The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-07-24
PLOT TO INVADE
CANADA AND MEXICO
The Government Charges
Stensch with Plan to Form
Army of 100000 Men
INFORMATIONW WAS
GIVEN BY WOMAN
Project of the German Doctor Aimed to
Keep the Canadians at Home and to
Involve United States and Mexico in


Involve United States and Mexico in
War.
NEW YORK, July 24.-The secrecy
which has surrounded the case of DR..
August Richard Won Strensch,
who was arrested by the department of
justice last week, was dropped when it |
was announced that Strensch had been |
in a plot which involved the in
vasion of Canada and Mexico by German
reservists in this country. The invasion
of Canada had for its purpose the keeping
of Canadian soldiers at home to fight the
Germans on Canadian soil, while the Mex
lean part of the plot was for the purpose
of involving this country in a war with
Mexico, which would necessitate the keep
ing on this side of the water several hun
bred thousand American soldiers who 9TH
erwise would be available for European
service.
Strensch, who is an elderly man, is said
to be highly connected in Germany, and,
although he has long made America 4 his
home, he remains loyal to the Kaiser and
the Prussian cause. He was arrested on
presidential warrant while at lunch in
restaurant in Columbus circle He is now
locked up in the Raymond street Jail
pending the federal action. 1t was pointed
out that the offense charged against Won
Strenseh involves not only an armed at
tack on an ally of this country, but
also an attack on the United States
through Mexico. Much of the informa-
ton which the government has concerning
| the activities of Won Strensch is said to
| have been given to Chief Charles f. De-
| Woody of the department of justice bu-
reau of investigation by woman
| The government is known to be in pos
session of a mass of written data in the
case which was seized last week This data
includes letters said to have been written
to Won Strensch by woman who is known
to the authorities. Other documents are
said TO have corroborated statements made
in the letters, one of them to the effect
| that 10000 German reservists were to be
sent into Canada and about the same mum.
Der into Mexico. The letters show that
the plot was Matched in the first month oil
the war Whether or not the conspiracy
was still entertained after this country
entered the struggle is a question which
the federal authorities are said to be in
vestigating.
In one letter written to Won Strenscl
in November, 1915, the writer said
" | am thinking over the situation in New
York and wondering why you and the $50,
Il, 4
Canada from sending more men overseas.
One suggestion was for a considerable
force of reservists to cross into Canada
at point near Buffalo and to make
stand at Fort Erie or Bridgetown in Can
Iada A second letter, written subsequent
ly to the one quoted, referred to 25,00
men who could be quietly assembled oil
the border and added that in the even
the movement succeeded, the Canadian
would have to use a large force of thei
men to guard Quebec. In still anothe
of the letters certain Captain B. wa
referred to. Whether this reference wa
to Boyd, the former Naval Attache il
, Washington, is not known.
Il am anxiously waiting to hear of Capt
BIS trip to Portland said still anothe
letter, while another, written in 1916, sal
that a large number of German reservist
were ready and willing to "do his duty
whenever called upon. In another of til
Won Strensch letters, the writer made re-
erence to what was termed the "appalin
upreparedness of the United States an
added that in the event this country er
tered the war the only way it could &c
an army was to compel men to enlist fo
a period of four years
One of the more recent activities {
Won Strensch, and this may refer to
time subsequent to the declaration of wa
against Germany, is said to have bee
an effort on his part to smuggle int
Germany the details of gun which ha
been developed by the ordnance depar
ment. The plot which involves the trans
mission of the information concernin
the gun was frustrated.
In another document which figures
the case, the federal agents found MOI
evidence of the fact that the German
| began placing their spies in America
| munition plants within the first weel
| of the war This is indicated in lette
which, in part reads:
"There is a German at the "M." hot,
who claims to be Russian, but who
really German He is at the Curt,
plant"
In another document the writer sal
he was "anxiously waiting to hear whs
Captain b. has to say about getting 50
1 diers into Mexico to HELM them (the Me,
icans) fight the United States
Three enemy aliens who term then
sdlvcf 'internationalists' were arresste
in the Union Hill section of New Je
! sew and brought to New York and a
raiened before Captain Roger b. Hull,
Is A.. Of the enemy alien bureau The me
5. ard Germans, and all came to this cou
try since the beginning Of the war bx wa
Of South America. The prisoners ga,
their names as Otto Spieclzer, who is sa
q to be known as Johann Won Decker;
= bert Wrede, who is said to have nose
" rs johann Won der Field. and Wilhel
" Kruger. The men gave their occupatiC
D, as seamen They are said to have bee
s. living toqether at l32 East Eighty-fift
y etreet All are held in the Raymond sire
E. JAIL Brooklyn, pending further inves
!, CATION by the department of justice.
Another alien taken into custody ga