New-York tribune., 1919-08-24
Former American Secret
Agent Says Germans
Had Army of $4,000
Ready to Cross Border
Black Tom Blast
Charged to Berlin
DIP. B. Altendorf Tells
How He Spoiled Plans
of Enemy in Sonora

A story of aid furnished by Mexico
to Germany during the war, and Of the
plans prepared south Of the Rio Grande
for an invasion Of the United States by
German Mexican force, was told yes
terday by DR.. P. B. Altendorf, formerly
Of the Army Intelligence and q secret
agent Of the government in Mexico
from July, 1917, to April, 1919.
Dr.. Altendorf charges that Germans
In Mexico had prepared plan to
strike at the border states with
force of $4,000 men in concert with
Ludendorf's final drive in France. He
also asserts that the Black Tom explo-
sion was tho outcome of u German
Mexican plot and says that he himself
turned over to American authorities
q spy known as Lathar Witcke, alias
Pablo Wabirski, who boasted that he
had caused the explosion.
Sentence of death imposed on Wabir-
ski is now being reviewed by President
Wilson, DR.. Altendorf says. He also
tells of an alleged plot to assassinate
James " Gerard while he was in
Cuba, and insists that while Germany.
by the peace treaty, is forbidden TO
make more than q certain amount of
munitions of war, great nunition fac
tories backed by German capital will
be started in Mexico.
Trusted by Germans
In all he was concerned, be says, as
trusted agent of the German Ambas-
sador, Won Eckhardt, who made him q
German army captain, and by Car
rama, who commissioned him colonel.
Many Mexican officials are still on
the German payroll, he asserted. and
the still active German purpose to con-
troll Latin america is behind the deter
mined efforts of Carranza to take oil
and British owners.
Dr.. Altcndorf's story was made pub
lie through the National Association
for the Protection of American Rights
In Mexico, with the statement that his
Claims had been investigated and that
he had been highly commended for
trustworthiness by General Marlbor-
ough Churchill, chief of the Army In
telllgence Service.
Other ACES for which DR.. Altendorf
claims credit include: Discovery of two
German wireless stations in Mexico
capable Of receiving messages from
GGermany; reporting the plan for the
german submarine raid along the
month before it actually took place; re-
porting agents sent by Germans in
Mexico to poison cattle in the United
olates, and the revelation of a plot by
iour Germans to blow up the hydro
electric plant at Niagara Falls.
Big Cement Plant Proposed
Calling attention to German COM
merclal plans in Mexico, Dr. Altendorf
reports that the first attempt to carr
out an ambitious German scheme for
the economic conquest and ultimate
military domination of Mexico was a
pan originated by the German Consul,
hademacher, at Guaymas, with the
active aid OF Governor Gales, to build
cement plant, with capacity Of
sV'VOO bags a month, at Hermosillo,
Sonora.
The foundations were completed"
ne adds, land materials for the super
Structure were on the ground in July,
isl7, when I reported the scheme in
.lme to stop it, and the factory had
70 be abandoned until after the peace
treaty had been signed This factory
was to furnish the cement for re-
building piers and other structures
ana building new ones on the west
coast"
Dr. Altendorf states that he, per-
sonaliy, late in November, 1917, car
rrled request from Governor Gales Of
sonora 10 Kademacher for S15O,O0O, saw
u. .ne money put in bag and carried
me Dag, accompanied by Rademacher,
to Gales.
German Capital Promised
continuing. the statement says:
NJ was able 20 discover that Won
neAhard had guaranteed to Carranza
an an abundance of capital to turn
Mexico into an industrial country.
IN Tact, Won Eckhardt went to Ger
g many last April for the express pur-
poSe OF financing German corporations
AK, Sno ,erfecting other arrangements for
1Sulaing great chemical plants, textile
;;aeeofies, tanneries and all the other
;;aGSus'rleS necessary make Mexico
Europe. ''NN ''"''' Gnu
,.Ihe full significance of all this
fvre1s fSvremes apparent when I tell you
satIner sot that part of the German
nIasie rIIneme provides for great munition
x.anta at Mexico City, which will make
NO unnecessary for Mexico to import
war var materials in the future. The
tHsaty OF peace restricts the manu-
,aeIore of munitions of war in Ger
Isahy' but it doesn't say anything
iIooot Germans manufacturing as
M'sse Mass Quantities as they please in
eenico. Thus there is no practical diff
SSeuity IN the way of Germany's plans
ior the next war.
Germans to Co tn Mexico
AS As soon as the treaty of peace is
hs'hed' ha said DR.. Altendorf. "there will
e. neglra of a quarter .of a million
Germans from the United States who
Cor tia1aled naa sonnn 4hann