The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-10-02
Men of TeutOnic Origin and
Sympathy Are Quietly
Dropped from Roster
INQUIRY AT PORTS
AROUND NEW YORK
Same Wedding Out Process Going on
All Over the Country - United
States Navy Took Similar Action
Early in the War.

bdA4J III bAS "0A'
NEW YORK. Oct. about twenty
five soldiers of the regular army, who at
the beginning Of the war with Germany
were on duty at posts in and near New
York city, have been quietly dropped
Us a result Of Investigations as to their
loyalty. They were not dropped as
3" spies, " but simply because they were
of German origin and of known Ger
man sympathics in the present war.
The above information comes from 4
source of mquestioned authority, and
the number Of German soldiers refers
only to this particular section Of the
country. Many other soldiers, it IS I'M
deraood, have been quietly discharged
from the army in other parts Of the
country.
some of the soldiers who are now no
longer in the service held non-commis-
stoned positions, and in few eases came
forward Of their own accord and frankly
stated that their sympathies were with
Germany and that they would resent
having to 90 to Europe to fight against
men of their fatherland. In every in
stance, ii was said, these men were
discharged from the army, and all are
now pursuing, unhampered, so far as is
known. other vacations in civil life.
Some of them, il is said, are working in
New York city.
4 few days after congress declared
war ON Germany an officer of the army,
then stationed at one Of the most inn
rortant regular posts in New York city,
Informed friend that a soldier Of Ger
man birth and of uon-commissioncr rank
.hcld an important position in the Office
of the adjutant at that post. and that
many important orders had TO pass
through this man 5 hands. Whether or
not that soldier. whom the officer in
question stated he distrusted, is still in
the service was not Disclosed his week.
As 10 the situation in the navy, il can
be stated that the number dropped is
not nearly so large as is the case i'll the
army. This is due to the splendid eff
cheney Of the navv's own intelligence
service, which weeks before war was
declared began roundup of the men
whose service in time Of war the navy
| did not desire. When war was declared
! practically every man whom the navy
| had reason to distrust had already been
| dropped from service. A great many
of these men were employees Of the navy
yards and other naval establishments
on shore.
! The nature of the evidence against
the soldiers, who have been dropped, wa,
a phase of the question that the inform
ant declined to discuss. The secret serv
/ lee agencies are already at work in the
various guard and national army can
tonmeuts in the effort to discover
whether or not any German spies have
been able to enlist in the guard com
mands. or have been accepted for tho
national army. The fire which damaged
one of the barracks buildings at Cam
Dix a few days ago Is one Of the matter.
Inow under investigation.
1t will be recalled that few week,
after the first division Of Genera
lPershings army sailed for Europe i
was discovered by the secret seryic,
that more than 300 enemy aliens ma,
lasslsted in the cmbarkation of the req
ulars. Following this investigation, al
of these men were discharged and re
\ placed, for the most part, by retired
soldiers of the regular army.
| When war was declared large mum
ber of Germans were employed in tw
of the most important munition plant
IN New York city, both in BROOKLYN
Next TO the government s own grea
munition factories, these two are per
hars the most important in the Unite,
States Both are engaged in the manu-
facture of munitions which. in som
instances, embodv secret devices. Thes
Germans are no longer employed in thcs
plants, and a numbee of them are no,
ON Ellis Island, interned, or in tn
southern prison camps.
There are now over 200 enemy alien
held on Ellis Island, and yesterday. fe
the first time. these men were not ne,
mitted to receive visitors. For month
IpaSt relatives and friends of thes