BEGUN

Washington. June 17.-Published
charges that Dr. Anton Meyer-e;er-
hard. for whom the United States ar
ranged safe conduct with the allies
that he might return to Germany with
a personal message from Count Won
was in reality DR.. Alfred Meyer. chief
nj the supply department of the Ger
man army, who had been secretly in
the United states buying munitions Of
war, are to he investigated by the state
department
The New York Tribune is responsible
for the discovery Of the alleged double
identity of Dr. Meyer Gerhard This
paper charges that the American state
department has been made the victim
OF gigantic hoax and that the much
advertised Red Cross propaganda was
. farce to Disguise the real activities of
the distinguished German.
Simultaneously, another version of
story--that DIR. Alfred Meyer. while
not passing as Meyer Gerhard, has
been in the country and sailed with the
latter for Christania. incognito, also
will be looked into.
Foreigners Were Suspicious.
State department officials and MEM
hers OF the diplomatic corps here knew
OF the story today only from published
reports. They recalled, however, that
at the personal request of count Bern
storft, former Secretary Bryan asked
the British and French ambassadors
Tor a safe conduct for DR. Anton
Meycr-Gerhard. n representative of
the German Red Cross, who was re-
turning TO Berlin to carry a personal
message from the count.
NJ. Jesserand. the French ambas-
sadof, at the time inquired closely Of
Meyer-Gerhard's identity and state de-,
paftment officials recalled also that Sir
Cecil Spriag Rice. the 5sfi ttst, aiahas-
sadoi. has suggested there was evidence
Of other activity by Gerhard than Red
Cross work
the state department at the request Of
Count Rernstorff gave a letter.
III was a letter" said Secretary
Lansing today that was given at the
stating that DR. Meyers Gerhard who
had been in this country as the rep
resentative Of the German Red Cross
desired To return to Germany"
No question. up to that time. nor
until today. had arisen at the depart
ment as to whether Meyer-Gerhard
might be Meyer, or IL Meyer was In the
country secretly buying war supplies
Bryan Doesn't Remember.
At the British and French embassies
it was said the development was con-
sidered one purely for the state de-
pai'tment to determine II II had been
imposed upon. At the German EN-
hassy all officials We're absent. Most
of them We're at the summer embassy
nj Cedarhurst. L. l.
One report which referred to DR..
Alfred Meyer as purchasing arms here
spoke of an attemp to buy obsolete
United States rifles and said former
Representative Herman Metz, had con-
ferred With former Secretary Bryan on
the subject. Mr.. Bryan said today he
had no recollection of any such con-
versaton with Mr.. Metz. Secretary
Garrison said he knew of no negotia-
tions for the rifles.
The department will look into the
question: not because 1t involves any
violation OF international law 50 far as
officials could see today. but if the
charge of double identity We're sub
stantated it would involve diplomatic
usage and courtesy.
Does Not Question Identity.
American Red Cross officials are in
lined not to question the identity of
Dr. Meyer-Gerhard. They said he
came bearing apparently proper letters
Of introduction and with the indorse-
ment of the German embassy He
took away with him ccrtiflcation to
his signature on a letter of Identified
ton as delegate of the German Red
Cross. entitled to protection under the
Geneva convention. The certificatfon.
however. was to his signature and not
his identity. Officials say he discussed
Red Cross affairs fluently.
Some inquiry probably may be di-
rected to the minister from Denmark
Constantin Brun. who Is said to have
arranged for the passage of Meyer
Gerhard on the steamer United States.
CONFIRM STORY OF SCHEME
TO BUY DISCARDED RIFLES
New York. June 16.--Count Bern
storif was away from the summer quar-
ters of the German embassy at Cedar
hurst, J.. l., today.
Herman A. Metz. former congress
man from New York was mentioned
preached by Mrs. Selma Lewis for as
sistance in negotiating the purchase
from the government or 100000 old
style krag Jorgensen rifles in govern
lnent arsenals. said today that instead
of seeing Secretary Bryan about the
purchase of rifles. he declined to have
anything to do with the matter.
EARLY in the spring Mrs. Lewis came
to me- he said, 'and told me she had
information that the discarded rifles
could be bought. She said that DR.. Al
fred Meyer would buy them and that
liley WOuiU De DuTleu " hSep luciti
from falling into the hands CT the al
lies. She then showed me Il typewrit-
ten document which she said was i
contract for the purchase OF the rifles,
signed by DIR. A. Meyer.
Mrs. Lewis wanted me to Introduce
DR.. Meyer to Mr.. Bryan. / told her
Count Bernstorff was the man to do
that if Meyer was what he represented
himself to be. and to this she answered
that it was desired that the introduc-
ton be unofficial. l declined to have
anything to do with it. Several days
later l met Captain Franz Won Papen.
military attache of the German EN-,
bassy and told him of Mrs. Lewis and
her proposal. He laughed and said IL
was another one of those schemes-tc
keep away from 1t. Later mentioned
1t to Count Bernstorff. He threw uE
his hands, laughed heartily and slid:
Another one of those schemes; ths
woods are full Of then.'"