Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-10

ttOH u Tue uOOk.
sador to the United States, anC
DR.. Heinrich Albert, the German
commercial attache.
The courtesieS of diplomat,
immunity spared them the de-
lay of opening their luggage fol
customs inspection; and soor
they were hurrying on their way
Won Bernstorff to the Embassy
in Washington. and DR.. Albert
to his offices in the Hamburg.
American Building in New York
America The Innocent
In this casual manner, Am.
bassador Won Bernstorf carried
into the United States l5C
million dollars in German treas
ury notes to finance the first
foreign espionage and sabotage
apparatus to be organized in thi:
country.
Conditions were favorable fol
Won Bernstorff. America was
the unsuspecting innocent, mag
nificently isolated and un-
schooled in the plotting and
contemplating of the European
powers. The Army's intelligence
section, assembled in full force
totaled two officers and two
clerks.
Americans were more inter-
ested in their internal affairs
than in the affairs Of Europe
There was trouble south of the
Rio Grande and along the Next
can border where revolution had
boiled for three years.
Bloody Labor Trouble
There was unrest in industry,
where young unions were fight
ing for recognition by manage
ment. Industrial disputes were
often erupting into terrible
bloody conflicts.
In this ferment, a small group
of men and women were preach
ing the dictrine OF workers con-
troll over production and encour-
aging violence. They were rally
ing workers to join the Indus
trial Workers of the World and
other extremist groups, whose
membership included many who
were to become the outriders Of
the Communist Party in Amer
lea.
Won Bernstorf quickly went to
work. His staff was small but
efficient and we'll department
allied: DR.. Albert handled the
money and directed complex
business manipulations; Capt.
Karl Boy-Ed, the naval attache,
was responsible for the sabotage
of ships carrying arms to the
Allies; and Capt. Franz Won Pa
pen. the military attache. super
vised other espionage and sabo-
tage throughout the United
States and Canada.
Black Tom Blast
In the months that followed,
mysterious explosions blew up
ammunition dumps, powder
plants, guncotton storehouses
and chemical plants. War plants
were Quilted by fires. American
ships en- route to England,
France and Russia, loaded with
munitions and other supplies,
:aught fire at sea and many sank.
In the dark morning hours of
July 80, 1916. frightful blasts
from 2 million pounds of dyna-
mite Jared Manhattan and Jer-
Sey City. N. j. The explosions
were on Black Tom Island in
New York harbor. a major trans
fer point for supplies shipped
to Europe. The thunderous noise
was heard a hundred miles away.
The conclusion shattered almost
every window in Jersey City, and
heavy plate-glass windows
crashed OF the sidewalks in Man.
haitian and Brooklyn. Black Tom
Islands usefulness was destroyed.
Three men and child were
killed.
Warning Ignored
British intelligence had ad-
vance warning of the German
sabotage campaign in America.
A general staff message to Won
Bernstorff was intercepted by the
intelligence department of the
British Admiralty and passed on
to the American State Depart
ment officials in London. But no
record has been found in Depart
ment Of Justice files indicating
that the information ever reached
the Bureau of Investigation.
With the call to arms in World
War /, the Bureau Of Investiga-
ton was swamped with work.
The agent force was increased
Immediately from 800 men to 400.
But this was a puny squad for
policing more than one million
enemy aliens, protecting harbors
and war industry zones barred to
enemy aliens, aiding draft boards
and the Army is locating draft
dodgers and deserters, and carry
ing on the regular duties of in
vestigating federal law violations.
Bureau Chief A. Bruce BEL
ask realized the enormous lob
that would have to be done. For
this reason. he was interested in
a letter from a Chicago adver-
Using executive, A. M. Briggs.
Unpaid Probers
Mr.. Briggs suggested forma-
ton OF a volunteer organization
OF loyal Americans who would
give their time and service to
the Government to help the
Bureau of Investigation In work
involving national defense. The
citizens would bear all the ex-
penses Of the operation.
The idea appealed to Mr.. Bic
laSki. and To Afknrnau Gn,,nrn1