Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-22

JUST about that time CO. on the Rhine was
completing Its main job of finding out
what lay beyond; in case the Sd Army should
have to advance.
That meant not only a survey Of the part Of
unoccupied Germany that the Americans would
traverse in an allied advance on Berlin, but q
survey Of what remained of the German army.
The L P.'s did it, securing the country on motor
cycles, in or out of uniform sometimes inside
the bridgehead, sometimes slipping across its
deadline to cities beyond. They came and went
as they pleased. armed with passes authorizing
them to go anywhere throughout the Sd Army
area, at any time, day or night"
German-speaking, looking acting German
American l. P.'s had little difficulty finding out
what they wanted to know. They could camp
out unnoticed in German city, especially in
the -diSorganized state of affairs since the
German revolution. But when holder methods
were needed they used them.
dangerous plot to start Bolshevik revo-
luton among the American troops on the
Rhine was frustrated by American secret serv-
ice, which thus cut deep notch on its gun.
true spy story" is how clever and devoted
agent risked his life to break UP a group of
revolutionary propagandists whose plans went
far.
Early Spring of 1919 was bad time for the
A. e. F., especially on the Rhine. The war was
over but there was neither peace nor home
coming The most popular occupation was
thinking about the troubles of the world and
ones self; what was happening back in the
States, to family or job, and why didn't Per-
shing send me there tomorrow?
Morale was low; quondam heroes were now
bad boys with grouches. Secret service knew
sill
Ship and looked for trouble. More came than
they expected, trouble made in Germany partly
by man who so far as this writer knows is
the only native-born American to try to cause
revolution in the A. E. F. That he failed is
due mainly to hyphenated American.
Some call it "the Dusseldorf affair" because
It started in that city Of refuge for rifraff of
all armies, in q sort of no mans land between
the Belgian zone and unoccupied Germany.
where authority was bit lax
It was an agreeable place for the dangerous
'Anchangel group" some of whom were said
to have so undermined with Bolshevik propa-
ganda the American 339th Infantry in North
Russia that the regiment had to be sent home
The group had wanted to do that again. on q
bigger scale.
One leader was the spartacist chief of police
OF Dusseldorf, who protected them while they
plotted against the nearby allied armies
There were veteran Russian comrades, versa
tile in revolutionary arts. There was Dutch
woman, an Englishman and last, but not least,
an American.
He was Robert A., Minor, Texan by birth
but radical by evolution, at the last election
Communist candidate for Senator, and today
editor of the Daily Worker in New York.
Inspired by Bolshevik leaders met in Russia, he
had come to Dusseldorf, to do to many
thousands of Americans at Coblenz what had
been done to q few at Archangel
The group planned a still bigger job. Not
the American Army alone, but the British as
well, were to be given the propaganda poison
that would cause discomfort and mutny
There is said to have been death list"
OF those deemed greatest enemies of Red Revo-
luton, the commanders of the British and the
American armies of occupation, Gems Plumer
and Dickman, the latter's chief of staff, Gen.
Craig, the American intelligence officers Col
Conger, Col Williams, Maj Henrotin, Mai.
Richardson and Capt. Scully. So
But there is no evidence that Minor helped
prepare tho list They planned to distribute
printed propaganda among the dispirited allied
troops who,o they considered fertile SOIL