The German Secret Service in America 1914-1918 — Reading Notes

Germany was always precociously fond of international statistics. She wanted--the present tense is equally applicable--full information of America and her allies so as to attack their vulnerable points. She got a ghastly amount of it, and she attacked. This book sets forth how secret agents of the Teutonic governments acting under orders have attacked our national life, both before and after our declaration of war; how men and women in Germany's employ on American soil, planned and executed bribery, sedition, arson, the destruction of property and even murder, not to mention lesser violations of American law; how they sought to subvert to the advantage of the Central Powers the aims of the Government of the United States; how, in short, they made enemies of the United States immediately the European war had broken out.

The facts were obtained by the writer first as a reporter on the _New York Sun_ who for more than a year busied himself with no other concern, and afterwards in an independent investigation. Some of them he has cited in a previous work. This book brings the story of Germany's secret agencies in America up to the early months of 1918. Because the writer during the past six months has devoted his entire time to the Liberty Loan, it became necessary for him to leave the rearrangement of the work entirely in the hands of the co-author, and he desires to acknowledge his complete indebtedness to the co-author for undertaking and carrying out an assignment for which the full measure of reward will be derived from a sharper American consciousness of the true nature of our enemy at home and abroad.

So we dedicate this chronicle to our country.

New York, June 1, 1918.

CHAPTER PAGE I THE ORGANIZATION 1

The economic, diplomatic and military aspects of secret warfare in America--Germany's peace-time organization--von Bernstorff, the diplomat--Albert, the economist--von Papen and Boy-Ed, the men of war.

II THE CONSPIRATORS' TASK 19

The terrain--Lower New York--The consulates--The economic problem of supplying Germany and checking supplies to the Allies--The diplomatic problem of keeping America's friendship--The military problem in Canada, Mexico, India, etc.--Germany's denial.

III THE RAIDERS AT SEA 28

The outbreak of war--Mobilization of reservists--The Hamburg-American contract--The _Berwind_--The _Marina Quezada_--The _Sacramento_--Naval battles.

IV THE WIRELESS SYSTEM 43

The German Embassy a clearing house--Sayville--German's knowledge of U. S. wireless--Subsidized electrical companies--Aid to the raiders--The _Emden_--The _Geier_--Charles E. Apgar--The German code.

V MILITARY VIOLENCE 60

The plan to raid Canadian ports--The first Welland Canal plot--Von Papen, von der Goltz and Tauscher--The project abandoned--Goltz's arrest--The Tauscher trial--Hidden arms--Louden's plan of invasion.

Justice and Metzler--Koenig's personality--von Papen's checks--The "little black book"--Telephone codes-- Shadowing--Koenig's agents--His betrayal.

VII FALSE PASSPORTS 82

Hans von Wedell's bureau--The traffic in false passports--Carl Ruroede--Methods of forgery--Adams' coup--von Wedell's letter to von Bernstorff--Stegler-- Lody--Berlin counterfeits American passports--von Breechow.

VIII INCENDIARISM 100

Increased munitions production--The opening explosions-- Orders from Berlin--Von Papen and Seattle--July, 1915--The Van Koolbergen affair--The Autumn of 1915--The Pinole explosion.

IX MORE BOMB PLOTS 117

Kaltschmidt and the Windsor explosions--The Port Huron tunnel--Werner Horn--Explosions embarrass the Embassy--Black Tom--The second Welland affair--Harry Newton--The damage done in three years--Waiter spies.

X FRANZ VON RINTELEN 138

The leak in the National City Bank--The _Minnehaha_--Von Rintelen's training--His return to America--His aims--His funds--Smuggling oil--The Krag-Joergensen rifles--Von Rintelen's flight and capture.

Mobilizing destroying agents--The plotters in Hoboken--Von Kleist's arrest and confession--The _Kirk Oswald_ trial--Further explosions--The _Arabic_--Robert Fay--His arrest--The ship plots decrease.

David Lamar--Labor's National Peace Council--The embargo conference--The attempted longshoremen's strike--Dr. Dumba's recall.

XIII THE SINKING OF THE LUSITANIA 190

The mistress of the seas--Plotting in New York--The _Lusitania's_ escape in February, 1915--The advertised warning--The plot--May 7, 1915--Diplomatic correspondence--Gustave Stahl--The results.

XIV COMMERCIAL VENTURES 203

German law in America--Waetzoldt's reports--The British blockade--A report from Washington--Stopping the chlorine supply--Speculation in wool--Dyestuffs and the _Deutschland_--Purchasing phenol--The Bridgeport Projectile Company--The lost portfolio--The recall of the attachés--A summary of Dr. Albert's efforts.

XV THE PUBLIC MIND 225

Dr. Bertling--The _Staats-Zeitung_--George Sylvester Viereck and _The Fatherland_--Efforts to buy a press association--Bernhardi's articles--Marcus Braun and _Fair Play_--Plans for a German news syndicate--Sander, Wunnenberg, Bacon and motion pictures--The German-American Alliance--Its purposes--Political activities--Colquitt of Texas--The "Wisconsin Plan"-- Lobbying--Misappropriation of German Red Cross funds--Friends of Peace--The American Truth Society.

XVI HINDU-GERMAN CONSPIRACIES 252

The Society for Advancement in India--"Gaekwar Scholarships"--Har Dyal and _Gadhr_--India in 1914-- Papen's report--German and Hindu agents sent to the Orient--Gupta in Japan--The raid on von Igel's office-- Chakravarty replaces Gupta--The _Annie Larsen_ and _Maverick_ filibuster--Von Igel's memoranda--Har Dyal in Berlin--A request for anarchist agents--Ram Chandra--Plots against the East and West Indies-- Correspondence between Bernstorff and Berlin, 1916--Designs on China, Japan and Africa--Chakravarty arrested--The conspirators indicted.

XVII MEXICO, IRELAND, AND BOLO 288

Huerta arrives in New York--The restoration plot--German intrigue in Central America--The Zimmermann note--Sinn Fein--Sir Roger Casement and the Easter Rebellion--Bolo Pacha in America and France--A warning.