The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1918-02-12
WOMAN SPYLURED
EDITOR INTO THE
ENEMY'S HANDS
Carl Minister, American Citi-
zen, Followed Her Until
Seized on Dutch Border.


NEW YORK, Feb. 12.-Carl Minister
the German-American editor of Der
weekly published in Holland for open
circulation among the German refu
gees in that country and secret circu
lation among Germans at home, was
lured 10 his fate by woman spy in
the service of the German government,
according to an account of Minister'S
kidnapping written in Amsterdam by
Wolfgang Breithaupt and printed in
DE Freie Zeitung of Berne on Jan. 5
AS was reported in Washington dis
patch OF Feb. 2, the Dutch government
has asked the Germon authorities to
take no action In the Minister case un.
I'll 1t can be thoroughly investigated
by Dutch officials. Whether this re-
guest has been granted or whether
Minister has already been put to death,
like so many German deserters seized
on Dutch soil by German agents, is
not known in this country.
After pointing out that Minister was
a particularly sharp thorn in the side
of Prussian Junkerdom because OF his
prestige among the Bolsheviki and his
persistent agitation in favor of anti
war action by the German masses,
Breithaupt describes how the editor
went to the Dutch-G German border on
Dec. III to get letter which he had
been told was being sent to him by
Hugo Haase, the Reichstag leader of
the Independent Socialists. Breithaupt
goes on:
The plot to which Minister fell a
victim was worked out months ago
The only thing that made its accom-.
plishment possible was the fact that
woman comrade' who attended to
the transmission of his mail over the
border had sold herself to the German
Secret Service.
captor Hid Behind Fence
Minister followed the woman COM
rade,' who said she wanted to give him
the letters concealed on the border. to
a little frontier hamlet. Just how the
boundary line runs at that point is not
known, either by the border guards or
the persons living there. In general a
little brook Is regarded as the dividing
line. This brook is spanned by little
bridget separated by fence with a
narrow gate.
at Is certain that the boundary line,
II not behind the bridge, goes through
it's centre. something that is shown by
the fact that two German and two
Dutch communities bear the cost of
It's maintenance. Close 70 the bridge
there is house on Dutch territory.
From this house Minister followed the
'comrade' to the fence, where he was
suddenly seized by a powerful man.
who had hidden behind the fence. and
carried into German territory, the
agent being assisted by four accom-
pices who had quickly sprung to his
aid. .
Two Of these accomplices had been
hidden in house standing on Dutch
territory and occupied by German
non commissioned officer stationed on
the border. All this has been testified
to by four impartial Holanders. An
old Hollander who had been standing
on the bridge before the attack took
place was enticed over for chat by
the German guard so that his presence
would not interfere with the smooth
execution of the affair.
From the beginning there could be
no doubt that Minister had been seized
in violation of international law and
dragge! into German territory. Min
ster, who was we'll acquainted with
the methods of the German spy system
and wso was very cautious. certainly
would never have set foot upon an
inch of German ground.
Alleged He Crossed Border
at the German embassy the Chief
of the Political Police was told in an
exceedingly polite way that Minister
had been twenty metres over the Ger
man border when arrested. This dec
hI-
axiom which says: In Germany tney
lie when they are polite
For my part | have no doubt that
this case would also end in dead
heat if-and here is the critical point
for Holland Minister were not an
American. The friendly relations be-
tween the United States and Holland
are not in such condition as to need
this further stirring up to make them
still more cordial The United States
however. will not worry very much
about the Dutch easy going way but
will demand the delivery of it's kid
mapped citizen from the Dutch govern
ment. under whose protection Minister
succumbed.
There is also a satirical side to the
Minister case Minister was in the
closest and most friendly relations
with the editors Of the revolutionary
Tribune which. as is we'll known. has
been authorized by Lenine to function
as the European bureau Of mediation
of the Maximalist government, and
Minister'S opinion Is highly valued by
the revolutionary comrades. Just at
the moment when the Maximalists are
negotiating with the Imperial German
government German agents seize a
Maximalist revolutionary on Dutch soil
so as TO throw him into prison. This
ought to give Messrs. Lenine and Trot-
zky something to think about"