The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-03
BIG CONSPIRACY
TO GET GERMANS
TO FRONT SEEN
Four Men Taken Off Ship
Charged With Having
False Passports.
TWO MORE ON LAND
IN FEDERAL NET

Four Germans, one OF them an officer
Of tho reserve and the others German
citizens returning to the fathcrland as
volunteers. were arrested by Govern
ment agents yesterday aboard the Scan
dinavan- American liner Bcrgensfjord
as the steamer stopped at Quarantine on
her way outward bound for Bergen,
Norway.
Meantime special agents Of the Gov
eminent were looking last night for
Maurice Deiches in Philadelphia. They
carried a warrant issued by United
states Commissioner Houghton charE-
ing him also with conspiracy to de-
fraud the United States.
Mr.. Deiches is well known New
York attorney of German parentage
lie was receiver for the Bischoff bank
ing house. which failed some time ago,
and has been active to a certain extent
IN New York politics.
All four were in possession Of pass
ports issued by the State Department
TO citizens Of the United States. They
were charged with conspiracy to de-
fraud the Government. one of them.
the officer. was later parolod on his own
recognizance, whilo the Others were
locked up in default of $1,000 bail.
While these arrests were in progress
other Government agents stopped Carl
Ruroede of 1621 Forty-siXth street,
Brooklyn. and John Aucher as they were
walking in Whitehall street and arrested
them on the same charge Ruroede and
Auchcr are said to he the men who
secured the passports for the four men
who hoped with their aid to slip out OF
the country to Norway. Ruroede was
held in $4,000 bail
Authorities Long ON watch.
Later in the day United States Attor-
ney II. Snowden Marshall, acting upon
advice from Washington, issued the
following statement:
For some Time back an Investigation
has been in progress Involving the issu-
nnce of American passports obtained by
different sorts OF fraud. The special
agents OF the Department OF Justice IN
,harge OF the matter have recently OBJ
aimed satisfactory evidence upon which
hey have been granted warrants for the
''''N'A VI NAt t'Ns SN'An '4''ii' 'H'F Hil''N
Hended to-day.
III should be stated that very
thorough investi cation has disclosed the
fact that very few United States pass
ports have been fraudulently obtained It
vas feared that the arrests made to-day
might expose persons holding perfectly
good passports to suspicion, and ] desire
TO say that the thorough investigation that
has been made has resulted in establishing
the fact thar nearly all passports issued
By this country are properly issued and
held byspersons who are entitled to them.
Nevertheless, in order that Ameri-
can citizens with American passports
travelling abroad !ndy be taken care Of
and for the ;cnyeE'@ucc Of other Gov ern-
.ncnts, the state Department has estdb-
iishcd system by which If any Amori-
san passport IS cXpO-cd 70 question the
nearest diplomatic or consular officer Of
THIS Government VIII on request send a
cable reporting the essential facts in the
Gaze which the state department will in
'estigate and cause verihcation or dis
a'owal Of the passport involved to be
cabled promptly TO the officer who IN
susurated The inquiry.
In view of the fact that there have
oesn some passports issued fraudulently
tho State Department has established
new and stringent regulations which II is
believed cannot be ovaded.
The persons arrested to-day are
charged with u conspiracy to defraud the
United tSates. and 1t is believed, that the
evidence against each of them is amply
sufficient.
About six weeks ago one OF the Fed
erll officers in this district secured in
formation that efforts were on foot to
oI.gu by fraud number Of pass
ports. This Information led to the In
y,tigation, which resulted in the ar
',is made to-day
Just now many German reservstsand vol
unteers have been able 20 make their way
TO Germany by this method is not known
but from bits of information picked up
here and there 1t seems pretty certain
hat the Department OF Justice believes
he number to he considerable.
The incident is considered of so much
importance that arrangements have been
made from Washington with the rep
resentatives OF the United States in
Europe 10 do everything in their power
10 safeguard bona hde citizens OF the
nited States travelling In Europe from
any Inconvenience as a result of a stricteI
policy OF inspection on the part Of the bel
Userent nations.
With this purpose in view the stat,
Department has instructed all diplomatic
and consular officers TO cable full report
any American passport is exposed &c
question. An investigation will then b'
made IN this country and IL 1t appear:
nat the person holding the passport 4,
indeed citizen OF the United State:
.,eTything will he done 10 guard him
from inconvenience
On Trail of Others.
Tho Federal authorities are believed 4