New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-04
SEEK {; EEK r RICH GERMAN
IN PASSPORT CASE
u. S., to Protect Holders
of Genuine Documents,
Will Push Case.
WIFE SAYS DECHES
DENIES IMPLICATION
Returns Under BOnd-Pedlers
of Spurious Papers Vanish
Victims on Their Guard.

| CleWs tnat point 10 Hah "'b
up" in the fraudulent passport case,
/ believed by Secret Service men 70 DC
/ n rich German, who has embarked IN
! the business Of sending his country
men back TO the Fatherland with
/ faxed papers, are being run down by
/ the government, following the arrest
! on Saturday OF Maurice Deiches ana
six alleged accomplices.
| When the federal grand jury sitS
] tomorrow, it is believed that II VIII
/ hear evidence looking TO indictments
not only against the seven men uhuer
arrest. but also against at least one
other man whose name has not Deeh
mentioned in the case, and whose ar
I rest will cause a sensation. ~,
In preparing the case against tne
men under arrest IL was made
I plain by government authorities
Yesterday that the chief purpose
: of the prosecution is to convince
| the warning nations that there VIII De
no reason in the future 10 DOUBT tne
I integrity of passports issued by Ihe
state Department of this country. Inc
maximum penalty for the offence 10r
which the alleged passport takers VII,
| be placed on trial is two years IN jan
! and a $4,000 fine. 1t is planned 10
I make LniS ptHdlAs ANoA 49,
/ to a repetition of the oneDce.
On the other hard. it was not the at
| titude of the government men that any
serious crime had been committed by
! the Germans VINO availed themselves
/ of the falsitied passports in a patrlotc
I effort to fight for their country. Har-
] old A. Content. Assistant United States
! Attorney. said the idea was not 10
wrcak punishment upon these Germans,
but simply to protect the government
( from further abuse of its passport
privileges.
Spies Might Use Passports.
"The action was not directed against
I Germany, but simply to prevent TINS
/ practice" he said mo great harm
might be done by using the passports
to secure passage home, but, once
/ home with a passport, the next step
might be TO use it TO help the holder
work as a spy. American passports
/ would come TO mean nothing and would
afford no protection to American citi-
zens entitled to such protection"
II is probable the weight of the gov
| ernment's wrath will fall upon those
! who acted in the capacity Of agents
/ in the conspiracy. Also, in the future:
an American passport will be one OF
the hardest kinds of documents IN the
world TO get, and the State Department
will make sure that only bona hde
American citizens shall obtain them.
Deiches, the lawyer, who was ar.
rested in Philadelphia, put up SZo,-
900 bond there guaranteeing his APP
pearance in the United States District
Court in this city Tuesday. He re-
turned TO his home, 500 West 10th St,
! late yesterday afternoon. His wife
! answered all inquiries, saying that Mr..
| Deiches was too tired to discuss his
| case.
81 will make the only statement Mr..
! Deiches cares to make" she said, "and
| that is that he knows absolutely Moth
| ing about this case. He does not even
know the other persons whose names
! have been mentioned in the news
papers in connection with it. The only
way he can account for his being
| drawn into il is that some one has
used his name without authority.
"He will appear in court, and when
| he knows more about the matter he
will be glad to talk about it,"
When the government men were told
| of this statement, one of them said:
1--WE have made no mistake in arrest
| ing him. He had something to do with
| it all right" He refused TO say in
what way the government alleges
/ Deiches took part in the conspiracy
He said he expected him to waive ex-
] animation in court when the govern
ment shows its hand.
/ Deiches is an American citizen, being
/ prominent in German-American circles.
/ He was candidate for Register of
/ Deeds on the Democratic ticket IN 1913.
/ He has been receiver for the Etna In
surance Company and the Bischotf
| Bank, and was for time secretary to
Justice Guy, of the Supreme Court. He
is counsel for large interests.
Carl Ruroede and John Aucher, the
] other two who are accused with
! Deiches of being on the brokerage end
Of the traffic in passports and were held
| in custody yesterday.
News of the arrests spread rapidly
among the several thousand German
naval reservists aboard the steamships
in Hoboken, where it was almost
tomblike.
The Tribune several weeks ago
printed story about the sale of Amer
/ lean citizenship papers and passports
among German sailors in Hobokeu.
Many of the men who availed them
/ selves of the opportunity to buy Uncle
| Sans warrant of protection and per-
mission TO travel as American citizens
b in foreign countries are now afraid
that their money has been wasted and
/ that they may be involved in serious
| difficulties.
| Ignorant of the customs and laws Of
this country, and in many instances
unable to speak the language, their ig-
! norance adds all the more TO their un-
easiness. and they hold counsel among
/ themselves TO devise ways and means
/ for their protection.
Men Pledged TO Secrecy.
They have pledged themselves 10 ab-
, solute secrecy, rave in many instances
destroyed the discriminating papers and
rely on Providence that the man who
acted as their broker" may not be
caught in the dragnet which it is
/ known the federal agents have eX-
tended into Hoboken and jersey City.
! An inquiry instituted by The Tribune
! yesterday revealed the ease with which
those who were engaged in the pass
port traffic in Hoboken managed TO use
! the federal government as a tool for
their enterprise.
A passport is easily obtainable from
| the State Department in Washington
4 upon presentation of citizenship pa
pers. IL acts automatically as a GER
tifcate of citizenship and constitutes
q formal permit for the bearer TO
travel abroad under the protection OF
the United States. The original pass
port is good for two years, and can then
be renewed by merely writing to the
/ State Department and stating date ard
number of the original issue. The re-
newed passport is then issued and sent
By mail TO the applicant. No other for
mality is necessary