The Washington times., 1918-12-08
BELASKI REVEALS
AIRCRAFT PLOTS

A German plot to control airplane
production in the United States for
a year and prevent shipment Of air.
planes abroad.
Another German conspiracy to pre-
vent shipments OF arms to the allies.
These were the startling disclosures
made under oath yesterday by A.
Bruce Bierlaski, retiring chief Of the
Department of Justice Bureau OF In
vestigation. He made them, dramatic
ally. before the Senate committee in
vestigating German propaganda in
the United States.
In his testimony he named Senator
Hitchcock, OF Nebraska, and Roger
Sullivan, Democratic leader in Illinois.
as strong supporters of an organized
German campaign for an embargo on
shipment of munitions to the allies.
Senator Hitchcock was the sponsor
arms embargo.
BernstOrn Blamed LusItania.
While Bielaski was testifying. the
State Department gave out an official
file OF messages exchanged between
Won Bernstorff. then German ambassa-
der here. and the Berlin foreign office.
These messages show that Bernstorn
attributed the failure OF German pro-
paganda to the sinking of the LusitanIa
and to inability TO get the right edi-
tors to help in this country.
Speaker Hitchcock's name was
brought into the inquiry when a re-
port from P. Reisweitz. German con-
sui at Chicago. was read. Reisweitz
reported that:
Hitchcock seemed to be very strong
for the embargo. He told our repre-
sentatives at a conference in Omaha:
right way you will sweep the United
States"
Makes Five Charges.
Submitting documents to prove his
assertions, Bielaski declared that:
German agents planned to secure
control of the Wright aeroplane pat
ents and the Dayton factories to halt
aircraft shipments to the allies:
The American embargo conference
was organized at the instance of
German agents and financed with
German money, with the object of
keeping Amepica from shipping mu-
nitions to the allies and later OF pre-.
venting a declaration of war;
Bernstorff, fearing exposure, sought
to check all dubious propaganda"
after the sinking Of the Lusitania:
The American Truth Society. the
German Publication Society, and the
German University League all were
financed to a greater or less degree
by the German embassy at Wash
ington.
AirpIane Plot.
Reiswitz also said that he was
sending to Washington a man named
Won Alvensleben, who had a plan by
which Germany. through the expen-
diture of $4,000, could secure control
OF the Wright aeroplane patent, and
through this control could hold up
work at the Dayton factory on air
planes for shipment abroad.
In this connection Bielaski brought
out that the German government
purchased the Bridgeport ProJectiIe
Works for approximately $1,000 900.
hoping thereby to hold UP supplies
of gunpowder and machinery.
Reiswitz mentioned Sullivan as
having been q leader in the Wilson
campaign who was = deadly enemy
OF Wilson, as the latter did not keep
his promise TO mako him Senator"
Overman Asks Basis.
Some OF BielaskI's testimony was so
startling that Senator overman inter
rupted him at one point 20 ask:
when you make a statement my
is that you have dOcu-
mentary evidence to prove IL, except
in cases where you say you simply
believe certain things to be true"
THAT is correct" said Bielaski
Names we'll known in Washington