New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-03
Government Officials in
Tug Race Down Bay
and Arrest Germans.
8 OTHERS ON LAND
ACCUSED OF PLOT
Maurice DeiChes Taken i'm
State Departments
Double Coup.
OFFICER Is CAUGHT
ON WAY TO FRONT
He Is Released on Parole. but
Alleged Brokers in False
Documents Are Held.

bONuhlSilo htS ilClu.
Faxed American passports. alleged
to have been furnished TO Germans
through the plotting OF Maurice
Deiches, New York lawyer of high
standing brought about the arrest yes
terday Of eight men in this city and
Philadelphia. Four men with the
passports in their possession we're
taken on the Norwegian liner Bergen
ford after a posse Of secret agents
from the United States Department OF
Justice had pursued the vessel down
the bay. One OF the four was an officer
in the German army. attempting TO get
back TO the scene of fighting.
Deiches, who has Offices az III Broad
way and is a member of prominent
clubs. was arrested in Philadelphia.
The discovery of the plot grew out Of
an investigation following the use OF
faxed passport by Carl Lody. the
German spy recently shot I'm the Tower
Of London
At about the same time that the Sc
cret service men were swarming up the
side OF the Bergcnfjord another posse
was having n lively scuiile with three
other Germans for whom they had
warrants charging them with entering
into conspiracy against the govern
ment for the purpose Of obtaining and
selling large numbers of faxed pass
ports for Germans wishing 10 make a
safe return 10 their country.
The men put up something OF a re-
sistance when arrested, but finally sub
mitted. The three taken into camp in
the land engagement were Carl Ru-
roede. his son, Carl. jr., and John
Aucher. The men arrested on the Ber-
genfiord were Arthur Wilhelm Saehse,
a reserve lieutenant in the Germsn
army, residing at Pelham Manor, and
Walter Miller, August Never and Her
man Wegener. all three Of Chilli.
Government Imposed Upon
IN these arrests the government ex-
ecuted coup that has been in prepara-
tiOh ever since Lody came TO grief.
From that incident there had come TO
the State Department the suspicion that
the lax methods in vogue in issuing
passports had probably resulted in
flooding Europe with fraudulent docu-
ments. An investigation proved that
such. in fact. was the case.
The old method. whereby all that
was necessary in obtaining a passport
was for the applicant TO send 10 the
State Department an application, sworn
to before a local notary, stating that
he was a citizen, was changed so that
1t was required Of the applicant 70 ap-
pear before the clerk Of United
States District Court with witnesses 10
attest is citizenship.
l.
leakage of fake documents. and the
rule was pacsed three weeks ago that
two photographs OF the applicant
should 90 with the application. These
were sent loose. II was still found that
between the appearance before the
court clerk and the mailing OF the
photographs a substitution of photo
graphs was possible.
SO the rule WAS lacked up tighter,
requiring that the photograph for the
application be sealed on by the clerks
Of the courts where they were sworn
out, duplicate photograph now going
10 Washington, 10 be sealed on the
passport there iu the State Depart
ment. Il was before this rule was
passed. which was within the last few
days. that the documents involved IN
yesterdays arrests were Obtained.
The arrests were made after con-
siderable consideration and under the
direction Of the State Department,
whose hand was controlling every move
Of the case yesterday On the one
hand they were intended as a mani
festo 10 the warning nations that a.
last the United States had taken steps
20 put a stop TO the traffic in fraudulent
passports.
On the other hand. considerable anX-
iety was felt lest, as result Of this
open confession on the part OF the
United States that many fake pass
ports had gone into Europe. all United
States passports would be laid open 20
suspicion. IL was feared that this
might result not only in embarrassment
to Americans abroad, citizens with bona
fde passports. but possibly in the death
OF many in 2 sudden faring 10 OF SPY
fear.
1 sed American Names.
The passports found on the four men
taken OF the Bergcnsfiord yesterday
were actual State Department docu-
ments. bearing the signature Of " j.
Bryan. and also q bona fide State De-
partment seal. They carried photo
graphs. too. Of the holders, sealed or.
But the names were ostcnsibly those OF
American citizens. II WAS not deter.
mined whether these names repre-.
sented actual persons or whether they
we're fictitious.
Millcr's bore the name Herbert s.
Wilson: Sachse's. Howard Paul Wright:
Meyers. Peter Hansen. and Wegener's.
Stanley r. Martin. Whether they were
issued 70 Americans who were part Of
the conspiracy, or whether the names
Of innocent persons we're used, has not
yet been determined.
The prisoners were taken last night
before United States Commissioner
Clarence 5. Houghton. in the Federal
building. for arrangement. The gov
tnment was represented By Harold A.
Content and John c. Knox. Assistant