The German Secret Service in America 1914-1918Jones, John Price
History
The German Secret Service in America 1914-1918
Jones, John Price
World War, 1914-1918 -- Secret service -- Germany
We have witnessed the cumulative influence of newspaper reports in
surrounding Labor's National Peace Council with an almost genuine
atmosphere of national interest; we have been able to picture the
hostility which the publication of the longshoremen's strike story
aroused in legitimately organized labor; and although as a typical
instance of newspaper influence we should postpone the following
incident, it is a temptation too great to resist. It is the story of
The Story That Cost an Ambassador, and if any further plea for its
introduction be needed, let it be that it is another subtle attempt
upon labor in the summer of 1915.
[Illustration: _Copyright, International Film Service_
Dr. Constantin Dumba, Austrian ambassador to the United States,
recalled after the disclosures of the correspondence captured on the
war correspondent, Archibald]
James F. J. Archibald, an American correspondent who had seen most of
the wars of recent years, and who wanted to see more, set sail from New
York on August 21, 1915, for Amsterdam, with his wife, his campaign
clothes, and a portfolio. At Falmouth, England, the usual search party
came aboard, and inspected the papers in the portfolio. Archibald
proved to be an unofficial despatch-bearer, upon whom his German and
Austrian acquaintances in the United States placed great reliance--such
men as Papen, Bernstorff, and Dr. Constantine Dumba sent reports to
their governments in his care.
On September 5 the _New York World_ burst forth with the text of one
of the letters--one from Dr. Dumba, the Austro-Hungarian ambassador at
Washington, to his chief in the foreign office at Vienna, Baron Burian.
It is worth reproducing here intact:
"New York, August 20."
"Your Excellency:
"Yesterday evening Consul-General von Nuber received the enclosed
aide memoire from the chief editor of the local influential paper
_Szabadsag_, after a previous conversation with me in pursuance
of his verbal proposals to arrange for strikes at Bethlehem in
Schwab's steel and munitions factory and also in the middle West.
"Archibald, who is well known to your Excellency, leaves today
at 12 o'clock on board the _Rotterdam_ for Berlin and Vienna. I
take this rare and safe opportunity of warmly recommending these
proposals to your Excellency's favorable consideration. It is my
impression that we can disorganize and hold up for months, if
not entirely prevent, the manufacture of munitions in Bethlehem
and the middle West, which, in the opinion of the German
military attaché, is of great importance and amply outweighs the
comparatively small expenditure of money involved.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account