BANK-NOTE FORGERIES PLOT

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 91, 12 January 1926, Page 7

BANK-NOTE FORGERIES PLOT

ORIGINATED WITH WINDISCHGRAETZ \ DISCOVERY IN HOLLAND PLATES AND MACHINERY SMASHED An official statement declares that the idea of the banknote forgeries originated with Prince Windischgraetz, ; who won over the others who were implicated. The forgeries ; were discovered in Holland, whereupon Windischgraetz’s • secretary took steps to stop the operations, the plates and ■ machinery being destroyed . According to the statement no reason was found for concluding that the crime was pro-, moted for patriotic motives.

By Telegraph.—Press Association Copyright.

Budapest, January 10.

An official statement in connectionwith the bank note forgeries says that the idea originated with Prince Windischgraetz, who won over the others who were implicated. Thirty thousand French notes, of a thousand francs each, were made, not counting throw-outs, and systematic steps taken to utter them in Northern Europe. The forgeries were discovered in Holland, whereupon steps were imniediately taken by the Prince’s secretary to stop the operations. The plates were destroyed, the machinery smashed, and all the forgeries not disposed of destroyed.

It is incidentally mentioned that Windischgraetz’s valet surreptitiously possessed himself of seven notes rejected as faulty. It was the circulation of one of these which aided detection in unravelling the business. The statement finds no reason . for concluding that the crime was initiated or promoted by any political party or other organisation from patriotic motives.—Reuter. GERMAN-MAGYAR CONSORTIUM FOR ISSUE OF FORGED NOTES VAST INTERNATIONA!/ ENTERPRISE 1 Paris, January 10. The newspaper “Soir” publishes a document purporting to be proof of a German-Magyar consortium in 1920, whereby General Ludendorff, Colonel

Bauer, and Admiral Horthy arranged the issue of two milliards of forged Russian thousand-rouble notes as a preliminary to other issues, being a vast international enterprise, aiming at the ruin of the new post-war Central European democracies. - It is alleged that Admiral Horthy authorised the establishment of a headquarters office in Budapest for issuing the counterfeit money. It is asserted that the Allies were aware of the existence of the arrangement in February, 1921.—Sydney “Sun” Cable. LEAGUE OF NATIONS’ INQUIRY SUGGESTED BY CZECHOSLOVAKIA London, January 10. The "Sunday Times” states that Czecho-Slovakia has approached the other “Little Entente” Towers in view of a joint suggestion for a League of Nations inquiry into the political moHves behind the Hungarian forgeries.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. NOTE SCANDAL IN SIBERIA ILLICIT PRESS FOUND Belgrade, January 10. Another bank note scandal has been unearthed. according to the newspapers. The Chief of the Belgrade Detective Force, M. Lazitch, inquiring in Germany into the forgery of thous-and-dinar notes, discovered an . illicit press at Bielefeld. The local police arrested the alleged counterfeiters. The discovery is not connected with the Hungarian affair.—Reuter.