The Washington herald., 1917-12-07
AMERICAN BRAIN
USED BY BocHE
Holland Says Aid to Zep-
pelin Went From the
United States

United States
limitations have reached the United
States that Germany is making use
of an American invention with which
to facilitate the speed and prolong the
life Of their Zeppelins and airplanes. |
Some Of the airplanes that have been
captured or destroyed were discov- |,
cred. presumably, to have utilized this |
American invention.
This intimation makes Il possible |
now to give an account Of a remark |
able incident which occurred in Lon |
don early in the year 1915. 1t will
Illustrate the sagacity and skill Of the
Germans as well as the courage OF
some of those whom the German gov
ernment has employed for secret mis-
sions into the countries with which
Germany Is at war.
DR.. Edward G. Acheson. who for
some years was president Of the
American Electro-Chemical Associa-
ton. and who was one of the first
to utilize electro-chemistry in the
manufacture Of commodities which
have now an extended commercial
value perfected. through the utiliza-
ton Of the electric arc and out OF such
common raw material as sand ana
carbon. q lubricating material which
was found to be of such commercial
Importance as to justify the estab-
lishment Of a plant for Its manu-
facture in Belgium. There were al
ready large plants which manufac-
tured the commodity in the United
States
Took Belgian Plant.
The Belgian plant was located in
a small town situated twelve miles
east of Liege. 1t was in successful
operation when the war broke out
The German armies in their rush
through Belgium occupied this viii
lage and the military leaders i'm
mediately took possession Of this
plant and presumably operated 1t
for the production of the lubricant.
. Sometime in January, 1915. Doc
tor Acheson. who was then in Lon
don, received in his office digni-
fed, well bronzed and attractive
hammered man, who while offering
letters of introduction from certain
Germans of prominence did so with
such perfect mastery of the Eng
lish tongue as to cause Doctor Ach-
eson to comment on his command
of the English language The Wis
itor said that he had been often in
America and that, in fact. a part Of
his family had settled in Texas. But
he was unquestionably a German.
Even his appearance, had he not
produced letters of introduction,
would have made 1t clear that he
was a German through and through;
a cultivated and an accomplished
German, well skilled in some of the
German arts of diplomacy.
German Ofer to America.
After the courtesies, following the
reading of the letters of introduc-
tion, had been exchanged, this Ger
man said that he was authorized
by the German government to secure
from DR.. Aeheson the right to man
ufacture, in Germany, the kind Of
lubricant which had already been
manufactured in Belgium.
The proposition was an astounding
one. There in the heart of London.
where secret service men and Scot
land Yard detectives were alert in
watching for Germans, this man had
appeared undiscovered and had VEN
tured into the London Office Of an
American company with intent to
make an offer of a large sum of
money to be paid by Germany for
the formula and the right to manu-
facture this lubricant There was
no doubt about the authority this
man had to make the offer. After
wards there were facts disclosed
which proved that.
DR.. Acheson made no answer at
that interview, but promised to reply
the next day. IT the appointed hour
on the day following the German
appeared at his office. The reply OF
DIR. Acheson. which was typewriter
for the doctor deemed it much the
better part for him to hold no fur
ther personal communication with this
German, was an unconditional re-
fusaI to entertain the proposition. be-
cause DR.. Acheson was. as he said
an American citizen and therefore a
neutral.
As such. he believed 1t would be
violation of neutrality if he. while
in London. were to entertain a propo.
sition Of this character.
German vanIshes.
The German, with extreme polite
ness. accepted the letter which DR.
Acheson wrote and instantly departed
Within a few moments after his de
parture, the Scotland Yard men ap
peared at the office searching for him
The search was in vain. The mai
disappeared as suddenly as he had ap
peared and later 1t was made eviden
that he found his way without diff
Guilty to Amsterdam.
II the Germans were Oot able Il
buy the formula and the right I,
manufacture this lubricant their mel
of science evidently. through the ia
cilities which the Belgium plant of
fered, discovered the formula Fo
information has come to the Unite,
States that three large plants hav
been established in Germany wher
this lubricant is manufactured pre-
sumably in sufficient amounts for air
plane and Zeppelin and perhaps othe
necessities.
It was a marvel how this Germa
agent could have found his way int
London and why he, with such com
plete audacity and apparent indiffer
ence to danger. appeared in tn
London office OF an American manu-
facturer, to make q money offer 70
material useful in war service. Blu
1t was a greater mystery how h
utterly vanished only 3 or 4 moment
ahead Of the appearance Of the Scot
land Yard detectives.
America to Make Test.
The United States government.
is understood, is speedily to hav
an opportunity to test the value o
this lubricant, especially for tn
new liberty motors II should b