The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1917-10-11
Destruction of Railroads Order
ed in Canada by Message
to BernStOrff.
NAME OF GEORGIAN USED.
Terrible Underkand Work Plan
ned by Germans While Feign=
ing Peaceful Attitude in the
United States.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10-Secretary
lansing drew upon a collection OF
secret German diplomatic correspon'
dence again today which sheds fur
ther light upon the activities OF the
German foreign office and its general
staff who were in this country whlle
uorminally at peace with the united
States. Three brief dispatches, made
public at a late hour this afternoon
contained plans drawn up by the Ger
man government to have Ambassador
Rernstorff arrange for the destruction
of the Canadian railroads ana u
make use of lrish-Americans in this
country for the purpose OF carrying
nm a sabotage in their own country.
In dispatch regarding the planned
destruction of Canadian railways, int
name of Captain Boehm was men
toned.
Captain Boehm, it is recalled was
captured by the British authorities
last January while travelling undei
the name of "Jelks Leroy Thrasher,
of Quitman, Brooks County, Ga.
M. Thrasher whose name boehm
assn. IA. is a well known resident
of GeX sia, who went to New YORK
City several years ago and engaged
in the theatrical business.
Secretary Lansing, of the State De
partment, said today that these tele
grams were not sent through the
State Department, leaving the infer
ence that they move through some
neutral legation.
Presumably these messages were
included in the papers seized in thf
raid on Wolfe Won Ingen's New Yorf
office by the federal agents.
That Ambassador Bernstorff real
lied the danger he was PERSONAL!
placed in by these seizures is recalled
by newspaper men who were in dali,
touch with him. He expressed the be
lief at that time that his tenure il
Washington would be brief.
The disclosures today give a simple
explanation, the officials believe, of
the rapid growth in the United States
of the German propaganda against the
United States supplying munitions tC
the allies, and finding its final ex
preston in the McClemere resolution
to forbid Americans travelling on YES
sells carrying munitions.
1t is also recalled that Mrs. Will,
lam Bayard Hale. who is also a writ
er, brought to Washington petitions
for an embargo on munitions, signed
by large number of women.
Today's disclosures follow natur
ally developing the former ambassa-
doris close connection with the eX
tensive sabotage which prevailed, to
some extent in the United States and
to a larger degree in Canada, with
the purpose of crippling the sources
of munitions and food supplies for
theg entente allies and also of wreck
ing Canadian troop trains bound fol
the seaboard. For this purpose Bern
storff was to have all necessary funds
and was to employ Americans as his
agents in this underhand work
1t is considered possible that the
persons named were unaware of ths
recommendations involving them tha
had been made by the German fo,
eign office and the publication of th
correspondence probably will elicit
some explanations from these per.
sons. If the State Department has
further information on this phase oil
the subject it has not yet given any
intimation of the fact.