The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-05-15
HUNS PLANNED TO
'CERMANIzE U.S..
100000 Rifles Said to Have
Been Sent Over.
STARTLING REPORTS HEARD

Blow Was to Be Struck When Ger
mans Captured Channel Ports.
Weapons in Philadelphia, One Wit
ness Believed.
New York, May 15.-Reports that
thousands Of rifles had been secretly
imported from the Krupp works, at
Essen, in order to "Germanize" the
United States, were related at for
NAL state inquiry.
1t is being conducted by Merton E.
Lewis, state attorney general, the pur
pose being to get to the bottom of ru-
mOrs afloat for several years.
Edgar A. Holmes, witness, credit
ed the reports to a man named James
b. CroSsley. Holmes, as q broker,
tried to buy the rifles, but was unsuc-
cessful he said.
During the negotiations, he said,
Crossley told him some 100000 rifles
had been imported from Essen, by way
steamship companies.
They were to be used in the United
States if the Germans reached the
English channel ports.
Mr.. Holmes identified q copy of q
letter written by himself, offering to
sell 100000 Mausers and 100000
cartridges. The letter, dated June 9,
1917, was addressed to DR.. Thomas
Darlington, of New York, former
health commissioner
Holmes testified he had never seen
the articles, but had talked with an
engineer named Francis L. Judd, who
said he had seen boxes containing
100000 rifles.
Two months. ago, Holmes said, the
United States tried to buy them, but
they were not produced. Holmes had
been in touch with United States Off
Gals throughout the negotiations, he
said.
Gustave Lussing was named by
Holmes as the man said by various in
termediaries to be able to deliver the
goods. Judd told Holmes the rifles
had been in an East Side warehouse
and had been removed, but were with
in an automobile ride of an hour and
a half from Broadway.
Charles Fl. Murray, q hotel owner
OF Washington, testified he had heard
Of the existence of the rifles through
a Russian agent. Ivan Norodny, who
asserted they had been taken to an
upstate New York farm and he had
shot one of them himself.
NorOdny said Lussing had q farm
at Woodbury. Falls and party Of
German officers, including Captain
Hans Tauscher, had visited 1t after
dining at the German club in New
York. Through Norodny, Murray met
Lussing and was shown an itemized
statement of the quantity of rifles
hidden as follows: 100000 Mauser
guns, 100000, 900 cartridges, 100000
earhines. 100 rounds cnrtridges :
10000 rifles and 600 machine gums.
Lussing, according to the witness,
said they were stored in forty differ
ent places in the United States.
William II. Ford, attorney for LUIS
sing, testified that he did not believe
the rifles existed now because Lussing
had received no answer from his prin-
cipals in regard to an offer for the
rifles made in behalf of the United
States government by Major Nicholas
Biddle of the army intelligence bureau
two months ago.
Lussing had never told who his prin-
cipals were. Ford said, and he had
concluded the owners were "Philadel-
phia parties" and that the rifles were
in that city.
81 had always believed these guns
existed" said Ford, "but never heard
until this hearing that they had been
smuggled from Germany. had al
ways supposed they were made by
Americans"
Lussing, agent for the rifles, at the
request Of Mr.. Becker gave Ford per-
mission to describe their relations
Ford described Lussing as "a loyal
American citizen" and said he had
been naturalized thirty years ago.
Lussing Is a native of Schleswig- Hol-
stein, Germany.
In November, 1916, there were pub
lished reports that more than $780,
600 worth of munitions had been stor-
ed in New York loft and were being
watched by federal detectives, in
structed to prevent their removal
Captain Tauscher was credited with
having purchased them in Philadel-
phia, Bridgeport and elsewhere.