GERMAN PLOTS IN AMERICA

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 58, 1 December 1917, Page 10

GERMAN PLOTS IN AMERICA

IRISH REVOLUTION PLANNED

SINISTER CONSPIRACIES

•_ The United States Government Public Information Committee recently issued in the form of a pamphlot containing many photographic conies, an expose of German intrigue in America. Numerous documents! are reproduced which were seized in a raid on the offices in Wall Street of Wolf von Igol. Tlioy include letters, telegrams, notations of cypher codes, lists of spies, and other memoranda in which are found indications, sometimes of the vaguest naturo and at other times of the most damning conclusiveness, that the German Imperial Government, through representatives in the then friendly nation, was concerned with:

1. The violation of American laws. 2. Irish revolutionary" plots against Britain. 3. Fomenting ill-feeling against the States in Mexico. ' 4. The suborning of American writers and' lecturers. 5. Financing the propaganda. 6. Maintenance of a spy system under the guise of the Commercial Investigation Bureau. 7. Subsidising the bureau for the purpose of stirring up labour troubles in munition factories. 8. Bomb industry and other related activities. Tho statement connects Captain Koenig, formerly of the HamburgAmerika Line, and'Von Papen with negotiating for tho payment of money by oheque for loO.dols. in July, 1915, to a man who reported: "I intend causing serious damage to Allied vessels leaving American ports by placing bombs which I am making on board." Several references to money are made in messages to Roger Casement. One records a cheque for a thousand dollars sent to Casement.

Tho documents include a" letter to Bernstorff asking that ho would transmit to Berlin a message by Judge Cohalan, of the New York Supreme Court of Justice, urging that an Irish revolution could not bo successful without support from Germany, as England would be able to suppress it, and declaring that help was needed primarily by aerial attacks and a diversion by the fleet, to be followed ,if possible, by the landing of troops, munitions, and officers from Zeppelins on the Irish coast, and the establishment of Irish submarine stations so as to starve out England.

flie committee state: "It has long been an open secret that Holland was merely a way-station for the shipment of contraband to Germany"; and thoy quoto confirmation from Von Igel's records, which include a code message concerning the sending through a "Holland Commission" of chests of cartridges and 200 tons of powder.

BernstorfTs Bribes. The Stafco. Department also published a message sent by Count Bernstorff in anuary, 1917, to the Berlin Foreign Office requesting authority for the expenditure of 50,000 dollars (£10,000) to influence Congress through certain or-, ganisations. Count Bernstorff's message is dated January. 22, 1917, and is as follows:—

I request authority to pay out up to 50,000 dollars in order, as on former.occasions, to influence Congress through tho organisations you know of, which can, perhaps, prevent war. I am beginning, in-the , meantime, to act accordingly. In the ahove circumstances a pub-

lie and official German declaration in favour of. Ireland 1b highly dc-

sirablo in order to gain thesupport

of Irish influence here. The Bernstorff message was given out by the State Department without comment. Its publication came as an astounding addition to the series of disclosures covering Gorman duplicity and intrigue in America and elsewhere, and tho belief lias been strengthened that the United States Government has collected and compiled the entire story of Germany's double dealing, and that additional chapters will be added. Count Bornstorff's'reference to avoiding war indicates that he had prior knowledge of Germany's intention to proclaim a merciless . and ■ widespread submarine warfare, though at tho time ho denied having this knowledge, • and those in close touch' With the German Embassy were given to understand that ho did not approve of unrestricted- warfare, and was working to secure a modification.