RINTELEN THE SPY

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3113, 18 June 1917, Page 6

RINTELEN THE SPY

HIS WORK liV AMERICA. A New York telegram to "the "San l'rancisco Chronicle," dated May 2, gives details of the plans of the notorious spy, Captain Franz Hintelen, of the German navy, for fomenting labour troubles in America. The message is as follows-.— Plans of Captain Franz Hintelen to embroil this country in war with Mexico and Japan and the ineffectual efforts of Frank Buchanan, former Congressman, to enlist Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labour* in a project to prevent the manufacture of munitions in this country, were brought out in the conspiracy trial of theso two men and six others to-dny. The defendants are charged with fomenting strikes designed to : disrupt tho Entente Allies' munitions trade in this country, through the activities of Labours' National Peace Conncil, of which Mr. Buchanan was first president. Gompers testified that he advised Bucnanan that his plans were foolhardy; that they were in conflict with the interests of labour as represented by the Amerioaa Federation of Labour, and that he warned Buchanan against associations with Herman Schulteis and Henry B. Martin. These men are defendants, and were members of Labours' National Peace Council. The testimony as to liintelen's activities was given by John 0. Hammond, an advertising agent, who said that Kintelen engaged liini to carry on a. iiro-Uermiui publicity campaign. Kintelen proposed to spend 25,000 dollars for this purpose, he said, but spent only 7500 dollars, becoming discouraged as to the success of his plans to arouse sentiment in favour of the German cause, after the sinking of the Lusitania. Hammond said he gave up his work for Bintelen when he learned that he was doing all in his power to bring on war between the United States and Mexico, and that Rintelen believed it was only a matter of time before Cieiv inauy diplomacy would embroil this country m war with. Japan. . fiinteleii's purposei he was told, was to bring on strikes bo as to break up the munition ,traffic, llintelen described troubles in Jlexico, which lie expected Huerta, former dictator of Mexico, to stir up, as his trump card. The witness declared he called these activities of Hintelen to the attention of the Government, and then for some time continued to meet Riutelen and to listen to his plans 'under the direction of officers,of the Department of J ustice. Goiuperfl, ill giving his evidence, said: 'fl. asked him (Bnchauan) to consider his action before operating witli any of the men whom I had seen his name associated with in tho papers. I mentioned -'Herman Sciiulteis.and Henry B. Martin." Gompers swore that Buchanan told him it was his desire to stop the wnr by preventing the transportation of munitions to Europe. Gompers said he warned Buchanan his endeavours were both ioolish and nnneutral. This was his response, the Labour leader asserted, to Buchanan's announcement that he had come to criticise him because he was opposed to the movement undertaken by the Peace Council.