The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-03-04
GERMAN OFFICER HERE


 Although every effort has been made to keep the investigation secret the plans were exposed when German army off cer registered at one of the local hotels was suspected and investigated early last week. Local police and federal of ficials searched the room of the officer and found certain papers, which it was believed indicated that a plot was on l foot to destroy munition plants around Birmingham, according to members of the local police. The papers were confis- cated and translated by a German pro- lessor in one of the local colleges. They were then returned to J. Reese l Murray, special agent for the govern ment. Upon further investigation it was { found that although there was evidence l which upheld the belief that plot might be underway, there was not sufficient 1 evidence to permit the detaining of the German suspect and he was not arrested. | From Birmingham the suspect went to Florida, and messages were sent ahead
 to have him watched by government au- 1 thorities in that state
 ALL CITIES ON LOOKOUT i In this connection, it is stated by mem-
 bers of the police that Birmingham is 1 simply one of a chain of cities which are
 conducting such investigations. There | is, of course. more interest centered in 1 Birmingham in view of her facilities for
 making munitions. but similar investiga-
 tions are being conducted in Atlanta and
 other cities. Even though there is not sufficient evidence to permit the holding of a suspect. he is not allowed to get from
 under the guard of the government. 1 There is a constant interchange of tele- ! grams among all the large cities telling of suspects, giving descriptions, and ask
 ing that they be watched.
 l The local hotels are being watched and ] have been for more than month. Ger
 man transients, however, are not inter- 1 fered with, according to the police unless | there is good reason to suspect them of | pro-German tendencies
 Contrary to rumor which has gained ground during the past few days, there l are no local Germans being watched as l suspects. Local police also discredit the | rumor that there is strong German or l ganization here which is striving to build up pro-German sentiment among the | labor at local steel plants and furnaces.
 PLANTS WELL GUARDED | It is known, and has been known for weeks, that the steel mills around Bir- l mingham, and the benzol plant at Ens- 1 ley are well guarded, and it is not under ! stood that any strife has developed at either of these points
 I J. Reese Murray, special agent for the | government, who is in charge of the in- vestigation of foreign persons, has con- ducted practically the entire investiga-
 tion, with the assistance of the local po- 1 lice. Although it is understood that A. Bruce Bcileski, chief of the investiga- 1 tion bureau of the department of jus
 tice. was in Birmingham last week, fed eral authorities will not confirm the re-
 port. They admit, however. that under
 no circumstances would MT. Beileski
 make his presence known if he were in Birmingham for such investigation. | Other men high in the department are
 said to have been here from time to time recently. In fact, it is understood that
 there is a certain squad of government
 men going from city to city investigat-
 ing suspects.
 | The precautions which are being taken | do not indicate any violent plot on the
 part of the Germans in this country, ac- cording to federal authorities but are | simply in line with the entire war situa- tion throughout the country, and which
 may come to head in Washington at
 any morlcnt They claim that the whole scheme is simply a well founded and sane preparedness plan on the part of
 the government. Naturally, they say Bir-
 minghan., like Pittsburg, and other steel
 centers, is being more closely watched than cities where there are no munitions plants.