The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-07-02
CERMANY'S SECRET ATTEMPT 15
YEARS AGO TO DISRUPT PEACE
OF u. S. EXPOSED in MAGAZINE

annoy the American forces, the Eng
lish fleet in the Bay of Manila was
ready to fire on the German ships, if
such an eventuality should become
necessary. Sir Edward Chichester,
Commander of the British fleet at
Manila, served notice on Admiral Won
Dietrich at the time, that his ships
would side with Dewey and open fire
on the Germans if molesting the
Americans did not cease. AS an earn
est of what the notice meant the Bri-
fish ships were moved into position
between the German and American
fleets so they might be in place to
give efficient aid to the United States
If noccS=..rJ.
(, During the last days of the visit
| of the Prince the political atmosphere
had become very obscured and it al
most seemed as if the storm would
break while he was still on American
| soil. To prevent this eventua1ity,
which would have been tantamount
to a declaration of war, the greatest
pressure was brought to bear by GER
tain financial institutions and COM
mercial corporations, including the
| Insurance companies with interests
| in Germany to ward off, or at least
postpone the action contemplated by
| the President and the State Depart
ment.
! Prince Henry embarked on Tues
day, March IL, 1902. for Germany.
On the afternoon of the same day,
when the Prince was still within
sight of the American shore, the tenn
pest broke with unprecedented fury
| in Washington. Almost frantic with
excitement mob of yelling, shouting
bowling, shrieking newsboys ran
through the streets of the National
Capital, selling extra editions of the
local newspapers which contained the
announcement that war with Ger
many was imminent.
| Through certain channels generally
used by the American government the
inforation was given out to the press
| that Ambassador Won .Holleben, hav-
/ ing failed to make any Roadway with
the Mckinley administration In accom-
plishing the desires of his government
\ regarding coaling stations in the Car
ibbean Sea, decided finally that these
coaling stations could best lie obtain
ed under My Bryan. It was further
stated that the Ambassador was in
frequent communication with the
4 prominent democrats friendly to the
Bryan campaign. 1t was, moreover,
alleged that these conferences and
consultations were held for the pur-
NoIO
in behalf of Bryan. It was further
asserted that the Ambassador was in
close touch with Representative John
~. Lentz of Columbus, Ohio, a Ger
tman-American, who, in the case of
4 Bryan's election, expected to repre-
sent the United States az Ambassa
dor at the court of Berlin.
4 Mr.. Lentz was one of the most pic
tpresque Bryan figures in Congress.
land the attacks he made on President
Mckinley and Chairman Hanna were
such that the latter in 1900 deter
mined at all hazards to retire Mr..
Lentz to private life, and he was de-
feated by the narrow margin of about
ia dozen votes. 1t is represented to
have been the dream of Mr.. Lentz
and the Ambassador that they might
! be able to throw the German-Ameri-
can vote against the administration
and put Mr.. Bryan in the White
House. It was remembered that Mr..
Lentz had organized throughout the
country a series Of German-American
J indignation meetings denouncing the
foreign policy of the Administrator
as being inspired by British sympath-
les and that he had been a member
of the House Committee for Military
J Affairs fact that gave an ugly
} look to certain leakages that had oc-
, cured within that body.
Under the date of September 49,
1901, the active publicity agent of
the Kaiser, then at st. Louis received
a letter from the late Professor Hugo
Munsterberg, of Harvard University
a close friend of the Kaiser and one
: Of the most tireless agents of Ger
man interests in America, containing
the following threat:
Oh, <o1 ~,
) least step to discredit Germany
, in the newspapers, you would be
) prosecuted for all time by the
| German Empire"
/ A little more than two months later
) the same publicity agent was com
|, PEELED to appeal to the President OF
: the United States for protection
/ against persecution by the secret
5. hirelings of the German Empire. i
4 must be borne in mind that the above
: letter was written and an investiga
ton ordered by the President before
i the announcement of the coming Wis
: it of Prince Henry had been made
g from Berlin. The United States sec
i ret service was put on the case will
n the result already known.
y When in those stormy days O.
March, 1902, the representatives o
: the press called on the German pub
n licity agent, whose loyalty to Americs
: was stronger than his love for hi
: Imperial boss, he gave them detail
t ed account Embracing the following
It charges:
i 1. Germany has plans Of all nava
4 defences in the United States.
n 2. An army of German spies il
e overrunning the United States.
: 3. The German mobilizfng plan /
:: ready to the last detail.
e 4. There exists a secret connection
o between the Imperial chancellor o
1t Germany and Prof. Blumenstritt, tn
- Filipino agent in Austria.
n 5. The German Ambassador a
n Washington has been taking a secre
1t but active part in the German-Ameri
5, can movement in the United States
eel 6. Prof. Munsterberg of Harvar
: University is the head of the Germa
t. Publicity Bureau maintained by tn
If German Embassy in the United State
l. to bias public opinion.
RI The evidence furnished by tn
Is press agent to prove his accusatio
l. was SO overwhelming that the Ger
man Amba ssa,dor, Herr Won Hol1eber
though granted reprieve, had t
leave the country on January II
1903 in disgrace, and without eve