History of the World War, Volume 2 (of 7) : $b An authentic narrative of the world's greatest warMarch, Francis A., Jr.
History
History of the World War, Volume 2 (of 7) : $b An authentic narrative of the world's greatest war
March, Francis A., Jr.
World War, 1914-1918
On the right is Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg who is held responsible
in large measure for bringing on the war. On the left is Prince
Maximilian of Baden, the Kaiser’s camouflage chancellor who was
appointed in a vain attempt to fool the American people into thinking
that a democratic government had been set up in Germany.]
“... I had in the neighborhood of $4,000.... This money came from a
man who sent me over ... (named) Jonnersen. The understanding was that
it might be worth while to stop the shipment of artillery munitions
from this country.... I imagined Jonnersen to be in the (German) secret
service.”
After stating that he saw von Papen and Boy-Ed, and that neither would
have anything to do with him, apparently because they were suspicious
of his identity and feared a trap, Fay continued:
“I did not want to return (to Germany) without having carried out
my intention, that is, the destruction of ships carrying munitions.
I proceeded with my experiments and tried to get hold of as much
explosive matter as in any way possible....”
Fay and two confederates were arrested in a lonely spot near Grantwood,
New Jersey, while testing an explosive. During his examination at
police headquarters in Weehawken immediately after the arrest he was
questioned as follows:
_Q._ That large machine you have downstairs, what is that?
_A._ That is a patent of mine. It is a new way of getting a time
fuse....
_Q._ Did you know where Scholz (Fay’s brother-in-law) had this machine
made?
_A._ In different machine shops....
_Q._ What material is it you wanted (from Daeche, an accomplice)?
_A._ Trinitrotoluol (T. N. T.)....
_Q._ How much did the machinery cost?
_A._ Roughly speaking, $150 or $200....
_Q._ What would be the cost of making one and filling it with
explosives?
_A._ About $250 each.... If they had given me money enough I should
simply have been able to block the shipping entirely.
_Q._ Do you mean you could have destroyed every ship that left the
harbor by means of those bombs?
_A._ I would have been able to stop so many that the authorities would
not have dared (to send out any ships).
It was proved during Fay’s trial that his bomb was a practical device,
and that its forty pounds of explosive would sink any ship to which it
was attached.
Fay and his accomplices, Scholz and Daeche, were convicted of
conspiracy to attach explosive bombs to the rudders of vessels, with
the intention of wrecking the same when at sea, and were sentenced, on
May 9, 1916, to terms of eight, four and two years respectively, in the
federal penitentiary at Atlanta. Dr. Herbert Kienzle and Max Breitung,
who assisted Fay in procuring explosives, were indicted on the same
charge. Both were interned.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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