The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-09-29
NORWAY Is NOW.
THE CENTER FOR.
GERMAN PLOTS.
ANDPROPAGANDA.
Suspicious Fires on Steam
ships And In Factories
Traced to Spies
NEUTRALITY BEING
VIOLATED DAILY
Patriotic Norwegians Now
Look With Suspicion on
All Germans

Christiania, Sept. 12.-(Corre-
spondence Of The Associated Press.)
German conspirators, spies and
propagandists, formerly so active in
the United States, have transferred
their attention to Norway.
Suspicious fires in steamships and
| manufactures are blamed on the
plotters. Others are charged with
helping interned German sailors to
escape. Espionage is freely carried
on and some Germans have been
caught at it and sent to Jail. Propa-
gandists for many months have been
trying to spread a thick layer Of
pro- =Germanism over the country.
Every day. plots or some assault
against Norwegian institutions such
as the Baron Rautenfels bombs
plot" at least prove the pernicious
activities OF the Germans in a neu-
trail country. 3
The situation has become such
that patriotic Norwegians have come
toNlook upon every German with
more or less suspicion. This is the
result of the admission made by two
German spies, Captain Lowen and
Petty Of1lcer Schwartz, who, were
tried, convicted and sentenced to five
and four years respectively in the
penitentiary. They said no matter
how they felt about the matter, a
German must do anything he was
ordered to do from Berlin. The
Newspapers have warned Norwegians
TO distrust many Germans and the
warning in many cases is being
needed.
The police now charge that they
l.. "a yaa9 20
spendent here has been closely asso-
ciated with German spies and with
q Norwegian named Hagn who is un-
der arrest in England. The dispatches
OF the correspondent to his paper
have caused much bitterness in Ger
many against Norway.
Professor Involved.
The other day the newspapers
were filed with articles dealing with
one of the professors of the Poly
technical College of Trondhjem, a
nafive Of Germany, who for the last
few wears has been in the service OF
the Norwegian government. He adj
mitted freely that he had dealings
with members of the crew Of the
German auxiliary cruiser Berlin,
which Is interned theUe.
The professor confessed having
members of the, crew pass letters into
Germanye without being censored,
Several citizens Of Trondhjem have
been sent to 5ail or fined for helping
officers from Berlin to escape.
Fire at Trondhism.
It Is not long since a great fire
in Trondhjem harbor destroyed a
large warehouse where provisions
from England and destined to Rus
sia. were stored. A German steamer
which was in the harbor left just
before the fire was discovered and
Just after suspicious looking men
had been seen running from the'
building, which was fired in several
places. The police have been unable
10 a,pprehend the men. No Norwegian
doubts for a, moment. that this fire
was started by German agents.
Another fire destroyed a factory and
q. million cans of condensed milk
which were to be shipped to England.
No direct evidence against Germany
has been found in this case but the
circumstances led to a strong sus-
picion.
A series of mysterious fires and
explosions, have damaged Norwegian
sllius carrying cargoes for England
machines have been employed.
'sWhat Lowen told during his
trial" said Christiania newspaper,
'"naust make us suspicious OF all
German authorities and all Germans,
private citizens especially, when
again It has been shown what prac-
tices they are engaged in. Edith
CayeIl said patriotism is not enough.
The presiding justice in the case of
I,owen used the same words adding
the Germans might allege patriotism
as motives for their misdeeds, but
that we cannot look at 1t from that
point Of view.
No peuesehIand uber Allies.
1--WE do not recognize any Deutsch-
land Uber Allies here. Those who
abuse our confidence and our hospi-
tality. even officers in the German
navy. we sentence according TO law.
Ry such sentencing we throw stain
an the authorities I'm a country which
orders its citizens to abuse the hos
nitalftv Of q neutral state. Such a
system lies entirely outside the
modern European way of thinking.
Couriers such as Won Rautenfels,
officers such as Lowens scientists as
Filchner, and press correspondents
as he of The Zeitung Ito mention Q
few examples). are all products OF
the same contemplate system. Ofl-
cial Germany had better take warn
inc Of the sentences in these espion-
ace afEairs. II IL is not its intention
entirely to destroy the esteem Of the
German name in Norway IL had bet
ter be more careful In the future
Of persons and means to safeguard
German interests
This quotation is typical and ex-
presses the general feeling In NoT-
yuaxy a9ainst Germany.