River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1917-09-27
GERMAN PLOTS
ARE DISCLOSED
u. S. Gives Proof That Berlin Di-
reCted Violence and intrigue
In America.
COMPLETE SPY SYSTEM
Committee on Public information Re-
VeaIs Startling List of Teuton
Underground Activities Against
u. S. Government.

| y. S. Government.
Washington, Sept 24-Further dis
| closures of far-reaching German pro-
| paganda, intrigues and plots in this
country prior to the diplomatic break
with Germany have been made by the
committee on public information.
| In bulletin styled Official expose"
| the committee quotes the numerous
letters and extracts from letters seized
by the Department of Justice in April,
1916, in raid upon the New York
office of Wolfe Won Igel. Won Igel, in
carrying on his manifold pro-German
| and anti-American activities, the do
| cuments show, was in constant touch
with the German embassy and with
| Count Won Bernstorff, then the Ger
man ambassador to the United States.
.ra..u Damning Evidence Found.
In the form of letters, kilograms,
rotations, checks, receipts, registers,
cash books, cipher codes, lists Of spies
and other memoranda and records"
the committee says, were found in
dications-in some instances of the
vaguest nature, in others of the most
damning conclusiveness- the Ger
man Imperial government through it's
representatives in a then friendly ma
ton was concerned with
Violation Of the laws OF the United
States. 2HE3 80 t@St-..le r.1.if1'n III 'Jss
1aHDestruction of lives and property
in merchant vessels on the. high seas
Irish revolutionary. plots against
Great Britain.
'fFomenting ill feelin g. against" the
United States in Mexico. ...t .v
"Subornation of American writer's
and lecturers.
Financing of propaganda. 49, s~-
Maintenance of spy system under
| the guise of commercial investiga-
ton bureau. s'-S aa''a' ''''| 90 g ~
- "Subsidizing Of a. bureau for the
purpose of stirring up labor troubles
in munition plants. ~. oe.a~1 49, ,.,...
s"The bomb industry and other re
lated activities" - 'i-iF '''.-
Holland German Way Station.
r The committee, of which Secretaries
Lansing, Baker and Daniels are mem
| bers and George Creel, chairman, has
| this to say concerning Holland: ~
1T has long been an open secret
that Holland is merely way station
| for shipments of contraband and into
| Germany. Here is official conf1rma-
ton, from the Won Igel records which
would seem to indicate a suspicious
;oI hot a
HollaDd commission and the German
| diplomatic officials accredited to this
country, or possibly a belief by the
Germans that they could not success
| fully get the munitions to their own
country. The message in code with
interlinear translation is entered as "A
24993' and headed German embassy,
Washington, D. c., April 6, 1916 It
runs as follows:
r. kilograms from Berlin by secret,
roundabout way for Carl Heysen: Con
sent sale Holland three hundred
| thousand chests (cartridges) and two
hundred tons powder. Please get in
touch with Holland commission Sen
der, war minister, foreign Office, In
| representation. Eaee Tu. rWool
"(Signed) Hatzfeldt."
7' Prince Hatfield was an official of
the German embassy. Jf.oJ.5e1!te
ie Ha nnburg-Americanf Line involved.
The Hamburg-Am erican lines bur-
| eau of investigation, the committee
states, an Innocent pretending agency
was at the outset the secret service Of
the Hamburg American Steamship
acompany. Under Paul Koenig, it's man
ager,. it became an adjunct of the Ger
man diplomatic secret service. A letter
dated July 20, 1915, from o. r., one of
it's operatives to 1000 characterized
| by the committee as Captain Won Pa
pen, former German military attache)
tells of the payment of $3.50, to an ur-
named person under peculiar precau-
-tions, after the recipient had made
| this statement: aef ar .r ra1
Il intend to cause serious damage
to vessels of the Allies leaving ports
of the United States by placing bombs,
which am making myself on board.
These bombs resemble ordinary Jumps
of coal and I am planning to have
| tuGIH COuC0dlou III Tie coal " UG lduGu
on steamers Of the Allies.
.-.r0 Money for Irish Rebels. @
Money apparently went from Ger
man sources in the United States
through embassy channels to Sir sRo-
ger Easement, the Irisl1man executed
| in London. 9H- is. t.8s1stsl5s
Several, lines of communication be
4