AMERICA AND THE WAR

New Zealand Times, Volume XLI, Issue 9245, 12 January 1916, Page 6

AMERICA AND THE WAR

PLOTS AND PLOTTERS SPY CLEARING-HOUSE UNEARTHED IN CHICAGO. ' (Auckland ‘‘Star” Correspondent.) SAN FRANCISCO, December HI. While national attention has been intermittently focused at the transcontinental American ports of New York and San Francisco, in view of the Teutonic bomb plot investigations, Chicago had developed as the manufacturing centre for the explosives that are used to destroy munition plants throughout the American Republic, and it has been discovered that eleven Chicagoans directed the work of the destroyers. Affidavits, giving the names and details of operations of a gigantic pro-German secret society that maintained a chemical laboratory in Chicago, and had agents in practically every State of America, were delivered to a minor Government official in Chicago, and next day every agent in the local bureau of investigation of the Department of Justice was assigned by Hinton G. Clahaugh, divisional chief of the service, to verify the most remarkable tale of anti-neu-trality plotting that has been told in the United States since the war began. Through the friendship of a woman, a young man of French descent declared he gained the inner secrets of the society, and became friendly with its leaders. He wrote out the information he obtained, swore to its truthfulness, and handed the affidavits over to the United States Government. According to the affidavits, great quantities of explosives in small lots were shipped from Chicago to cities near the large* munition factories. A complete chemical plant, where the explosives were manufactured, was described on one of the affidavits. This laboratory was located in Chicago as the headquarters, and distributing centre for this phase of the society’s activity. The eleven men accused in the affidavits were the directing geniuses for blowing up powder mills, attempting to wreck trains carrying other war munitions. and for the attempted bribery of minor officials. Secret places were detailed, showing how the plotters' schemes were carried out by assistants in other cities. „ It was stated that the eleven men were members of the various pro-Ger-man societies that” have been formed to engage in raising funds for the Austro-German Red Cross- or collecting money in hopes ; of effecting Congressional, action toward placing an embargo on all war munitions.

BRITAIN TRAPS U.S. SPY CHIEF. According to reliable information which has reached New York, a British cruiser has captured on the high seas, off the coast of Brazil, a German officer whom the United States Government believes was responsible for many of the score of mysterious fires explosions in munitions plants in America. The spy was taken off the Lamport rnd Holt liner Vauban. He is now believed' to be a prisoner of Great Britain, cither on the cruiser which captured him or in . a British Central or South American detention camp. The whole sensational story of the suspect’s activities in the United States has been revealed. Under a forged or stolen passport, the spy escaped from America on November 13th. Ho was “two jumps” ahead of special agents of the United States Department of Justice, who had made discoveries which they said connected him with quite a long list of disasters. BRITAIN TO TURN AEROS ON FLEET.

England is making elaborate preparations for a big aerial attack on the German fleet in the Kiel Canal, according to G. O. Robinson, an aeroplane-ex-pert, who arrived from Liverpool at Now York on December 20th on the steamer St. Paul. Robinson has been supervising the assembling of Curtiss aeroplanes at the Hendon aviation field of the British Government. While he would not state directly that the formation of a big aero fleet was for an attack on the German war craft ana the Krupp works at Essen, he let it be inferred that such was the case, and predicted that the world would ho astonished at several developments scheduled for the near future. General Wilfred Ellershaw, of 'the British Army, arrived to inspect the ordnance and ammunition now being manufactured in the United States and in Canada for the Allies. He fought at the battle of the Marne, and said that conditions on the Western front were satisfactory to the Broitish military authorities. While America and other parts of the world have been speculating as to the Kaiser’s threat to attack Egypt c.n a large scale, a startling admission has been made at Los Angeles, Southern California, by A. M. Papajian Bey, former Minister of Interior in Egypt, a visitor to the Pacific Coast resort. He stated that Japan had ■ entered the European theatre of war with a powerful fleet surreptitiously sent .to the Suez Canal. “Great Britain realises that she cannot lose the Canal, which is a vital element in her life as a unified Empire,” declared Papajian Boy. ■‘For that reason the Canal has been remarkably fortified and a Japanese fleet is on hand , ready for business." Papajian Boy scoffed at the idea of a German invasion of Egypt, and said Germany seemed to be at her wits.’ end to know how to escape the iron ring of the Allies. ‘‘Only in January and February, the least hot month, is it possible for a great army to cross the desdrt sands between Turkey and Rvypt.” he asserted. “Then, too, the Red Sea forms a neutral barrier as efficacious as an army. Many ships ana transports would be needed, and Germany could not procure them.” The announcement that Japanese are in Europe has created a deep impression. Even in the far-flung Philippines, Germans are causing a rumpus, and according to a late dispatch over the cable from Manila all the small arms, consisting of 300 rifles and 2000 revolvers, on hoard the German ships interned there, have been seized and placed in the American Government Customs House. The German Consul has issued a stereotyped protest and has expressed tho utmost indignation at the action of the Philippine authorities. Uncle Sam is taking every precaution to prevent interned Germans from uprising and causing trouble and bloodshed. Those interned men in several parts of the United States territory have recentlv signalised their presence by no small insolence and attempts to escape have occurred frequently.