The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-05-03
Germany S Spy
System Exposed
3 Manager Of Aspirin Trust Was
Master Spy of Huns in
America

y,oS+ey snv.'' DR.. Hugo SchWeltZer,
s German agents in this country re-
ported to Berlin by code every de-
Gan of Americas business life. kept
fron, the allies 435, ,oo0,0e8 pounds OF
Explosives and sent overseas the for
{ n11la for the deadly mustard gas
which laid low thousands Of Anaeri-
can soldiers, according to Francis P
Garyan, alien property custodian, who
: delivered an address at the annual
hann,1at of. the National Cotton Man
ufacfurers Association tonight.
Garyan declared he had for
10 months been making study of
German industrial life and its mani
festaions in the United States" AS a
result he said, he was also able to re-
DIR. Schweitzer, former president Of
the Bayer Chemical Company, which
was taken over and reorganized by
the alien property custodian.
True it is that the Hamburg
American line and the North German
Lloyd kept faithful tab for Berlin on
thousand details of our business
life which came under their obser-
vation; that not ship left our har-
bors, not a cargo was loaded on un-
) loaded but that some member Of its
! organization watched and reported
every detail to be sent by code to the
German government" said Mr.. Gar
van.
But greater than all and forming
the foundation of her entire eSpion-
age and propa ganda system, stood
the dye industry. AS long as you were
supplied by the "big SIX your busi-
ness had no secret unknown in Berlin
( Ia Berlin you will find a card index
system which recites every fact con-
nefted with each one Of your con-
cerns that can De of any possible
value to your rivals over there.
ssThe head Of that system in this
country for years before the war was
DIR lingo Schweitzer, president Of the
Bayer Company. He was given his
secret service number by the imperial
minister OF war-963,192,6S7. He
came to this country. became citi-
zen on the instruction Of the German
government, eventually was made
the head Of the Bayer Company, and
led the espionage and propagandists
movements here down to the day of
HIS sudden death in November 1917.
.eSchweitzer was the inventor of
the idea of the purchase Of the New
York Evening Mail. .Schweitzer was
the inventor Of the idea of the Ger
man Publication Society. Over 80
trained chemists, his Ieutenants are
now interneo."
Assertinf DIR. Heinrich F. Albert,
commercial attaclle Of the German
e1abassy in Wa shington had turned
oyer aboot s1,500,000 to Schweitzer
Mr. Garvan said the latter had form
sd2the chemical exchange, by which
al. available phenol supply in Amer
lea was turned away from the man
azfacture Taf picric acid for explo osfves
TOT the allies with a profit out Of,
Americas pocket to Germany of ST.
a5o o,00e.
In praising Schweitzer's work, AL
bert is quoted by Mr.. Garvan as say
Ing No one should picture to him
self what military coup would be
accomplished by an army leader if he
should succeed in destroying three
railroad trains Of 40 cars. containing
A4,50o, 600 pounds of explosives"
Mr. Garvan added the Germans
Hoped to corner" bromine, produced
Only here and in Germany, and deadly
In its effeit whe-. combined with nitric
gases.
Eat Bogotta, N. J., in the New Jer-
sey Agricultural Chemical Company
DR.. Schweitzer employed DR.. Walter
Seneele. who was the inventor in
that little town Of New Jersey in 1913
OF mustard gas, the formula of which
he. transmitted through CAPTAIN Won
Papen to Germany as soon as the war
broke out" continued Mr.. Garvan.
This is the mustard gas which laid
low your brothers on the plains Of
France"
Investigation