GERMAN WAR CLAIMS DEPARTMENT ALARMED

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6551, 7 March 1928, Page 7

GERMAN WAR CLAIMS DEPARTMENT ALARMED

THREATENING LETTERS fOK EX-SOLDIERS. [By Electric Cable-Copyright.] [Aust and N.Z. Cable Association.] BERLIN, Mar. S. In consequence of Langkopp’s visit the War Claims Department has received many threatening letters from dissatisfied ex-soldiers. The authorities have become alarmed and have closed the whole building. Heinrich Langkopp, a German East African farmer, who served as a captain in the war, lost his property. Becoming tired of Officialdom's dilatoriness, he entered the room of the vice-presi-dent of the War Claims Committee, pointed a revolver at the vice-presi-dent's head and deposited a black bos on tho table, declaring that there were enough explosives in tho box to blow up the building. Langkopp stated that he would drop it if his claim for £6OOO were not satisfied instantly. Tho vicepresident argued for three hours and finally handed over a cheque, hoping to get rid of his visitor. Langkopp sent the cheque to a bank, but the cheque was returned with the intimation that the bank had not accepted it. Argument was resumed until tho vicepresident, hoping to escape, declared that ho would cash the cheque himself. As he got up Langkopp fired five shots, which missed, and dropped tho box, which failed to explode. Finally he was overpowered by tho police, who found in tho box 15 rounds of high explosives.