New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-02
5000 Men Use Money,
Promises and Threats
Against u. S.
All for the Vaterland'
Motto of Society Of Iron Cross
Seems Unopposed by
Carranza
lBy Telegraph 20 The Tribune J

FL Paso, Tex, March l.-Three thou
sand German residents OF Mexico,
pledging "all for the Fatherland," are
using money, threats and promises TO
array Mexicans of every faction against
the United States. The Society Of the
Iron Cross in Mexico, composed of prac-
tically every German in the Republic,
has seventy-fve branches in Mexican
cities. and each branch is an active
agency for German activity among
MeXicans.
Each member Of the society wears a
ring bearing a small iron cross. tach
pays an initiation fee Of $40 gold and
a stated sum monthly toward a fund
used in arousing anti-American senti~
ment among Mexicans, and each works
under instructions of heads of branches
who, in turn, receive their instructions
through German government repre-
sentatives in Mexico and other Central
I American nations.
American secret agents have learned
that no effort has been made BY the
Carranza government TO curb the Ger
man activity. Recently, when an at
tempt was made 10 set fire 10 the oil
wells at Tampico. Carranza ofhcIsIs
laid the blame upon the activity OF the
Iron Cross, which sought, they said, IN
that way TO prevent the British govern
I ment from obtaining oil supplies there.
I Carranza officials promised an investl-
i
Secret agents of the United States
have discovered widespread German &C
tivity among both warning factions IN
Mexico 10 force American intervention.
+ This information, it is learned. has
been accommodating for weeks and IN
wolves German sympathizers on the
American side.
Germans Office Searched
/ Mexico officials in Juarez and Ger
man residents there are charging to-
night that Americans secretly searched
/ the Office of Max Weber, German Con-
sui in Juarez. for information seeking
/ 10 connec. the German government
with recent clashes between Carranza
border guards and Americans, result
ing in nightly exchange OF shots across
the Rio Grande.
Weber's office, the German Consulate
! in JuareZ. was entered while the con
/ sui was confined to his home by III.
ness. Valuable papers, the nature oil
which has not been made known by
] Weber. are said TO have disappeared.
/ The American government has infor-
| nation that Francisco Villa would have
been captured in Parral by American
: cavalry led By Major Frank Tomp$ins
but for the interference OF Theodore
Koch. German Consul at Parral. The
mob which attacked the American cav
alrv troop in Parral on April 10, 1916.
was led by the German Consul, Jose
| De La Luz Herrera, then Mayor OF Par
raj. has sworn.
Koch since mas aroused the enmity OF
/ Carranza officials through his apparent
/ friendliness with Villa. Reports re-
ceivcd here o-dsy say that Koch and
German physician, DR.. Schroeder
were arrested by General Francisco
Murguia. Carranza commander. IN far-
raj. and that the Germans we're eacn
given fifty lashes daily for three days
By Murguia's orders.
Border Raids Involved
American detectives assert that Ger
man agents within the last month nave
effort 20 get him to renew genera
border raiding campaign. German
working under an alias IN Columbus
il ;s said. gave information TO VIVA
. which enabled i'm TO attack and burn
tho New Mexico town. In Columbus u
is declared that the raid which cos
eighteen American lives and resulted
in an American army entering Mexico
/ was the direct result of German ac-
/ tivity.
The mass of evidence in possession
OF the State Department is known TO
/ show a determined and persistent et-
fort on the part Of agents OF tho Ger
man government, not only 10 involve
! the United States and Mexico in war,
/ hut TO cause losses 10 the American
government by the destruction OF gov
eminent property along the border.
The whole border country is aroused
/ over the offer made in the zimmerman
proposal Of alliance. promising Texas
/ New Mexico and Arizona to Mexico.
/ Denials by Carranza officials that the
proposal was entertained by the Car
rama government are not taken serl-
J ously.
An American arriving here to-day
! from the TorreOn country says tnere
7 are forty Germans IN lorreoh' anu '''"'
4 all are active in stirring the MeNlcans
/ 10 anti-American demonstrations. MS
man SAYS the attack on the American
| consulate in Torreon, it since has been
learned, was instigated by German SYM
nathizers. Arrivals from Chihuahua say
that the quartermaster general OF Cen
eral Francisco Murguia's Carranza
army is a German and that German
military man is chief OF staff to Cen
eral Gabriel Gavira, Carranza com
mander in Durango. 1t rs asserted that
there are ten German army ofhcers III
, General Murguia's army in Chihuahua.
The only mining company in Torreon
which has been permitted by Mexicans
( TO operate without interference is the
/ Campania Mnera de Penoles, German
/ owned concern at Mapimi.
ALo,,t A poarirau