OUTRAGE IN CANADA.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15223, 10 March 1915, Page 2

OUTRAGE IN CANADA.

GERMAN OFFICER ABKESTJD. EXTRADITION PROBLEM. (FROM OUR OWN COnRESrONDEXT.) SAN FRANCISCO, February 13. Another international problem has been thrust upon the United States Government through tho dynamiting by a German Army officer of a bridge spanning the St. Croix river, which forms part of the boundary lino between Canada and the United States. Werner van Horn, the dynamitard. is under arrest by American authorities. The Canadiati Government seeks to extradite him co that he may be tried for the offence. Van Horn hae sought the assistance of the Gorman Ambassador to the United States, and every effort is being made to prevent his being surrendered to the Canadian authorities.

The German officer docs not deny that he placed dynamite under the bridge, intending to destroy it, and his only regret is that the damage effected whs comparatively slight. His resistance to extradition is on the ground that he is an officer of the German mserves and that his act was an act of war against one of hie- country's foos. lie also says that the bridge, which is owned jointly by an American railway company and a- Canadian railway company, has been used in the transportation of war munitions to England, which is probably true. ■ According to the story van Horn told the police of Vanceboro, Maine, the town on the American end of the bridge, lie left New York two days before the outrage, and by appointment met an unknown man at a hotel in Var.ceboro. • The man gave him a satchel containing dynamite. Van Horn suspended the satchel from the irside of an end-post of the bridge, and about two o'clock on the morning of February 2nd discharged the explosive. He later returned to his hotel, and was arrested in bed, on complaint of Canadian authorities. The arrangements for the destruction of the bridge were mado in Germany, van Horn said. He admitted also he was paid for the joh. but declined to say who directly employed him. "I really did it for my country," he boasted. "We I wanted only to stop passage of British i supplies over that bridge. It was ar j act of war. I was on neutral soil. What can they do to mc?" I

Extradition proceedings will be herm , in the Courts of Maine. The conic:tion of the Canadian authorities is thrv the offence is of a criminal nature, aril not political. Van Horn's extraditio: is sought in order that ho may betried in the Canadian Courts on a charge of destruction of Canadian property.

The Canadian Parliament opened two days after the dynamiting of the St. Croix bridge, and extraordinary precautions were taken to prevent an? possible attack on the Parliament Buildings at Ottawa. The guard was more numerous than usual, and was provided with ball cartridges. Nothing untoward happened.