MANUFACTURING A WAR SCARE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 12, 14 June 1913, Page 9

MANUFACTURING A WAR SCARE

GERMAN SCANDAL. Berlin, April 20. Allegations of the most amazing character in regard to the underlying cause of the anti-German agitations in France were made at uie close of Friday night's session in the Reichstag by Dr. Karl Liebknecht, the well-known Socialist deputy. Dr. Liebknecht declared in the debate on the Army Bill that knowledge had come into his possession several weeks ago to the effect that Messrs Krupp, of Essen, and the Deutsche Waffen und Munitions Fabriken, of Berlin, the manufacturers of Mauser rifles and other munitions of war, had been resorting to certain illicit methods of inducing leading organs of the • French press to create anti-German sentiment in their country. The object, Dr. Liebknecht said, was to create an atmosphere which would facilitate the increase of armaments for the German Army. The deputy stated that as soon as the information reached.him he placed it in the hands of General von Heeringen, the Prussian Minister of War, who promised that a thorough investigation should be made forthwith. Dr. Liebknecht asserted that investigation in the meantime had entirely verified the correctness of the information which had come to his notice, and that several "eminent" per-: sons at Essen had arrested and were now in prison awaiting further enquiry. These statements created a profound impression in the House, General von eeringeu made a very brief statement. He declared that ~-r. Liebknecht's speech contained grave exaggerations, and it was regrettable that the information had been given publicity before the enquiry had been completed. He promised the House that an official statement with regard to the matter would.be forthcoming, but gave no indication when. Dr. Liebknecht represents Potsdam in the Reichstag. He is the son of one of the founders of the Socialist party in Germany, and has served a term of imprisonment in a fortress for anti-mui-tarist propaganda, Dr. Leibknecht also declared that a scandal of perhaps even greater magnitude had taken place m Germany itself. He said that one of Messrs Krupp's ..officials nad succeeded in bribing certain non-commissioned officers employed at the War Office in Berlin to extract in advance information regarding the forthcoming army estimates from the official files and communicate details of the tenders of rival firms. It was in this connection, he said, that arrests of certain "eminent" persons had taken place at Essen. General von Heeringen admitted that there was a basis in Dr. Leibknecht's assertions, but wished, to assure the House that there had been no disclosure of "military secrets." The House was in I an angry mood following the Socialist i deputy's statements, and was disinclined to give General von Heeringen a patient bearing when he rose to reply. Dr. Liebknecht made fresh allegations yesterday in the Reichstag, which is com'pletely under the spell of his charges, The War Minister was under fire from all sides. His appeal for a reservation of judgment until the official enquiry was ended was generally acceded to, but the party leaders left no doubt that the country will not humor or tolerate any "white-washing" or "hushing up." General von Heeringen was told that the public would not be satisfied to have "small thieves hanged and the bigger escape." Finally he had to give a pledge that the Reichstag would be kept fully informed of the progress of the enquiry which is being conducted, by two separate tribunals. An Army Court is dealing wiUi the military officials and employees 'of ..the War Office.who are^alleged authorities are concerned with the civilians said to be involved in Berlin and Essen. • Dr. Liebknecht named Herr von Dewitz, an ex-offieor and a prominent official of Messrs Krupp at Essen, as the custodian of "safes full of surreptitiously obtained secret reports." The incriminating documents on which the present charges were based had, he said, been seized from Herr von Dewitz by 1 the police. The deputy himself was in possession of copies of some of these reports, and had given the War Office access to them. MESSRS KRUPP'S DEFENCE. The Socialist organ "Vorwaerts" is amplifying Dr. Liebknecht's statements in the House, and asserts to-day that Herr von Dewitz was temporarily under arrest at Essen, and was only released on bail. Dr. Krupp "for years had operated by means of bribery and the treasonable disclosures of military secrets." The information so obtained included, he said, not only the figures of rival tenders, but also construction secrets. Summing up his charges, Dr. Liebknecht said the affair could olily be described as "a Panama worst than Panama"—referring to the great corruption scandal in connection with the French Panama Canal Company ten years ago. Several statements in their defence have been issued on behalf of Messrs Krupp. The firm assert that Dr. Liebknecht's revelations are designed to create wholly false impressions in the public mind. It was impossible to associate the firm with any illicit acts on the part of their employees. The firm maintained an agency in Berlin. Among its duties was the obtaining of prompt business information, including the prices of competitors' tenders. An "under official" of this agency, who was formerly in the army, appeared to have made "small gifts" to different subordinate military officials, some of whom were h:3 former comrades, and from whom Jie received "information." These facts had been brought to the attention of tne authorities through Dr. Liebknecht, who' learned of them in consequence of "unbridled denunciation" by a vindictive employee who had been discharged. The Berlin .Morgenpbst summarises public opinion as follows:—"The country's final verdict must be withheld pending the result of the official investigation, but the proceedings in the Reichstag already permit the following to be regarded as established facts:— 1. The war material industry uses the foreign press to exercise pressure on Germany for increases in armaments. 2. The industry practises espionage at the expense of the military administration for the purpose of acquiring manufacturing secrets and secret- armament plans. "Putting all these things together, one secures a picture of corruption whose existence under the nickname of 'armorplate patriotism' lias long been in the public mind." An official of a foreign telephone system has devised a "speaking clock." ' It comprises a phonograph attachment which repeats the hour and minute every five seconds, changing exactly on the minute, in the following manner, "fivetwo," "live-three," etc. All the subscriber lias to do is to call a certain number in the same manner that he calls any other one in the system, and the phonograph-clock is immediately heard speaking the time. In its present form the "speaking-clock' 'requires constant attention, as the records, each of which rims 10 minutes, are slipped on and off by hand, lint in a new machine, now being perfected, the record cylinders, of which there will be but two, will be connected with a master clock and will be entirely automatic, requiring no manual operation.