Evening star., 1915-07-30
FORGED PASSPORTS
BREACH OF AMEN|TY
Attention of Berlin Directed to
Statements of German
Spies in London.

Ambassador Gerard has been directed
by the State Department to call to the
attention of the German government
statements made under oath in Eng
land by persons arrested as German
spies that they had been supplied with
forged American passports by German
officials
Americans whose genuine passports
are alleged to have been forged also
gave testimony that led to this action
by the American government. Am has
sador Gerard is directed to seek an ex-
planation of that portion of testimony
In several cases which appears to make
agents of the German government re-
sponsible for the forgeries.
Though deemed of suffisient impor-
tance to justify it's transmission by
cable to Ambassador Gerard at Berlin,
representations of the State Depart
ment in regard to the forging of
United States passports by alleged
German government agents is hardly
expected to elicit formal response
from the German foreign office before
next week
Presumably the German government
VIII desire to go through the forms
OF an investigation to test the charges
that have been made in London by the
persons arrested German spies that
they received their bogus credentials
from German secret service agents
No special treaty provision covers
such an act as the forgery in Germany
OF United States passports But the
act would be regarded as a very seri-
GUS breach Of international courtesy
would admit of. Even in time of
peace. when military spies have been
arrested in European countries, en-
gagged in securing plans of fortifica-
tions and gathering other valuable
technical information. their own gov
ernments almost Invariably have de-
clined to assume any responsibility for
their actions. They have let 1t be in
ferred that it was voluntary patri-
otic service, for unless responsibility
for the spying was repudiated a seri-
Gus international breach would follow
Repeated Instances of Abuse.
officials here have been deeply con-
cerned for some time at repeated in
stances Of abuse of American passports,
despite every effort to restrict and
safeguard issuance. 1t was pointed out,
however. that there was no recourse
against deliberate forgery of a pass
port or any other document at such a
time.
Admitting that 1T is a delicate matter
to address a friendly government in
such a case, officials here feel the evil
dence in these cases has been developed
SO publicly that no other course ap-
peared but to afford the German gov
ernment an opportunity to disavow re-
sponsibility for the actions of alleged
agents by entering a complete denial
Of the charges
Supplied by Superiors.
Beginning with the developments in
the case of the German-American, Kup-
ferle, who committed suicide after ad-
mitting that as German spy he had
been supplied with a bogus American
passport by his superiors. the State
Department has been tracing the his
tory of other false passports
Developments in the case of the al
legged German spy Bruckow, who has
been on trial in London for the last
three weeks, have materially strength
ened the hands of the investigators
here. 1t has been found that a passport
issued a young American business man
travelling in Germany was temporarily
in the custody OF the Berlin police in
conformity with their demand. The
passport was returned, but it now ap-
pears that BruckOw was equipped with
facsimile containing his own por-
trait, but bearing the name and num-
Der of the document issued to the
American.
French Plan as Check.
Adoption by the British government
of the French plan of requiring pass
ports issued by the State Department
here to be vised by the consular Of
ficers in New York or some other
port of departure. it has been sug-
gested by the officials here, may follow
the evidence Of wholesale misuse of
Amrican passports by German spies.
While that precaution Is not an alb
solute protection against the fraudulent
use of passports. it is said that it would
probably have prevented the successful
use of such passports by both Kup-
ferle and Brucker.
Under that plan, the French consul
general requires the holder of the
American passport to deposit that
before the date of sailing. The time
identity of the applicant and other
wise verify the statements contained
in the passport. The British govern
ment has been reluctant to adopt that
system of viseing passports, probably
because of the great Inconvenience Il
causes to travellers, butt the increas-
ing activities Of spies may bring about
the imposition of that or some other
additional protection. against fraud