Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-08-04
by }. j. BOSnAS.

"'u from some informant In Berlin.
ne general staff did not even indulge
passing regret that the more than
oV'ooo reserve privatcs in the Ameri-
|1s were unavailable. The crying
eed was for officers. all the more so
nee II was against the German mill
|ftE policy to make officers out OF
|rivates
me lawyer unused over the situation
|na the privacy of his William Street
nice The one obstacle between "A re-
|e'NlS' IN America and the army in
|'ermany vas the British fleet, How
puid 1t b. overcome
came the answer: false passports.
american passport regulations "ere
|hen lax. Oberlieutcnant otto Won
l.runn would be passed by any search
|as party from a British warship IL
carried the passport Of John John
|cn' swedish seaman, OF the passport
t'ens!bly homeward bound on busi-
css.
Ru.hcn to Bcriin.
II vas easy TO obtain passport for
me Dutch, Danish. swedish. spanish
ha Norwegian workers Oh the water
.ont. It was stili easier 10 induce this
lass Of neutral c.tizenry to part with
neir passports fer consideration
Inc price was finally fixed at S2p AS
hey would be turned over to reserve
ihce's eager 10 return.
burning with the zeal 10 serve his
atherland. Won Wcdell resolved TO go
Berlin Immediately and lay the
lea before his uncle. First however.
got IN touch with Won BernAtorn
Washington. and after a co-respon-
.nce with the ambassador. was ac-
eptet oy inc latter as messenger.
/, vas not difficult FOR him 10 obtain
passport to vi IL Holland on business.
nd during :he- lnsr week @. ScpIcmber
& reached his dcstinaiion--the office
his uncle
Several months later. Won Wedeu. in
e!ending 4 charse that he had ne
erted his post III New York, wrote
cunt Won Bcrnstorn that The pa port
lea had been conceived in Berlin and
|orced upon him to execute 10y mis-
ncle. This, however Is not to be
redlted, for all evidence, even his
wn words point TO him az the
lriEinator
The Foreign Office approved the idea
nd provided him with funds to carry
|: out. Won cdcll los, no time III
|eturning TO New York. arriving there
arly in November and proceeding
Promptly TO establish the passport
|ureau. Not until then WAS the Ger
Ian embassy at washington taken into
lis confidence Although tn. Depart
rent Of Justice investigators did not
EARN OF his identity until some time
fte!ward. Captain Franz Won rapcn,
lac military attaChe. began to WORK in
|oniunction with the bureau by round
lag UP reserve officers and sending
aen thither
Bureau" In Fuli Bln.i.
!, BY the LIST o. December the bureau
'as in full blast Now Won WydeIl
lad no time for ms practice. lie was
|eldom seen a. his once IN William
treet. but cculd he found AZ the
|urtau headquarters at any time. The
|,ca;.on .! the bureau is under the
censorship OF the department. but II
lay be said tina, it vas located IN a
Dom owned by certain fraterual or
anization Of national Importance. and
lso that well-known lawyer Of Tam
'lany Hall procured the room FOR
pedeu.
IA motley crew slouched INTO the
|Hreau every day. They were the
sum o. the lower classes OF all the
'eutral nations All were dyitters. All
Mere we'll aware Of what use their
rossly Indifferent 1t was easy
,oney' for them. and most -. them
sd done things far worse al times
,r less In most cases they were more
han satisfied with the price. But
hen there was haEglins, the lawyers
sfnement must have revolted at the
i.ty work-hIs fanatical Prusslanisn.
touever. probably completely pre-
Iludsd remorse "a the thought o: dis
Hyalty TO MS adopted land.
Won Wede!l became nEure among
ev York Germans To his intimate
Lends he boas.ed OF the success of
his bureau and OF the commenda ton
= mis- uncle. tn. count. ana OF the
onors that would be his as result
His talk of course. reached the ears
n III. ambassador and Captain Won
amen, and did not serve TO make him
|opular WIN that precious pair Won
spen was for substituting a more dis
rec, agent. but the ambassador seem
,rly did not dare cross words with
ION W'edtlls uncle on the matter.
[ some npurchasnhIc Patriotism.
Non Wedcll. however. Was not
iinded by his success IN gathering
,ssports He was shrewd enough to
50 that he could not so on indefinitely
baking use of alien waterfront char
ct.rs particularly when their pass
IRIS we're unsuited to hiSh-rank inS
.servists He must have passports Of
merican citizens.
This necessitated an assistant who
adj wide range of acquaintance
nonE American citizens who could
approached, and at once Wedell saw
,at an INSCRIPTIONS politician would
|.ake the ideal assistant. Again he
s.ent 70 his Tammany friend, and the
,tter procured the assistants young
.ish- American. Jack
Vow il so happened that while the
vnhenated description applied 10 the
Connective assistant. he did not have
narticle of the "hyphen" in his sys-
I'M when loyalty TO America was the
sue.
merjcan passports" Won Wedell in
,rn,ed him as they sat in the latters
oom Those that l have not will
non he useless because the govern
,ent is going to require the photo
ranh Of the bearer on the passport.
yorse than that. the seal of the State
,enartment must show. half on the
.oto and half on the seal"
4. "I want 10 get these officers away on
& B.rGenshord. which sails OH the
ID of January. Get them TO fit their
}escriptions. and from time to time
uring the next six months get me al
,ce,her about forty more
! aucher came back OH the S0th with
s,,o more genuine passports. Having