Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-04-24
PROCEED WITH CARE
IN VON |G[E CASE
U. S. Officials Striving to Avoid
Complication of Issues
With Germany.

Administrat ton officials apparently
are embarrassed in the treatment OF
the Wolf Won Igel incident because of
the possibility that it's disposition may
complicate the Issue already made with
Germany over its method of submarine
warfare. They are OF opinion, 1t is
said, that it may be better. for diplo-
matte reasons. to concede all Of the
demands of the German ambassador for
the release of Won Igel, and the return
of all the papers seized in his once,
than to develop a situation on Whlch
the German government might reason
ably base severance OF relations.
without regard to the submarine issue.
Efforts are being made to keep the two
issues separate, and to avoid any action
that might give the German govern
ment an opportunity of confusing the
issue over submarine warfare by
charging the United States with violat-
ing established principles relating to
the privileges of diplomatic agents.
To Return All Official" Papers.
According to Secretary Lansing all the
Official papers seized in the Office of
Won igel will he returned to the German
embassy, bu. he declined to say whether
that would include ''all the papers or to
specify who was to determine which of
were not of that character. Decision on
those points probably will be made to-
morrow after Ambassador Bernstorff has
conferred with the Secretary OF State At
any rate it is understood that Count Won
Bernstorff will come to this city tomor-
row to see the Secretary on the subject.
The Department of Justice. while
willing to be guided by the State De-
partment, holds that as the papers were
taken from an office in New York
leased by Won Igel himself. diplomatic
immunity from seizure cannot be in
voked. AS to the assertion of the am
bassador that as an attache of the Ger
man embassy Won 1ge1 cannot be held
in custody, the State Department is
willing to agree. but only to the extent
that Won Igefs immunity extends only
to alleged offenSes committed after he
was entered on the embassy rolls. If
the evidence indicates that he was en-
gagged in attempted violations of Amer
lean laws before he became an embassy
empl0ye. this government. according to
the present disposition, may insist that
he be held for trial
All of the original papers are now a t
.he Department of Justice, where they
are being gone over carefully. Photo
graphic copies have been left in charge
of United States Attorney Marshall of
order has been sent to him for the dis
patch of these copies and the photo
graphic plates to Washington.
Ambassador Embarrassed.
The loss of the papers seized in Won
Igels offices is declared to be the most
embarrassing incident in the diplomatic
career of Count Won Bernstorff. 1t is
known that his name is mentioned in
some papers. and the statement is made
by persons in authority that if he iden-
tif1es these as parts of the official files
of his embassy, he will be placed in the
position of having knowledge of many
things that have happened here since
the outbreak of the war. which, up to
the present time, he has maintained
were done without sanction or knowl-
edge of the embassy
Persons who have examined the sew
enty pounds of documents believe that
ii is doubtful if Count Won Bernstorff
will attempt to identify any of them
by reason of the startling contents of
many of the lot.
Not only the Welland canal plot, but
also plots independent of that affair
figure in the papers There are data
concerning the activities of Franz Rim
telen, the Berlin banker and reserve
naval officer. who came here a year ago
to direct the conspiracy to instigate
strikes in munition plants. for partici-
patton in which plots several persons
among them Rintelen himself are now
under indictment.