Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-09-24
MICROBES AND BOMBS
HIDDEN IN LEGATION
Shows How Germans Imposed Upon
Minister vopioka German Agent
Makes Startling Confession Of Plots
to Poison Both People and Animals
and Spread Epiderics.

bucharest, after the American govern
ment had taken charge of Germany's
affairs at the Roumanian capital. guam
titles of powerful explosives for bomb
plots and deadly microbes, with In
structions for their use in destroying
horses and cattle. This was revealed
Sunday by Secretary Lansing.
1t was another of the series Of Mr..
Lansing's disclosures of German in
trigue. made public without comment
in the same maner as the Won Lux
burg kilograms which have brought
Argentina on the verge of war with
Germany, the Won Eckhardt letter
from Mexico City. and the Won Bern
storff telegram asking the German
foreign office for authorization to
spend $4,000 to influence congress.
The latest story is told in report
to the state department by William
Whiting Andrews. secretary of the le-
cation at Bucharest. and a letter from
Foreign Minister Porumbaru. Of Rou-
mania.
Buried in Garden.
Parcels and boxes taken into the
German consulate at Bucharest with
display Of great precaution aroused the
suspicious of the Roumanian govern
ment. On Aug. q. 1916, the evening
prior to the date of Roumania's dec
laration Of war. some of the cases were
taken to the German legation. located
in different building from the con-
sulate.
Convinced that the boxes were not
taken away from the legation by the
German diplomatic mission upon It's de-
parture from Bucharest, the Roumanian
authorities later ordered the police to
find and examine their contents. The
police communicated with American
Minister Vopicka. then in charge of
German interests, who reluctantly as
signed Secretary Andrews to observe
the search.
The boxes were found buried in the
garden of the German legation.
German Agent Confesses.
Mr.. Andrews report says:
Upon my return from the examina-
ton which resulted In the discovery of
the explosives and Of the box Of mi
crobes, both of which the legation SER
wants admitted having placed In the
garden, the former confidential agent
of the German minister, DR.. Bernhard,
who had been left with the legation at
the German minister's request to as
sist in the care Of German interests.
admitted his knowledge of the explo-
sives placed in tho garden, told me
that more We're in the garden than had
been found, that a. still larger quantity
had been buried in the house of the le-
cation, and that still worse things than
this box Of microbes were contained In
the legation, and insinuated that they
would have been found even in the
cabinets Of the dossiers which I had
sealed
"Dr. Bernhardt also stated that all
these objects had been brought to the
German legation after our legation had
accepted the protection of German in
terests. which agreed with the state
Dment Of the servants. A similar con-
fession was made to the minister by
this man.
Contained High Explosives.
1.-THE protection Of the United States
was in this manner shamefully abused
and exploited. In this instance. at
least the German government can not
have recourse to the usual system of
denial"
Fifty one boxes were taken from the
ground In the garden. Fifty Of them
contained each cartridge filled with
trinitrotoluene saturated with mononi-
trotoluene, among the most powerful
explosives known, one 18th of each be-
ing sufficient to tear up a railroad
track. In the other box were bottles
of liquid found to be civilizations of the
microbes Of anthrax and CHAMBERS. It
bore seal showing 1t came from the
German consulate at Kronstadt, Hun
gary and inside was found a type
written note in German. saying:
Enclosed 4 phials for horses and 4
for cattle. To be employed as formerly
arranged. Each phial Is sufficient for
200 head. To be introduced, If possible.
directly into the animals throats: If
not, into their fodder Please make a
little report on the success obtained
there: in case of good results the pres
ence OF Mr. Kostoff for one day here
would be desirable"
Foreign Minister Porumbaru accom-
panied his letter with documents to
prove the origin Of the boxes and their
contents.
ut has been possible to prove in an
undisputable way" he said, that be-
fore our declaration of war on Austria
Hungary, when observing strict neu-
trality and keeping up normal relations
with the German empire, the personnel
Of the German legation, violating all
rules of neutrality and all duties OF
diplomatic missions, introduced clan
ddstinely considerable quantities Of an
extremely powerful explosive and cul-
tivations Of microbes destined to In
feet domestic animals and in conse-
quence susceptible OF provoking terri
BILE epidemics also among the human
population.
BY Diplomatic Courier.
"There can hardly be any doubt about
the way by which these substances
were introduced into Roumania terri
tory: the very stringent police measures
at all frontier stations taken by the
royal Roumanian government since the
outbreak Of the war and continually
made stricter since prove sufficiently
that these explosives and microbes can
not have reached this country other
wise than by diplomatic courier.
"On theother hand there can be no
doubt OF the final object Of importa-
ton into Roumania as well as about
the use to which they were assigned.
The explosives and the microbes were
destined to be used In Rormania. very
probably in time of peace. From all
this 1t results that In time of peace
members Of the German legation. Gov