Evening star., 1938-12-24

We never could have cracked this
Nazi spy conspiracy as we did If it
had not been for DIR. Ignatz T.
Griebl. He gave us the clues that
led us right up to the German war
ministry in Berlin.
When he broke and decided to
talk, he talked for days. He was
interested then only in saving his
own hide.
He told us of Kapitan-Leutnant
lido Won Bonin and Kapitan-Leut-
nant Herman Menzel, heads of the
Marine Nachrichten Steele, and the
orders they gave him. He told us
all about Kapitan-Leutnant DR..
Erich Pheiffer. under whose super
vision came the Nazi spy activities
in America, and of the orders
Pheiffer gave him.
He named Nazi spies in key posi-
tions in our defense armament in
duStries here whom we had never
dreamed existed. He placed some
of them on the spot for us, and he
betrayed the Gestapo.
He told us where the Nazi spv
bases on this continent were and
named the men who headed them.
1t was mainly his statements which
I believe. got the Federal grand
jury in the frame of mind to take
the unprecedented drastic step of
indicting unavailable officials of q
foreign country.
Found Word Was True.
We did not take his word, of
course, but checked everything
thoroughly-and virtually every
thing he revealed to us about the
Nazi spy ring turned out to be
true. F.. B. I. Agent j. B. Dickerson
helped immensely at this stage, as
we'll as on other phases of the
investigation.
1t was from Griebl that I first
learned that the secrets of our
naval program are known to Nazi
spy headquarters in Germany be-
fore some of our high ranking navy
officers know them.
1t was from Griebl that we got
the clue that the Nazi spy ring
had a man posted in a loan Office
IN washington, to discover which
Army and Navy officers and Gov
ernment officials needed money so
that Nazi operatives could approach
them with bribes to turn traitors.
1t was Griebl who revealed to me
how a confidential discussion at
Washington between high naval Of
1lclals, the President of the United
States and one of the foremost
naval designers in America was
known in detail in Nazi spy head
quarters in Germany within a COM
paratively few hours. Investigation
proved it was true.
1t was Griebl who tipped me off
TO plans to kidnap American citi-
zens and take them to Germany for
punishment" because they were
more loyal to this country than to
Nazi Germany.
Described Navy Plans.
DR.. Griebl was able to describe to
me IN detail our Navy's plans for a
Heet OF new destroyers-their design,
tonnage, power armament, etc
aid when I checked with the Navy
Department, he was absolutely right.
Mr.. Turrou," Griebl turned to me
on the third day, what I am telling
you is my death warrant if they
ever catch me in Germany, If they
ever find out what I have told YOU
the secrets intrusted to me by Won
BONN, Menzel and Pheiffer and
others-!'
He struck the back of his neck
with the side of his hand, to indi-
cate beheading.
That is what would happen to
mel" he said.
And that is what I believe has al
ready happened-or soon win hap
pen-to him.
Why, then, we left him at liberty,
and why he escaped" to Germany
l will tell you later-and let you
judge whether he escaped or was
forced to go.
For, despite all this Griebl thought
we had a comparatively weak case
against him.
He kept insisting that his only ac-
tivities were directed against the
Jews, and that he played along with
the Nazi spy chiefs only because he
wanted them to help him get a