The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-04-25
Papers Taken From Captain
Won Papen Show This.
Inquired Into Methods of Blow
ing Up Railroads.
MADE PREPARATIONS EARLY
DR.. Dumba Was Optimistic Up
to Last Moment.
''GOOd Works and ii Light
Hand" Worked Wonders.

Washington, April 25.-Repeated
declarations of the German emperor
and Hindenburg and Ludendorff that
the war was forced upon Germany
and assertions from the same sources
that Germany was taken by surprise
by the Russian mobilization attaches
particular interest to certain papers
taken from Captain Won Papen. late
military attache at Washington.
Among the papers which have been
published by the British government
In a white book, appears a letter from
r. Won Wild of the German war min
istry in Berlin, to Captain Won Papen
seeking information regarding the
best means of blowing up railroad
trains lin the event of an European
war" The significant point is that
this letter was written March II, 1914,
about five months before the out
break of war. This letter says:
According to newspaper reports
several railway trains were blown up
bv revolutionaries during the troubles
in Mexico. In order to form an
opinion. whether, in the event OF a
European war, explosions of this kind
would have to be reckoned with, 1t IS
requested that if possible, information
should be obtained as TO how these
attacks have been carried ou'- Were
mines and explosives placed on lines
which were little guarded, or were
the attacks carried out on the trains
by igniting a charge of dynamite or
by the employment of internal ma
chineS2
How They Blow 'cm Up i'm Mexico.
CAPTAIN Won Papen. replying from
Mexico. where it is now known he
was iridustriously planting the seeds of
German propaganda, and establishing
connections for Germany, to Use in
the event that she should war upon
n M
operations of the Mexican reVolu-
tionaries as of any particular value.
Four months later he wrote from Mex
leo City:
q am convinced from personal evil
dence that all recent cases OF deStruc-
ton of railway trains by explosion
was brought about by burying dyna-
mite under the line itself and then ig-
hitting it by an electric current as soon
as the train has reached the appointed
place | consider it out of the ques-
ton that explosions prepared in this
way would have to be -eckoned with
in a European war They are only
possible on lines that are ill-guarded
which. as in this country. often pass
for miles thru revolutionary districts
and have no protection other than a
pilot train. Internal machines SO far
as l know have never been employed"
Another letter to Won Papen from
! the manager of the Potsdam branch of
the Discomfort eSellschaft has this
postscript:
p. S.-We never before have seen
such preparations as are being made
at present. German stocks fell today
one per cent Kind regards,
r. MIMEL.
Dumba Was Optimistic.
This letter was regarded as of par
ticular interest by the British compil-
ers of the correspondence in view of
its date, July rs, 1914, while negotia :
tons were still in progress to avoid
war.
Evidently Doctor Dumba Austro-
Hungarian ambassador to the United
= States. recalled at the request of this
government, did not appreciate until
{ the last moment the danger in which
he was placed by his own machina-
tons, for optimism characterized his
last letter to Won Papen, dated at
1enOX, Mass, September l, 1915.
..-I.l, dci.,cr ...11.., Z