The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-09-23

to him to the effect that members Of
the press were informed as to his
personality and the purpose of his be-
ing here. Too great confidence in the
silence of his fellow men, especially
! the members of the American Truth
| Society, was probably the
cause of his becoming quickly known
here"
So the notorious American Truth
Society, which so strenuously denied
its pro-German associations, figures
as indirectly linked up with Ger
| many's secret representatives This
society is still extant, and Jeremiah
,, A. OLeary, its moving spirit, is now
the editor of Bull, recently shut out
of the mails for publishing seditious
matter.
Many inventors, some of them OBJ
vlously cranks, are represented either
by correspondence or notation as hav-
ing plans involving the use of sundry
devices of destruction. One entry of
the sort merits special attention be-
cause of the notoriety of the individ-
| ual involved. Here it is, translated
from the German record of correspon-
dence:
."June Is, 1915. Sender, G. S. Vier-
| GIN OollICiItos dS W JULIUS )
supply offer. Told to send further de-
tails"
Possibly the further details are in
Dictated in another entry of four
months later.
Slender, Viere~k. Contents, offer
of picric acid"
Picric acid is a constituent of many
high explosives. Mr.. Viereck is some
thing of high explosive himself,
having been editor of the virulently
pro- German weekly Fatherland. of
New York, now changed in title (but
not in purpose) to "Viereck's Week
ly."
Just what interest DIR. L. A. Des-
sar, of 25 Broad Street, New York
City, had in German aerial warfare is
matter for speculation.
In the Won Igel archives appears a
letter from R. L. Scoville, of Sewick-
ley, Pa, and New York Citl, urging
the merits of the Semple aerogrenade.
DR.. Dessar evidently forwarded the
letter where he thought it would do
the most good, viz, to Won Igel.
Carefully preserved (for what pur-
pose one can only conjecture) are two
letters written early in 1916 by T. J.
Bowling, of 1O7 Franklin Avenue,
Hartford, Conn.,, to Count Won Bern
stoff, the German ambassador. ex-
planning a little plan OF the writer's
to get rooms near various munitions
factories and blow them up. Specific
ally, he expressed willingness to de-
stroy the Scoville Manufacturing Co.
and the Chase Mills, of Waterville,
Conn; the Remington Arms Co. and
the Union Metallic Cartridge Co. fac
tories in Bridgeport, Conn; and when
@la& 1o {bo,,rI+ Oh
he might go out to Port Huron, Mich,
and blow up the Grand Trunk tunnel
near that place. AS all these con-
structions are still standing, it is OBJ
vious that Mr.. Dowling's plans failed
to commend themselves to his distin-
guished correspondent. His present
whereabouts are not known.
Other would-be destroyers of Ger
many's foes were less definite. Family
pride was the energizing motive of
Mr.. G. j. Waldron, of Medusa, n. Y,
who wrote that, being a direct descen-
dant of Baron Won Waldron, he was
cause, wherefore he proffered (Apr.
10, 1870 shell of his own invention.
1t was not accepted.
A note of grim humor is supplied
by William ]. Ruff, of Quincy. ILL.,,
whose letter of July &c, 1915, to Capt.
Won Papen suggests new methods of
blowing up trenches and planting
mines for ships. "My sole idea" ex-
plains the ingenious Mr.. Ruff, ''is to
help and save lives" CD Nothing in
the Won Igel archives supplies evil
dence that Mr.. Rufus singular life
saving practices were adopted.
Of more direct military interest to
this country is the espionage enter
prise limited at in a secret code mes
sage of April II, 1916, signed 1922
1929 46919," addressing Won 1gel to