The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-07-25
HAS KINS WRITES
OF CERMRN MILLS
and ST. ANDR { VS.

The arrest by the department. of
justice of G. Kulenkampf and Edward
Lutz. both implicated in German in
trigue in this country. has been fully
discussed by the press of Florida, but
the following article by Frederick j.
Haskin, newspaper writer of ma
tional reputation, will be read with
interest in this section, where a situa-
ton had developed when il was taken
in charge by the government which
has hardly been equalled in all the
history of German plot and counter
plot, since the opening of hostilities:
A startling proof of how Germany
planned to obtain control of certain
American ports with a view to ham
pering their development and further
ing German intrigue in this country.
was received when St. Andrews Bay
on the Gulf of Mexico recently fell into
the hands of A. Mitchell Palmer, the
custodian of alien property. For this
harbor and the land surrounding it
were owned by the prince of a small
German state; its affairs were man
aged by German syndicate and Ger
man ships entered and left the harbor
nightly.
It Is significant to note that st.
Andrews bay possesses all the poter-
tialities for thriving metropolis of
the southeast. 1t lies on the north
west coast of Florida hundred anu
fifty miles from Pensacola and forty
two miles from Apalachicola. 1t is
said to possess a better harbor than
either Of these, and it is in direct line
with Havana and almost in direct lire
with Colon. Only few rods of track
are necessary to give it railroad con-
nection by way Of Atlanta, with the
Atlantic seaboard, the west and mid
die west. With some essential i'm
propements it might outstrip any
other port of Florida when the expan-
sion of South American trade begins
after the war.
Controlled BY Germany.
Yet until less than a year ago this
potential city was cop/olled by Ger
many almost as completely as a coll
ony of that empire. The syndicate
ostensibly operated a small lumber
mill close to the waters edge 1t
possessed a considerable number of
boats, ostensibly for the purpose Of
transporting timber to Atlantic ports:
but department of justice officials
who are now completing a very thor
ough investigation of what the syn
dictate did and did not do say that the
lumber business" was used as a cloak
for a much more sinister one.
The land measures some 2o00
acres, most Of it valuable timber prop
erty. Nearly all of the employees of
the syndicate We're Germans or nat
uralized Americans born IN Germany.
The employees had little to do with
the jewellers in the surrounding com
try and spurned whatever advances
the natives made. The Atlanta and
St. Andrews Bay railroad had a ter
minus at Panama City, less than three
quarters OF a mile from the harbor
and the offices of the syndicate. 1t
is said that officials of the railroad Of
fered to build an extension to THE
mills. thus opening another avenue for
the transportation Of the timber. The
syndicate rejected this offer bIuntly
railroad that it could do very well
without it's help.
Existed Fifteen Years.
At the time of the first raid by the
department of justice to neighboring
residents whose curiosity had been set
at high pitch from time to time. by
the wall of exclusiveness with which
the Germans surrounded themselves
not enough lumber was cut in a year
to pay the expenses of a single month
Yet, at regular intervals. boats glided
In and out of the harbor, depositing
mysterious cargoes, and carrying off
large stores Of no one knew what
These visitors always came and went
at night. For a long time they came
perhaps two or three times a week,
but after the war between Germany
and the entente, the visits increased
until at last they occurred nightly.
When the raid took place large
stores of printed propaganda were
found in the offices OF the syndicate
1t is believed that part of the work of
these German agents-for such they
undoubtedly were-waS to prepare
propaganda for distribution through
out the United States. The president
vice president and number of direc-
tors of the synd'~ate were interned at
Fort Oglethorpe.
Whether or not ii was a part Of
their purpose, the Germans certainly
prevented ST. Andrews from making
its deserved development as port.
The shipping board has temporarily
taken IL over, to use the timber IN the
construction of the new merchant
fleet. When the timber has been ex-
hausted st. Andrews will be offered for
sale at a public auction.