The Washington times., 1918-05-12

~ fleet, a calm, however,
which existed only on the surface,
for beneath the veneer of friendll-
ness for America, Ambassador
Bernstorff and his aides, Capt
Franz Won Papen, Capt. Karl Boy
Ed and DR.. Heinric Albert still were
scheming and working for the down
fall of America in their Unsuitable
desires to defeat the allies. More,
they had received aid from abroad,
in the person of an intimate friend
of the Crown Prince of Germany,
Franz Won Rintelen, sent to America
for the ostensible purpose of pro
noting friendliness between Ger
many and America, but in reality
with a bank account of more than
fifty million dollars, to spend on any
form of death and destruction that
he might see ft-as long as it
harmed the allies. And whether the
harming of the allies also brought
its attendant injury to America,
made little difference to Franz Won
Rintelen or his cohorts. The United
States had been described by DR..
Heinric Albert as the American
'front.'" and so they regarded it, as
a battlefield upon which to make
their advances and counterthrusts
against the allies, regardless of the
consequences to the land for which
they professed such friendliness and
such regard
So it was, that in the spending of
that fifty million dollars, Franz Won
Rintelen had built himself up prac-
tically a separate organization, with
which he preyed upon shipping, in
dustry and manufacture. River pi-
rates who swarmed the Hudson to
scuttle lighters, to start fires in car
goes to cut hawsers and mangle the
steering apparatus of tugs that they
might crash into each other and sink
with their cargoes; so called peace
councils" which strove for the
spreading of propaganda on any
kind of peace at any Price-as long
as it was favorable to Germany; al
legged embargo conferences" the
sole object of which was to spread
a feeling throughout America that
it was wrong for the United States
to manufacture arms and NUM-
tons which could be sold to the al
lies-al these things lay within the
province of Franz Won Rintelen, to
handle. as he chose, with only an &C.
casional conference with Ambassa-
dor Bernstorf at which he told Of his
progress, and laid forth his expense
accounts for the official signature Of
the head of imperial Germany's spy
system in America And so quickly
had his organization been built up,
so thoroughly had Franz Won Rinte-
len concealed himself behind a cloak
of supernumeraries and STRAW
bosses" that even the cleverest of
the members of the Secret Service
had failed as yet to gain a clue to his
real activities. But there were sus-
picions-and among those who held
them was Dixie Mason.
"No Mamette,"
she was saying
tUn hInteIen as she stood by
ousPecUeo' the window of
her. apartment,
watching the sunset and talking to
her negro maid, 81 have no positive
evidence against Franz Won Rinte-
len. doubt if l ever will. only
know that there is something about
him which makes me believe that he
is at the head Of the river pirates
and commerce destroSers who have
sprung up around the harbor re
Gently. But can't be sure.
"How about Mista Won Dertz ?"
Mamette spoke the name with a
tinge of hatred. For Mamette,
black though she was, could see
only three colors, the red, the white
and the blue Dixie smiled at her
tone.
1--WE tried-znd tried hard. But
Won Lertz seems afraid to tel me
much about him. The best clues
I've gotten have been through Agnes
Taylor, who is working on the
switchboard at Won Lertz's apart
ment. She has reported several con-
versations between Rintelen and Won
Lertz, but they have been generally
meaningless. l."
The tingling Of the telephone had
interrupted Dixie answered to
hear the voice of Agnes Taylor, the
operative who had been placed at
the switchboard Of Won Lertz's
apartment house.
Miss Mason?"
Eyes"
"Do you know" the voice was
low, guarded-"anyone named Wal
ter Schleindel?"
"No-why?"
''He works in some bank. Reports
to Paul Koenig of the Hamburg
American line who pays him for in
formation. From what l can gath
er he steals information from mani
tests and bills of lading coming into
the bank for payment"
$50 that's the
~ way they know
Methods. t tE SLeL ~ ~ -