New-York tribune., 1918-08-02
Drawings of Stabilizers
Given to Germans,
Prisoners Say
Two Men Run Down
By Federal Agents
Hans jacobson and Cour,
Courant Recommended
for Internment

Through a secret avenue cf COM
munication drawings and specifications
of most confidential character con-
cerning horoscopes and stabilizers for
aeroplanes have been conveyed to the
German Foreign Office from spies in
this country.
This phase of the espionage activi-
ties of Teutonic agents N the United
States was revealed yesterday when
two enemy aliens, arrested by agents
of the Department of Justice, broke
down while they were being interro-
gated by Chief Charles F. De Woody
and made a complete confession. Mr..
DE Woody has recommended their i'm
mediate internment. The evidence in
the case will be turned over to the
United States Attorney for whatever
action he may deem advisable.
The prisoners are Hans jacobson, of
zoo Manhattan Avenue, who has been
employed by the Audiger & Meyer Silk
Company, of 440 Fourth Avenue, since
he came to this country from Ger
rant, thlrty-two years old, of 1851 Sew
enty-ffth Street, Brooklyn, drafts
man formerly employed by the Sperry
Gyroscope Company to work on con-
tdentlal drawings.
Agents Run Down
The arrests are the result of three
weeks clever work by agents of the
Department of Justice, acting under
instructions from Chief De Woody. 1t
has been known for some time that tho
Germans have been receiving reports
from agents in this country on new
Inventions and equipment for the
United States and our allies. When
american agents in Europe discovered
that Germany not only had the plans
ana drawings of the gyroscope and
staolIlzer, .t but had accurate reports on
the transports carrying them across
the ocean, Chief De Woody was re-
quested to investigate.
ms agents soon found the leak and
gained the confidence of the spies
After that the work of finding the
lines of communication was started
This work has been completed and ali
implicated in the plot are now in in
ternment camps or have fled from the
country.
Courant first came to the United
states from Berlin in 1910 as sales
agent for his father, who is wealthy
sewing machine manufacturer. Realjz-
Ing that the German-made machine was
not the equal of the American product.
he returned to Germany and desiened
better machine. He came here again
IN 1912 to sell the new machine. but
was unable to make a success in the
sewing machine business.
Introduced to Papen
Shortly after the outbreak of war. in
1914, he applied for a position in the
Sperry Company, and was put to work
on gyroscope drawings. In February
of 1915 he met jacobson and told him
that he was then in position to Sc
cure copies of gyroscope drawings Of
the most confidential character. They
talked the matter over and decided to
communicate with the German En-
bassy in Washington.
through the secretary to the Ger
man Consul General in New York they
were introduced to Captain Franz Won
Papen, the German military attache
and spy master, at the German Club. in
Fltty-nlnth Street. He approved of the
scheme and directed them to produce
tne drawings as soon as possible They
delivered the drawings to representa-
tives of the German government at the
German Club in 1915 and 1916 and up
until January, 1917, when the embassy
staff was preparing for the break be-
tween the United States and Germany.
After the German Embassy was
closed the pair went to the offices of
the HamburgAmerican Line, where
they told Paul Koenig, director of the
lines secret service. of the work thew
had been doing. He urged them to
continue and instructed that all draw
ings and information be forwarded to
him. After our declaration of war the
information regarding transport sail
ings was conveyed to German agents
IN England. who in turn delivered it
ing off the British coast