Evening star., 1927-09-23
MALTzAN, GERMAN
ENVOY TO j. s, DIES
IN A|RPLANE CRASH
Five Others Are Killed When
Machine Drops to Earth
in Saxony.
AMBASSADOR WAS ON EVE
OF RETURN TO POST HERE
Investigators See Mystery in Col
lapse of Plane, Apparently in
Good Condition.

BERLIN September 23.-Baron
Ago Won Nathan. German Amba ssa.
dor 10 the United States. was killed
today in and airplane crash outside of
Heinrichsruhe, seven miles from
Schleiz, in Thuringia.
The Ambassador and five others
were killed when the Lufthansa plane
D-5S5. en- route from Berlin to Munich.
crashed from some undetermined
cause.
Won Nathan was just completing
his holiday in Germany and intended
to return to the United States early in
October
The others killed were Pilot Char
lett. an official of the German Federal
Railways, a pupil of the Staaken
School of Pilots, traffic man of the
Lufthansa and an unidentified engi.
neer.
The only eyewitness to be found
was one who reported to the post
office at Schleiz that he saw one of
the wings of the plane breaking and
the plane then crashed to the ground.
That the wings of the plane crum.
pied is regarded as inconceivable in
air circles here as the machine had
been inspected this morning prior to
its departure by Mechanic Feiler. who
certified to the Lufthansa Co. that the
machine was in order.
The theory has been expressed that
the accident may have been due to
malicious interference by a third
party. Lufthansa officials point out
that Charlett had been a pilot since
1912 and flown 100000 kilometers for
the company without a mishap. The
company also pointed out that both
the pilot and mechanic had flown the
] Berlin-Munich route constantly and
We're familiar with every stretch of
the territory.
Planned Family Reunion.
As the accident occurred in a dis
trict where there are no mountains
the officials were quite mystified at
linishap to an airplane which has been
in the service since May.
The AMBASSADOR wife and little
daughter had left Partenkirchen,
famous health resort in the Bavarian
Alps, to come to MunichFsfD meet the
Ambassador.
Three Lufthansa planes have left
Leipzig for Schleitz with officials of the
testing station. traffic department and
! technical department Of the Luft-
hansa.
Baron Ago Won Nathan was good
naturedly, nicknamed by the German
people THE Red Baron" because for
years he had been undersecretary of
state in the German foreign Office in
charge of the eastern department.
and that meant Russia. 1t was his
job to study the vast changes that
were going forward in the realms of
the Soviet and his knowledge of
Communism was at once keen and
penetrating.
Chose Military Career.
Baron Won Nathan was SO years of
age and native of Mecklenburg.
Choosing military career, the baron,
after his graduation from the Uni
versities of Bonn and Breslau. became
a lieutenant of Dragons. The ,ure
of diplomatic life, however. soon
caused him to Shift from the military
and he entered the foreign Office as
an attache in 1906.
Serving successfully as secretary of
legation at Rio de Janeiro, Christiania
and st. Petersburg, Baron Won Malt
zan in 1912 became councillor of lega-
tion at China. Here he remained until
China Joined the allies against Ger
many. The baron returned home
for work in the foreign Office. While
in China he married Miss Edith Cru
son, daughter of a wealthy Magde
burg steel manufacturer.
The baron played a no small part in
the framing of the treaty of Rapollo
between Russia and Germany.
Baroness Won Nathan is regarded
as one of the most popular hostesses
in Berlin society and Americans were
frequent guests at the baron's Berlin
home. The baron was appointed
Ambassador to the United States on
December 10, 1924, succeeding DR..
Otto Ludwig Weidfeldt
uIcuy ESTrEarp IERE