Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1918-03-14
Recalling German Plots in u. S.


In the short period Of three years Ger
many transformed the United States from
\ friend and admirer into an enemy at
war. This fateful change was due to a
number OF causes. OF these the most wide
reaching was the war Of he German gov
srnmen on our country during a time
when we, in our blindness, supposed we
were at peace,
The war in Europe was not three
months old when there was established in
New York an advertising agency" under
the charge Of a German named Won Igel.
This office was raided one day In April.
1916, by four United States secret service
agents. They forced their way past the
giant who always stood guard over the
inner office, and after a fierce struggle
In which Won Igel fought like a tiger"
arrested him and seized the mass Of pa
pers In his possession.
The reason for Won Igel's tiger like
fight became clear at a glance. Here in
the form Of letters. kilograms, receipts,
account books, ETC., was supplied detailed
and absolutely convincing evidence that
the German government had been en-
gagged for IS months in a war against the
United States.
Among the papers were those showing
that Won Papen. the military attache Of
the German embassy, had paid out money
for placing bombs In American merchant
ships. and that Ambassador Won Bern
storff himself had signed checks to pay
certain American newspaper men to
spread the pro-German gospel. while they
posed as disinterested American citizens.
Other entries showed Germany using
our territory to work up an Irish revolu-
ton against Great Britain, maintaining a
spy system, supporting a bureau for the
purpose OF stirring up strikes in munition
plants and elsewhere, and paying stated
sums of money to certain newspaper own
ers who were glad to place their news
paper at the service of the German gov
m for value received.
The Won Igel papers cover only a COM
paratively small part Of the German war
against the United States in 1914-1916.
Won Igel and Won Papen, it appeared
from other sources, superintendent per-
sonally the making Of bombs on the Ger
man steamer Friedrich der Crosse, in
termed in New York harbor. and saw tina
they were stoves away safely in the
holds Of outgoining ships.
Another member of this band Of plot
tiers was DR.. H. F.. Albert. He arrived
from Germany with a letter Of credit for
81, 100000 in his pocket, and the assurance
He was to use 1t to manufacture public
opinion, to purchase the votes Of congress
men, and to do whatever else would adj
vance the great cause.
Still another star performer was Robert
Fay. He did his bit, in part, by hiding
bombs in the coal bunkers of ships and
tying them to rudder posts. At his trial
models OF bombs Of his " invention
were exhibited. BY his own confession
and that Of his partner the money for this
combination Of treachery and murder was
supplied by h German secret police.
In this dirty business the directing spirit
was the ambassador of the German gov
eminent, Johann o Bernstorff. An am
bassador is a guest Of the nation to which
he Is sent and Is supposed to behave as
such. But sfor nearly three years before
his recall he devoted himself 10 intrigue
and the plotting Of violence and murder.
His best remembered words while among
US will always be those Of his letter to his
government in which he asked for author
ity to spend $780, 900, 900. ''in order. as on
former occasions. to influence congress
through the organization you know Of"
Not contented with waging war upon us
directly, Germany tried to stir up bad
blood between us and our neighbons by
treaeherously violating our hospitality.
Her agents used our territory as ground
on which to make plots with disconnected
Hindoos against India They helped to
promote movements which were intended
to tear Ireland and Canada from the Brit
ish empire. From our side OF the border
they made a number Of direct attacks
upon Canada, such as the dynamiting OF
the international railroad bridge at Vance
boro, Me-, and the attempt to destroy the
locks of the Welland canal.
Mexico received much attention from
these gentlemen. Germany handed over
Seoe.0oo to the exiled Huerta to enable him