Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-15

(Concnued FROM flIsk Fage.l -
fore, decided both cases in favor Of
Germany"
Il believes that even before the United
states entered the war German agents
were active in sabotage work in this
country. It declares its belief that IN
spite Of certain denials the political
section Of the German general stan
sent q cable to the United States on
january as, 1915, authorizing sabotage.
Upsetting widespread belief main
tanned at the time the United States
entered the war, however, the conn
missioners in their unanimous decision
absolved the official diplomatic repre-
sentativeg in the United States OF active
cooperation in, or sanctioning OF, a
program of sabotage.
an general" the commission held,
eve are all inclined to the opinion that
Germany diplomatic represent ttves In
tins Unite "a Sta As were aVefse to attacks
On American propErty, that tllair oppo-
sition to SUCH policy, SO lar as they
possibly knew or suspected that 1t was
being carried out, became stronger as
the relations between the United States
and Germany became more and more
Ts7a commissioners cast doubts on
tnr5S Of the German defense witnesses,
but the final decision in each case Is
that the evidence OF official German IN
SEPARATION In the explosions is not COM
elusive. In the Kingslahd case, the
commissioners declare directly that they
do not believe the FIRE was caused by
any German agent. In the Black Tom
case, however, the decision does not as
sumo the same Affirmative character.
Although two agents conceirably might
be linked to the disaster. the commits
sioners say that they are quite long
way FROM being convinced that the IRE
was caused by any German agent.
Commission Finds Liars.
The decision leaves the mystery sur
rounding the New Jersey explosions
i still unsOlved. The Black Tom ex-
plosion, occurring on the night Of July
2o-3O, 1916, took place in the terminal
yard Of the Lehsgh Valley Railroad on
the Jersey side Of New York Harbor.
The yard was full of railroad cars
loaded with ammunition. BargeS. some
filled with shells and INT. lay at the
nearby docks. Fire was seen first IN
q wooden boxcar. Then came thunder
Gus explosions. rocking New York City
and breaking windows for miles around.
with loss Of life and property.
The Kingsland explosion was in q
plant Of the Canadian Car g. Foundry
Go. at Kingsland, N. j., In the late aft
ernoon Of January IL, 1917. Munitions
for Russia were being manufactured
there. From q small burst Of IRE at
one workbench the whole plant went
Up In q roar felt al over that part Of
the state.
The American thesis as argued before
the commission by Robert w. Bonyinge.
New York lawyer, representing the
HT,.fA AA skAk ~fVr Arars
the Black Tom explosion. The first was
that two German agents, Witzke and
,Jahnke. were implicated. The commits
sion, however, held that admissions al
legged to have been made by them to
others were disqualified by the tale
bearers--one OF them termed the "chief
lar In the case--and the nature Of the
stories.
Blame Disaster on Friction.
The commission, however. went
deeply into the question Of whether \
man named Kristoff, now dead. was re-
sponsible He was suspected at the time.
+ Witnesses told OF his arrival at am.
1t his boarding house, after the explo-
sion, very much excited. He told a
variety of strange stories, including a
disconnected tale Of a peculiar trip with
a man who the commission said might
have been Capt. Fred Hinsch. German
agent. He was followed, however, for
years, arrested at various times, but in
oil the testimony presented the COM
mission found no convincing evidence
that he was guilty.
In the Kingsland case the commits
sion had before 1t the so-called con-
fession Of q German agent named Herr
mann. who, the decision stated. was
proven lar" BY his story, he gave
himself credit for having given a small
chemical tube to two of his agents
working IN the Kingsland plant. APP
propriateiy manipulated. the Chemicals
were supposed to cause fame.
According TO Herrmanns tale. one Of
the sabotage agents. after the fire, coli
lected $500, but the other did not
reappeaT. The former. however, was
shown not 10 have been at work in
the plant at the time OF the fire. and
the other, q man who was shown to
be mentally subnormal, has protested
his innocence, and, although observed
h In queer actions. seemed by many cir
cumstances to be innocent The theory
s Of the commission Is that the IRE start
ed at Woxniak's workbench at the plant
from spark from his machine.