The Washington times., 1917-07-24
PLASTER PEDDLERS
WORK FOUR STATES;
STORY OF R0UMANIA

Revelations of the sale by sup
posed German agents OF poisoned
court plasters in Illinois, Kansas,
and California took on q new interest
today when It became known that
the practices resemblsd q form OF
German ''frightfulnsss" attempted in
Roumania-
Official documents Of the Rou-
manian government tell OF the dis
eovery in the back yard OF the for
mer German legation at Bucharest OF
six boxes OF test tubes, containing
living microbes. With the boxes were
instructions In German telling how
the microbes were to be used. They
were intended to cause Elanders
among horses and anthrax among
cattle.
Germ Laden Plasters.
For several days Federal agents
have been investigating the activities
OF persons who are selling court
plaster In parts OF this country.
Three men were arrested in Kansas
City for selling or in some Instances
giving away infected court plaster.
The plaster was infected with tetanus
germs and had been distributed
among farmers In many parts of the
State.
Word comes today from sandusky,
Ohio, that that city has been flooded
with packages of court plaster, be-
lieved by the police to have been dis
tributed by Teutons. 1t Is said the
plaster contains tetanus germs. 1t
will be analysed.
Three strangers distributed the pack
ages In SanduslCy, In a house to house
canvas, the police assert
At Urbana, Ill. another man was held
pending analysis OF court plaster found
in his possession The suspect had been
selling and giving away the plaster. Four
men were arrested in Los Angeles on a
charge Of selling court plaster which.
Federal agents said was laden with
poison germs
Investigation Is being made at Win
field. Kan. into the death Of Charles
Mulford. who died OF tetanus after ap-
plying court plaster to a leg wound. The
plaster was said to have been pur-
chased from a travelling German.
The revelations In the three Western
States called paticular attention to the
previous discoveries in Roumania. which
are contained in the following pamphlet
entitled ''Mlcrobe Culture at Bucharest
at the German legation
From Roumanian Official Documents"
It was originally published by Holder.
Stoughton & Co., and reiHsued here by
the George H. DOran Company.
Violated ROumanIa's Neutrality.
Roumania renowned her neutrality
toward the central powers In the
third August OF the war, and the Ger
mans professed Indignation. But
when the German diplomatic stan left
Bucharestit was discovered that they
had not renounced but violated their
neutrality toward Roumania during
these two years OF peace, and this
violation had been trebly diGgraceful.
1t was committed clandestinely un-
der the cloak Of friendship; the in
struments OF It were the accredited
OF Germany in the
capital: and the hostile
acts OF which they were guilty were
and devilish. Fifty Internal
machines and six test tubes contain
ing cultures OF the anthrax and gland
ers bacIln had been conveyed by Ger
man diplomatic couTiers (eXempted by
their International privileges from the
scrutiny of the Roumanian police)
from the German consulate at BraSsO
(Kronstadt), in Hungary, to the Ger
man consulate at Bucharest. These
objects were afterward unearthed In
the garden Of the German legation In
the presence OF member OF the
United States legation and the Rou-
manian prefect OF police, when the
German diplomatists had departed.
The story would be incredible II 1t
were not proved by incontrovertIble
evidence.