The Colorado statesman., 1917-09-29
DASTARDLY WORK OF GERMAN SPIES
DISCLOSED BY SEIZED DOCUMENTS
That Emssaries of the Kaiser Struck Many Foul Blows
Proved by Papers Made Public by the
Government.


frequented during two years OF singu-
larly quiet and unbusinesslike exist
ence chiefly by Germans who had moth
Ing whatsoever to do with advertising.
The other was large safe. bearing the
insignia of the German imperial gov
ernment.
One morning in April. 1915 govern
ment secret service men visited this
same Wall street office while Won Igel
was preparing n mass of papers which
he had taken from the safe for trans
| fer to the German embassy in Wash
| ington.
Find Lists of Spies.
When the papers were examined by
the department of justice the reason for
| Won Igeis determined fight became ap-
| parent. Here, in the form of letters
kilograms, notations. checks. receipts
| ledgers cashboolSs. cipher codes. lists
| of spies. and other memoranda and rec
| ords were found indications-in some
| instances of the vaRuest nature. in
| others of the most damning conclusive
ness-that the German imperial gov
| ernment through its representatives in
n then friendly nation. was concerned
with:
Violation of the laws of the United
| States.
Destruction of lives and property in
merchant vessels on the high seas.
Irish revolutionary plots against
| Great Britain.
Fomenting i'll feeling against the
United States in Mexico.
Subornation of American writer's and
| lecturers.
Financing of propaganda.
Maintenance of spy system under
the guise of a commercial investiga-
tion bureau.
Subsldizing of a bureau for the pur-
pose of stirring up labor troubles in
munition plants.
The bomb industry and other related
activities.
| ~
Perhaps the most Illuminating single
document in the collection is letter of
July 20. 1915. reproduced as II ap-
peared upon the stationery OF the "Bu-
reau of Investi CATION" This innocent,
pretending agency at the outset
the secret service of the Hamburg
\ American Steamship company Under
Paul Koenlg. its manager. 1t became an
adjunct to the German diplomatic secret
service. xxx" is the secret designa-
ton of Koenig. who is now under in
dictments or criminal charges in con-
nection with this diplomatic" work.
and is interned at Fort Oglethorpe
The person represented by the figure
1000" is Captain Won Papen. former
| military attache of the German en-
bassy and the practical executive of its
underground system. The document de-
| scribes the subterfuges of xxx (Koe-
nig) so that he might not be identified
| by the mysterious - when they met.
xxx states that money was to be
drawn for the payment of $3.50 to the
unnamed person, under peculiar precau-
| tions. through Check No. 146 on the
Riggs National bank. Washington.
dated July 16, payable to----- to----
| signed amount $3.50. No rea-
son was given as to why the payment
was made" says the report.
Bombs in Coal.
Several days after the payment. the
| recipient called 1T the passenger Of
fee of the - line" and made state
ment which is thus embodied in the
| xxx report.
My name is --. l have an office
at the -- building. but do not care
to state my local address. intend to
| cause serious damage to vessels of the
| allies leaving ports of the United States
by placing bombs, which I am making
| myself on board. These bombs
semble ordinary Jumps of coal, and l
| am planning to have them concealed in
| the coal to be laden on steamers of
| the allies"
Finally xxx states that the caller"
| brought with him a sample bomb.
such as has been described to you by
the subscriber" and asks for the in
The document is lettered at the foot,
20. r. to 1000" indicating that the Sc
| cret agent known as 20. r." had trans
| mitted 1t to Won Papen.
Check Is Traced.
| Now for the proof, direct and unes-
| al bank has been traced and added to
the secret service collection. 1t is pay
able to Koenig and signed by Won Fapen.
Therefore Won Papen stands convicted,
on the evidence OF a report claimed
an official document by the Germans of
paying money to plotter designir to
blow up merchant ships sailing froi
port of New York. The person who made
this report is known to department of
justice officials.
Compare these documents with the fol-
lowing authorized statement from Ber-
lin, transmitted by wireless for publica-
ton in the New York Times in December.
1915:
THE German government has nat
urally, never knowingly accepted the sup
port of any person. group of persons.
ciety or organization seeking to pro-
mote the cause of Germany in the United
States by Illegal acts, by counsel or vi
olence. by contravention of law. or by
any means whatever that could offend
| the American people in the pride of their
own authority"
Destruction was not by any means
the sole interest OF Koenig's energetic
bureau. 1t concerned itself also with
spy enterprises. To Koenig wrote Otto
| West, an American citizen and pro-
pretor of the Hour Glass. at 3O3 Cor
| 363) Fifth avenue, recommending a rela-
tive OF his who. according to his de-
| scription, must be an interesting and
somewhat formidable figure. Mr.. Vests
| description, somewhat curtailed. follows:
He is grandson OF the late Ober-
hofprediger Strauss OF Berlin. brother
of the present Militar Oberpfarrer Strauss
| of Potsdam nephew of the late Admiral
| Won Schleinitz, the late General Won Man
| tey, etc. This gentleman changed his name
| some twenty odd years ago to an Amer
| lean name. and none of his associates sus-
poets his German birth or antecedents.
the secret service of the Hamburg