The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1917-09-24
GERMAN ACTIVITY HERE
IS MOST STARTLING

perial government, through It's repre-
sentatives in then friendly nation,
was concerned with
Violation of laws Of the United
States.
Destruction of lives and property In
merchant vessels on the high seas.
Irish revolutionary plots against
Great Britain.
Fomenting tu-feeling against the
United States In Mexico.
Subornat1on of American writer's
and lecturers.
Financing OF propaganda.
Maintenance Of a spy system under
the guise Of commercial investiga-
tion bureau.
Subsidizing Of a bureau for the pur
pose of stirring up labor troubles In
muniton plants.
The bomb industry and other related
activities.
Briefly, Germany's spy plots against
the United States, as made public by
committee on public Information, are
as follows:
In the fall of 1914, shortly after
the outbreak Of the war, the Ger
man embassy established a publicity
department at 60 Wall street, under
the direction of Wolf Won Igel.
About two years later this office
was raided and documentary proof
obtained that Wolf Won Igel was the
chief spy and plotter Of a vast sys-
TEN maintained in the United
States under Ambassador Won Bern
storff's general direction.
Paul Koenig, pretending to con-
duct the secret service of the Ham
burg-American Steamship company
from a New York Office, was discov-
cred to be in reality one Of the d.
rectors Of the German spy system
In the United States. He is now
interned at Fort Oglethorpe, In Won
Bernstorff's code he was known as
"XXX."
In report by Koenig to his boss,
Captain Won Papen of the German en-
bassy, Koenig describes an agent
who has made bombs to resemble
Jumps of coal to be placed on board
merchantmen sailing from New
York for the purpose Of blowing
them up while at sea.
james F. ]. Archibald, magazine
writer and war correspondent, ac-
knowledged receipt Of $4,000 from the
German embassy for propaganda work.
Edwin Emerson, another correspond
ent, got $1,000.
John Devoy Of New York city, pro-
fessional Irish patriot, and now editor
Of the Gaelic-American, was the activ e
agent Of Germany in this country in
promoting the recent revolution In Ire
land. He was the go-between for
Bernstorff and Sir Roger Easement,
executed for treason by the British
government. Dewey handled check
for $1,000 from the German embassy
for Easement.
Daniel f. Cohalan, justice of the
New York supreme court, asked the
German embassy to telegraph to Berlin
advice on the Irish revolution, as "the
services Of this revolution may decide
| the war"
The Chicago branch Of the German
and Austro-Hungarian Labor Informa-
ton and Relief bureau was active in
promoting labor disorder. DR.. Max
Niven of Chicago received $50 for the
'labOr fund"
Completeness Of the German spy
system was due to loyalty to the kaiser
| of Americans Of German extraction
who were willing to betray the coun-
try Of their adoption.
Canada was also the object of Ger
man conspirators operating in the
| United States under the direction of
the German embassy. There were un-
successful plots to destroy the Welland
canal and to accomplish the separa-
ton Of Canada from the British en-
pire.
G. S. Wereck, editor of the Father
land, now changed in title (but not in
purpose) to Vierick's Weekly, offered
help in supplying picric acid, a con-
stituent Of many high explosives.
William J. Ruff Of Quincy, H., want
ed to help "save lives" by providing
the Germans with a device to blow up
trenches and destroy ships.
Ray Beveridge, California artist, re-
ceived $4,000 from the German en-
bassy for a pro-Gernan lecture tour.
masqueratding In part as Red Cross
feature.
Bernstorff's staff was busy also with
promoting the transportation Of NUM-
tions through Holland, supposedly a
neutral.
Wolf Won Igel's spy system produced
secret code message April II, 1915,
to this effect: Herewith respectfully
send an extract regarding troops sta
toned in California and the armament
OF the coast fort Notifications"
DIICC nDINC EMCIaV 0anH