New-York tribune., 1919-08-24
Mexico
In. Plot to
Attack u. S.
Continued from page I

soon turn that country into German
colony.
"Thc activity of Carranza in driving
Americans out and confiscating their
property is explained by the fact that
Germans with plenty Of money stand
ready to pick UP the property at bar
gain rates.
"Carranza's plans for acquiring Ameri-
can property do not always go through
without friction. In June of this year
he sent two emissaries, Arturo Rivas,
and one Toledo, to Pelaoz. the so-called
bandit who dominates the Tampico oil
fields. with a letter Offering Pelaez
100000 in cash and the position of
Governor Of the State of Tamaulipas if
ne would hand over the oil properties
there so he could sell them to Germans.
Pelaez refused to see the envoys. and
so the deal had to be declared off, much
to Carranza's disgust. l have this in
formation from Rivas, who still be-
heved me to be a German agent.
German agents are active everywhere
in Latin America, and the newspapers
have told us there is to be extensive
German emigration to that part of the
world in the near future The result of
the war did not end the German dream
OF world conquest; it merely delayed it,"
Or. Altendorf came to New York with
John +. Daugherty, formerly lieuten-
ant IN charge of the Division of Mex
lco in the intelligence department at
Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio. He
is the son of Polish banker in Cra-
cow. He abandoned medical course
IN the University of Vienna to avoid
service in the Austrian army. He YVES
practising in Merida, capital of Yucca
tan, when the war began, and when the
United States entered the war he made
his way to Mexico City.
Trained German Reservists
"In my dual military capacity" Dr..
Altendorf continued, II helped train
300 German reservists in Sonora, who
we're to form the nucleus of a German
Mexican army of $4,000 men, which
was to invade the United States simul-
taneously with the last great German
drive IN France and on the sea in July,
American Secret Service agent I pre-
vented the raid from being carried
out.
1T was this that made me exceed
ngly unpopular with General Elias
Gales, Carranza's Governor of Sonora
and the most rabidly pro- German of
Mexican officials. General Gales even
went so far as to offer 10000 pesos for
me, dead or alive. l heard Of this offer
80 eNOu SC0oOlt ana le1L sonora IN so
much OF hurry that my trunks are
down there yet--unless some Mexican
has borrowed them.
Also, have nice new grave in
the jungle near Guaymas, Sonora,
which | am not yet ready to occupy.
r. W: Schwiertz, German agent, paid
tor digging the grave and arranged 60
put me in it because I checkmated his
plans for German Mexican expedition
into the United States by creating the
suspicion that he was an American
spy"
After telling of vain efforts to serv.
the Allies while in Yucatan, prior to
1917, and his trip in pushcar over
200 miles of railroad partly disrupted
by the followers Of Felix Diaz to the
Mexican capital. DR. Altendorf told his
story as follows:
ARRIVING in Mexico city l went to
the Hotel Jaurez, a prominent German
house kept by Otto Pagasch. Here |
had the good fortune to meet Kurt
Jahnke, head of the German secret ser
vice in Mexico, under favorable au-
spices; and within three days was Of
fered a job by Jahnke as a German spy
TO operate against the United States
within a few days l opened up
medium of communication with the
border, through which l made my first
report rs a volunteer worker to the
Military Intelligence Department.
First of all, I completely won the
confidence of Kurt Jahnke"
Commenting generally upon the atti
tude of Mexico toward the United
States during the war, DR.. Altendorf
said that country was in fact an active
enemy. He added:
Mexico gave no fewer than eighty
German officers commissions in the
Mexican army and assigned them to
train troops for service against the
United States. German uniforms were
worn so commonly in Mexico that even
the local Mexican papers complained
about it.
81 personally carried instructions
from Carranza to Governor Gales to
permit the spy Witcke, alias Wabirski,
to send code messages freely.
Mexicans on German Payroll
"If it will make the fact of Mexico's
enmity any stronger l should like to
add that high Mexican officials were on
the payroll Of the German Embassy.
For example, Mario Mendez, Director
of Telegraphs, received a salary of
$500 month from Won Eckhardt His
brother, a Senator with influence, re-
ceived the same salary. A third broth
er who had a position in the postoffice
also received 5000 month for opening
and reading private letters and passing
the information along to the Germans
~ was able to discover that Won Eek
hardt has guaranteed to Carranza an
abundance of capital to turn Mexico
into an industrial country. In fact.
Won Eckhardt went to Germany last
April for the express purpose of fnanc
ing German corporations and perfect
ing other arrangements for building
great chemical plants. textile factories.
tanneries and all the other industries
necessary to make Mexico independent
Of the United States and Europe.
II delivered into the hands of Irn;4al