The sun., 1918-06-22
KAISER'SLAND
PLOT Barred ON
FLORIDA COAST
Germans 10000 Acre Base
May Be Used by L. s. for
Shipbuilding.
BIG SUPPLY OF TIMBER
Site Acquired by PatienteIn-
triguc Seized With Palatial
Headquarters.
BIG SUPPLY OF TIMBER
Special Despdtch to The srS.

WARRINGTON, June 2l.-German money
that went to finance what is believed to
have been plot to establish a German
base OF some kind on the Gulf coast Is
likely now to be used to build American
ships with'which to defeat the Kaiser.
This plan. involving the use OF 10000
acres Of the finest timber land in Florida
and one of the finest harbors on the Gulf
for wooden ship yard of large proper
tons. has been laid before Chairman
Hurley by A. Mitchell Palmer, allen prop
erty custodian. who some months ago
took possession Of the German American
Lumber Company. located at Milville.
Fla. and found therein a nest Of Ger
man intrigue with direct connections
with the wilhelmstrasse.
Two Of the former presidents Of the
German American Lumber Company
have been interned at Fort Oxlethorpe
as dangerous aliens. Evidence In the
possession of the Department Of Justice
shows that while ostensibly posing as
German merchants and business men
they were in reality German secret
service agents
In fact. the records Of the company
and other information now in the hands
of the Government would seem to show
that the German American Lumber Com
pany was more or less Of camouflage,
and that what purported to be a German
commercial scheme may have been a
plan for acquiring some kind Of Ger
man base on the Gulf coast.
Kaiser's Aid Owned stock.
np No tl
which this scheme centred is owned in
Germany. most of 1t by man said to
, be Prince Schombers. whose princi-
! pality is situated near Bremen. The
Prince is a close friend OF the Kaiser,
and all of the operations were directed
| from Germany.
The German American Lumber Com
! pany is se.5Oo.000 corporation. owning
10000 acres OF timber land. two saw
! mills. eighty miles OF railroad and two
,, Florida towns. lis history goes back to
! 1897. AS pieced together from the rec
ords now in the hands of the Govern
| ment. this history shows that julius
Schreyer. of the Kaisers clique. began
series of mysterious trips about the
Gulf coast when the Isthmian Canal
project was receiving much attention.
After two years thus spent Schreyer ap-
peared at st. Andrews Bay. $50 miles
east of Pensacola, then totally unde-
veloped, and began buying all the land
within miles
The land gradually was acquired in
such a way that its possessors virtually
controlled the bay. An American was
president during the time the land was
cd h,,t
was completed all tine Americans were
ousted and then several Germans ap-
peared. each serving a three year term
as president The first of these was one
Edward Lutz, who came from Hayti,
presumably under orders. and who It
now appears was a secret service agent
with a number at the Wilhelmstrasse.
Following him came Theodore Poppe and
then H. G. Kulenkampff Under their
direction the company fought against
any exploitation Of the bay for COM
mercial purposes. opposed the building
of a railroad which would have opened
up the tract and also the building OF
| roads.
Lived in PrinceIy style.
A house was built on bayou and
loaded with fine linen and silver from
Berlin and there the German directors
and their stan lived in princely style.
The books Of the company show that
no effort was made to do anything but
a perfunctorv lumber business. The ac-
counts we're kept carelessly. its officers
never discounted a bill, never demanded
any interest from the banks on their
deposits, but made enough sales to pay
them a salary Of $4,000 year.
As soon as the trading with the enemy
act was passed last fall Department Of
Justice agents swooped down upon the
company and seized papers of all kinds.
simultaneously some Of its officers and
ex-officers were picked UP around the
country and interned.
German propaganda stun was found in
every corner OF the house. Apparently
It had been a huge distributing centre
under the direction Of the Germans in
charge. Also on the books now in pos
session of the Government appear mys-
terious payments made to the officers
for expenses" amounting sometimes to
$50, 900 at q crack
Inasmuch as II owns 900. 900, 900 feet
OF timber and one Of the finest ship
building sites in the country. Mr.. Pal
mer and the directors thought that the
best use that could be made Of this
project Of the Kaiser. whatever II was.
would be to build wooden ships with
| which to defeat him. This plan Is now
before the Shipping Board.