The sun., 1918-08-02
SPERRY GYROSCOPE
SPIES ADMIT GUILT
Two Germans Who Betrayed
Plans of Mechanism Are
Ordered Interned.
CAPT. Won PAPEN'S TOOLS
Secretary Krohn Of I. w. w. Is
Gagged as Suspected Ian
gerous Enemy Alien.

Two Germans who confessed that they
Systematically kept their country In
formed OF improvements made on the
sperry gyroscope for @tabllizlns air
planes while 1t was being manufactured
in quantities for the Allies before the
United States became a belligerent were
recommended for internment yesterday
BY Charles De Woody. chief Of the New
York Bureau Of Investigation OF the De-
partment OF Justice.
The men were Court Courant or 1891
Seventy-hfth street, Brooklyn. and Hans
Jacobson OF 200 Manhattan avenue.
Courant was a craftsman in the employ
Of the Sperry Gyroscope Company, 50
Tlatbush avenue, Brooklyn. until Octo-
her OF last year. Jacobson worked Tor
the Audiger Meyer Silk Company, 440
Fourth avenue. during the seven years
he has been in this country until his ar
rest yesterday.
Courant stole the plans and specihca-
tons for the gyroscope and improved
devices as they were invented. jacobson
transmitted the plans and specifications
10 German agents under an agreement
with Courant entered into In February.
1915. jacobson procured an introduce
ton to Capt. FranS Won Papen, attache
uf the German Embassy. and the draw
,ngs we're exchanged at meetings in the
German Club in Central Park South.
Sent ship News to Germany.
After Won Papen departed at the in
sstence OF the Government the secrets
of the Sperry Company were transmitted
20 Germany through officials of the Ham,
burg American Line. Part Of the infor-
nation regularly transmitted was re-
~, III To- tl,o
Allies.
Courant has been working since he left
the Sperry Company for the Doehler Die
Casting Company. Ninth and Hunting
ton streets, Brooklyn. He was arrested
there yesterday.
Courant's experience in the United
States taught him that there was one
very profitable industry in which the
manufacturers Of this country had moth
ing to fear from Germans. He came
here in 1910 as the representative Of his
father, a manufacturer Of sewing ma
Cf,ires. He found that there was no
hope for building a market IN this coun-
try for German machines despite their
cteapness, because they were slow and
otherwise inferior to the American
product.
After a few months here coura mt took
back to his father some ideas for I'M
ments were made and Courant returned
here in 1912. He found that the ma
chimes he hoped to put on the American
market we're still hopelessIy inferior. he
dropped his efforts and went to work for
the Sperry Company.
Ernest Krohn OF Mills Hotel No. ],
Blocker street, secretary of the New
York Industrial Workers OF the Worid'
whose headquarters are - 81 MARX
,al ~ b.
Hull at the Enemy Alien Bureau yes
terday as a suspected dangerous enemy
alien.
Came Here on Navy Collier.
Krohn was born In konigsberg, Prus-
sia, forty-three years ago. He came 10
the United States in 1908 on the United
states collier Saturn. on which he mad
shipped in Shanghai. China. He hnd
been employed In many parts OF the
country a machinist.
Krohn failed to register as an enemy
alien. He asserted he was Indifferent
whether the United States or Germany
won the war Asked why he Joined the
w. w, he said Just to serve my own
rurposes They are bunch or lrea KS
and dreamers." He will be recon-
mended for internment.
George Mannhardt, 81. OF 1bS East
lcsth street. also was ordered heio
pending a recommendation for his IN
,ernment as a dangerous enemy alien by
capt, Hull yesterday. He failed to reg
lister as an enemy alien or for tho Sc
lective draft. He has brother IN the
Germany army.
Mannhardt was discharged from Che
United states army in 1916 for physical
disability after serving eighteen months
as a baker at Panama. He told Capt.
Hull that he admired the Kaiser ana
Won Hindenburg. He said the presence
OF German submarines of the. Atlantic
coast made him happy. He would go
hack to Germany and tight II he had a