The Benson signal., 1917-09-29

closures of far-reaching German prop
aganda, intrigues and plots in this
country prior to the diplomatic break
with Germany were made Saturday by
the committee on public information.
In bulletin styled official expose"
the committee quotes numerous letters
and extracts from letters seized by the
Department of Justice in April, 1916,
IL raid upon the New York office Of
Wolf Won Igel. Won Igel in carrying
on his manifold pro-German and anti
American activities, the documents
show, was in constant touch with the
German embassy, and with Count Won
Bernstorff, German ambassador to the
United States.
"In the form of letters, kilograms,
notations, checks, receipts, registers,
cash books, cipher codes, lists of spies
and other memoranda and records, .
the committee says, "were found 1nd1-
cations-in some instances of the
vaguest nature, in others of the most
damning conclusiveness-that the
German imperial government, through
it's representatives in 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 ill-feeling against the
United States in Mexico.
"Subornation of American writer's
and lecturers. ..:>
FINANCING of propaganda.
Maintenance Of a spy system un-
der the guise of commercial inves-
tigation bureau.
"Subsidizing of bureau for the pur-
pose of stirring up labor troubles in
munition plants.
"The bomb industry and other re-
lated activities"
The committee, of which Secreta-
ries Lansing, Baker and Daniels are
members, and George Creel, chair
man, has this to say concerning Hol-
land:
"It has long been an open secret
that Holland is merely a way-station
for shipments of contraband into
Germany. Here is official confirma-
tion from the Won Igel records, which
would seem to indicate a suspicious
and confidential relation between the
Holland Commission and the German
diplomatic officials accredited to this
country, or possibly a belief by the
Germans that they could not success
fully get munitions to their own coun-
try. A message in code with interline-
ary translation is entered as 'a2493'
and headed German Embassy, Wash.
ington, D. c., April 6, 1916
1t runs as follows:
""Telegram from Berlin by secret
roundabout way for Carl Heysen:
Consent sale Holland three hundred
thousand chests (cartridges) and two
hundred tons powder Please get in
touch with Holland Commission.
Sender, War Minister, Foreign Of
flee, in representation. Signed: Hatz-
feldt.'"
Prince Hatzfeldt was an official of
the German embassy.
The Hamburg American lines bu-
reau of investigation, the committee
states, an "innocent-pretending agen-
cy," was at the outset the secret serv-
ice of the Hamburg American Steam
ship Company under Paul Koenig, the
manager, it became an adjunct of the
German diplomatic secret service. A
Letter dated July 20, 1915, from 20. R. y
Zone of it's operatives) to "7000' (char-
acterized by the committee as cap
tain Won Papen," former German mill
tary attache), tells of the payment of
$3.50 to an unnamed person, under pc
culiar precautions, after the recipient
had made this statement:
II intend to cause serious damage
to vessels Of the allies leaving ports
which I am making myself, on board.
These bombs resemble ordinary Jumps
of coal and l am planning to have
them concealed in the coal to be lad
ened. on steamers of the allies
t Money apparently went from Ger
man sources in the United States
through embassy channels to Sir
Roger Easement, the Irishman execut-
| ed in London.
Lines Of Communication.
Several lines of communication be-
tween the German diplomatic service
and the Irish revolutionary movement
are indicated in the captured docu-
ments," the statement continues.
John Dewey of. New York, now edi-
| tor of the Gaelic American, a violent
-ly anti-British paper, was one of the