Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 April 1916 — GERMAN AGENTS [ARTICLE]

GERMAN AGENTS

Whether Von Igel, secretary of former attache Von Papen, is himself attache, and so immune from arrest, as claimed by Ambassador Bernstorff, is yet to be proved. The German ambassador has demanded the return of the-papers seized yesterday in Von Igel’s office. Among those papers was a letter addressed to a powder company, instructing it to deliver "300 pounds? 60 per cent dynamite” Von der Goltz, the confessed conspirator. And there was also a check signed by Von Papen,-and payable to this same Von der Goltz. If the. office of Von Igel was German soil, and the man himself a German diplomatic agent, we have that soil used as a base of criminal action against this country, and by a German agent. Such is the man and such are the documents that it is sought to protect. If they are entitled to protection they will receive it. But what a showing it all makes!

Last December, the Berlin government, in connection with the cases of Von Papen and Boy-Ed, said: The German government naturally has never knowingly accepted the support of any person, group' sons. society or organization seeking to promote the cause of Germany in the United States by illegal acts, by counsels of violence, by contravention of law or by any means whatever that could offend the American people in their pride of their own authority. Apparently the enemies of Germany have succeeded in creating the impression that the German government, is in some way morally or otherwise responsible for what M r Wilson has characterized as antiAmerican activities, comprehending attacks upon property and violations of the rules which the American government has seen fit to impose on the course o r neutral trade. This the German government absolutely denies. .

There is much more to the same effect, but that i< enough. Those who read these w ords will please reiiutni :>or th.it Von Papen, now under indictment, wa- an Officer of the German government, and that that government, through its ambassador, is now setting up the plea of immunity in behalf of another man under indictment. He would not- have been indicted had it been known that he was a German official. But Germany does not hestitate to claim him after his indictment. Yet that government said last December : It can only say, and does most emphatically declare to Germans abroad, to Ger man-American citizens in the United States, to the American people, all alike, that whoever is guilty of Conduct tending to associate the German cause with lawlessness of thought, suggestion or deed against life; property and order in the United States is in fact an enemy 01 that very cause and a source of embarrassment to the German government, notwithstanding anything he or. they may believe to the contrary.

Yet we have the check of Von Papen, a member of the German embassy staff, payable to dynamiters, and now we have this man. Von Tgel, who is now admitted to be a member of that staff, indicted and arrested for complicity in the very acts which the German government said last December were hostile to it Then it said that it could not be expected to disavow acts of which it knew nothing, committed by men who were strangers to it. Now it seeks to protect a man under indictment, and asks the return of a letter of. Von Papen, directing the deliver}’ of dynamite to men engaged in the conspiracy to blow up the Welland canal. .The people* will draw their own conclusions— and they are quite capable, of doing so.—lndianapolis News.