The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1918-02-02

When Capt. Won Papen laid his plans in the
German club, in New York, for the invasion Of
Canada by Germans in the United States, the spe-
cial agents knew of his plans. The fasco of the
Wenand canal, the unavailing activities of Paul
Koenig, chief detective of the Hamburg-Ameri-
can line; the Vaccinations of Capt. Karl Boy
Ed-all came to naught and were well known by
the American authorities.
Finally came the master spy of them all, Capt.
Franz Won Rintelen, intimate of the kaiser, q man
of highest social rank and vast wealth, with
plans to oIerturn all in America that worked
against the interests of Germany. He poured out
money like water and met enthusiastic co-opera-
ton on all sides. 1t seemed almost as if every
man in America was willing to help to the e-
tent of accepting large amounts of money from
Won Rintelen. In fact, Americans took his money
right and left, and rendered no service in re-
turn. Great quantities of German money were
spent, but little progress was made toward attain
ing the results for which Germany strove.
When these activities are surveyed as a whole,
the effort of German intrigue in America is seen
to have been astonishingly fertile. In the face
of such a lack of results it is difficult to believe
in the excellence and cleverness of Prussian es-
pionage. This newly organized agency of the
United States, intended for application to the
tasks of peace, crossed swords with what is
termed the greatest spy system in the world, and
thus far it has not been bested.
Then, suddenly the United States itself was
thrust into the war. With tens of thousands of
German reservists, hundreds of thousands of Ger
man citizens, millions of people Of German blood,
this country would appear to have been in q po-
sition of great danger from within. Certainly
there was need of sharp watchfulness. No other
belligerent nation was confronted by an internal
alien-enemy problem of such magnitude.
The government in this emergency offered BIZ
elaski the assistance of representatives Of its
other departments elsewhere. There were, for
instance, certain representatives Of the depart
ment of agriculture, scattered from coast to coast,
who knew their communities well. These were
instructed to watch for individuals who gave evil
dence of d~isloyalty to the United States and re-
port back to the department of justice, when
there was time, or to the nearest United States
attorney when quick action was required. The
post Office sent instructions to As, 900 postmasters,
$4,000 letter carriers and $4,000 rural delivery
man. Each of these was instructed to keep his
ear to the ground for any showing of disloyalty
from within and report promptly. The land Of
flee, the Indian Office, the public health service,
the reclamation service-all those governmental
agencies that spread out among the people were
officially instructed to help protect the nation from
any possible foe from within.
Those other detective agencies of the govern
ment such as the secret service, the post office In
spectors, the customs agents, were called upon
for skilled assistance. On the instant. almost. and
entirely aside from these government agencies,
there was built up in silence a secret service of
volunteers which is today effectively at work. It's
tentacles steal out through newspaper offices,
banks, hotels, over railroad systems, into munich
pal governments, through the radiations of trav-
cling statesmen. 1t is a loose organization, but 1t
works under instructions and knows what to do
when 1t finds a plague spot.
And this vast machine has been placed in the
hands of a young man, who, - years ago, fresh
from high school, entered the government service
as a laborer at $500 a year. Home Run" Biel.
ask, son of a minister, grandson of Can't. Alley
ander Bielaski, who died in battle at Bull Run,
descendant of a Polish patriot who fought that
America might become a nation, is making opera.
ton difficult for the spies of the enemy.