New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-30
Admits German Officer
Gave Him Forged Paper


London, July 29.-Germany has been
caught redhanded forging American
passports, including the seal of the
United States and William ]. Bryan's
signature.
The Tribune corresp spondent had an
opportunity to-day to closely examine
a legitimate passport issued by the
Department Of State and a German
copy thereof. The latter was similar
in all outward appearances to the
genuine, but on close examination II
was obviously a forgery, with altera-
t!ons 10 fit the description of the
bearer, who assumed the legitimate
holders name.
The man from whom the forged pass
port was obtained is under arrest. he
has confessed that he received the
passport from Captain Schnitzer, chief
Of the German Secret Service in Ant
werp, where presumably the passport
was made.
The American government is making
a protest 70 Germany. 1t is believed
that many other forged passports exist.
For that reason all American passports
are subject 10 suspicion. This already
has resulted in much inconvenience to
American travellers.
The evidence Of the two passports,
the original and the fraudulent, side
by side, is conclusive. 1t appears that
early this year an American bearing a
legitimate State Department passport
twice visited Germany, each time show
ing his passport, which bears official
German vises Somewhere some Ger
man official noted the name, number
and date Of the passport.
q
placed in the hands of the German
Secret Service, which when it was de-
sired 10 furnish an agen: with a pass
port utilized the name, number and
date Of the original, varying only in
the personal description. Naturally,
the photograph on the original is that
Of the legitimate holder, while on the
forgery II is that of the man arrested.
The imitation is clever--so clever
that u was undetected by some Of the
ohclals through whose hands il passed.
comparison with ,he genuine, backed
by chemical analysis of the parch-
ment and the red seal, proves that 1t is
a forgery beyond a doubt.
Inc idea was clever, too. If the
fraudulent holder was suspected the
natural action would be an inquiry TO
Washington whether a passport bear
ing certain name, number and date
was actually issued The answer would
be n the affirmative.
Ine Germans failed to reproduce the
Watermark with sufficient accuracy. In
stead Of being within the parchment il
was impressed with some kind of grease
on the back. The red wafer for the
sea! is slightly different from the gen.
t'ne IN color, while the shading on the
american coat of arms is darker in the
forged document. The handwriting also
is dlsSlmilar 10 that usual on depart
ment passports, while the date is in
serted by hand instead of by the Gus
tomary hand stamp.
Al! Passports bear a list of countries
whlcn the holder intends visiting. On
the original Germany and Belgium were
included. but on the forgery Italy and
Spaln were substituted, so that there
might be no suspicion that the holder
had ever been in Germany. The parch-
ment is a very good imitation, but the
engraving is darker. Evidently the gen.
efai form was reproduced by photog-
iNphy. The handwriting is recognized
oy English Secret Service men as that
Of Captain Schnitzer. 1t is a good imi-
tation Of an English hand witho ut Ger
manic touches.
Carl Reinhard, a German. who has
residence in Richmond. Eng, was
sentenced at Falmouth to-day TO six
months Imprisonment at hard labor
iror landing in England from the United
states with passport which he ad-
matted was forged
Reinhard arrived at Falmouth on
i,he Dutch liner Rotterdam from New
York, with a passport made out IN the
pane Of Alfred Geysell, which described
s4aa ss . Swiss subject