New-York tribune., 1919-07-22
Two Men, Close to Won
Hindenburg, Divulged
Plans of Germans and
Saved American Lives
Wanted to Hasten Peace,
Fearing Teuton's Revenge,
They Are Brought,to This
Country Under Guard

man high command through the efforts
of the American military secret serv
ice and of the organization among Ger
man officers of a vendetta aimed at the
lives of the traitors was brought to
of two German prisoners Of war, con-
signed to the director Of military in
telligence, Washington, D. c.
According to information here, the
mysterious prisoners, who landed from
the Agamemnon under heavy guard,
formerly were German officers Of high
rank, occupying positions Of great re-;
sponsibility under Won Hindenburg.
Betrayed Plans of Staff
Before the inauguration Of the
American offensives in 1918, operatives
of the American military intelligence
corps prevailed upon them. through
inducements which have not been di-
vuged, to deliver plans of the Ger
man general staff covering the proposed
movements on the western front, prob
able lines of retreat, points at which
stands would be made, and other de-
tailed information of inestimable value.
With these plans before him. General
Pershing was able to lay out his cam
paign with great freedom, and it is be-
lieved that result was to cut the COST
Of the American advance practically
in half
The prisoners are said to be Alfred
Ill 1r,;V %kn 1n
is an infantry officer ana was captured
at St. Mihiel Sept 2, 1918. Grothe, Jan
aviator, was shot down in the Argonne
Oct. Is of the same year.
First Prisoners Brought Here,
They are the first German military
prisoners to be brought to America
and were under the guard of fifteen
soldiers in command Of Lieutenant R.
H. Owen, of the 9th Ammunition Train,
who 2rofessed to know nothing about
his charges except thai they were
prisoners.
The coming of the Germans was
ahrouded in mystery, but information
picked up in Hoboken from travellers
on the Agamemnon was that the guard
thrown about them was more of a
protective measure than means of
preventing their escape. The prison
ers were unusually we'll streated and
appeared tc be in high tspirits when
The vessel came to port, land this was
interpreted by those who saw them as
an indication that they were in good
favor with the United States military
authorities.
Mystery Surrounds Them
Brigadier General McManus, troop
movement officer of. the port of en-
harkation, who receives instructions
from France and from Washington
relative to the disposition of al
prisoners, said that he had received
10 advices concerning the two Ger
mans.
Lieutenant Owen said he had in
structions to deliver the Germans t
the military Intelligence bureau il
Washington and apart from that knew
nothing of their history. When he re
ported to the military authorities i,
Hoboken for further instructions h.
~as Informed that no instructions ha,
come to alter those he had received a
RTest and he proceeded with his pris
caers and guard of fifteen men t.
Washington.
Traitors for Germany's Good
it was said the captured officers real
.-ed that their proposal to betray tn
r.ans of the'German High Command 70
retreat was an act Of treason agains
ne Fatherland. Nevertheless they ex
pressed the belief that they wer
really doing their country a service b
saving it from further warfare, as tn
cause Of Germany they realized, wa
lost.
The honesty of the men was doubte
at first, but several days Of question
ing and the checking up Of informs
tion they had given showed that thei
intentions were sincere and they wer
brought before General Pershin,
Under q cross-fre of the America
commander in chief they revealed i
detail the defensive plans Of Luder
dorf for retreat over a wide area an
the location of guns.
Their revelations included the prt
posed movements of the German
along the entire western front, tn
probable lines of retreat and the q.
sitions where the entire German lir
had planned to resist the enemy in il
retreat eastward.
When 1t was proved that thew we,
telling the whole truth General Pc
shing was able to Law out a campai.
with great latitude. and found it poss
Dle to pursue the enemy with on
,hird the casualties it would have co
mad the information not been deliver,
to him.
Feared for Their Families
Shortly before the armisticc the &c
man officers expressed the belief tn
the news Of their betrayal had becor
known in Germany, and that the
lives would be taken by German pri
oners If they were detained in the re
uiar prison camps. They said also tn
they feared their families would be q