WHAT WILL BE DONE.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 February 1917, Page 2

WHAT WILL BE DONE.

IF AMERICA MAKES WAP*

GERMAN PLOT TO BLOW UP INTERNED SHIPS.

New York, Teh. 1. *'lf the Germans want to blow up «.i.c,r i-'giii-y ships interned in this country in event of war with the United States, there is nothing ill?.', prevent them. A man could carry enough explosive aboard in his pocket to b!u\, .;;■ each vessel." This was the statement of a Government official when told the New York American had information that a plan was on foot to blow up every German ship interned in American ports should \wtr he declared between the two countries. At the same time Customs officials admitted word of such a plot had come to them, and said they were taking precautions. A thorough search of all the ships was made, and while the officials w.puld not admit it was for the purpose of discovering cvplosives, one authority sa ; d:— "We searched Hie \es.-:c:s interned in I'obokcn from stem to stern, and yon can take it as a fact that there are no explosives on board any of them. We can absolutely |ireveiit them from making a dash to sea by keeping a check o:i the coal put on board. Hut if they decide to blow up the ships to keep tlicin from falling into the hands of the United States, 1 can sec i:u way to prevent it." NEUTRALITY SQUAD DOUBLED. It was admitted that since the word : ii? uiot had, reached the Department j! Jestice, liic neutrality squad of the

pit had been increased 100 per cent. | lint'tinder the treaty Let„c.n tho United States and Germany before the Collector ' of the porl can search a vessel he must ; notify the German Consul-General tha? the search is to lake place. In other wcids, if the United States Government is going aboard the \"a ! .erland in the afternoon to look for explosives, the German Consul must be notified of it in time for him to be present if he so de- J si;es. ~ According to the New York American's information, the plot involves the placing aboard of all the eighty ships interned j in American ports sufficient quantity of ' explosives to destroy them, This plot, ; it is said, was conceived soon after the sinking of the Lusitania. The destruc- . t'O.i of the vessels was to follow receipt of word of declaration of war by the ships' commanders, and was to be as nc-i'i'ly simultaneous as possible. i ELABORATE SPY SYSTEM. There now exists around the German and Austrian vessels interned in the port of New York an extensive spy system, in which one set of spies is keeping watch on the Other. Seventy-three members of the neutrality squad and a Customs guard of thirty men are watching the vessels for the Collector of the port. A detail of secret, service men, some of them working as longshoremen, an; performing the same service for Ununited States Government. Operatives of the British Government, reinforced by picked men from Scotland Yard, are operating under the direction of the British Consul. .. Back to these lines is the elaborate spy system of the German Empire, which has been extended since the Lusitania incident. At S o'clock each night all the ships are inspected by the neutrality squad of the port. Again at 12 o'clock tho rounds of the ships arc made. No Americans are permitted aboard the ships unless they are Government officials, and then only after the treaty regulations have been complied with. SHITS IN GOOD CONDITION.

The steamships are being kept in excellent condition. From a German source it w»8 learned that a mechanical device has teen invented for cleaning the* vesMli' bottoms- Th" B device a lowered

each night and part of the boat's bottom scraped. Divers also have been working at intervals. The Department of Justice in this city was absolutely silent regarding the reported plot, referring all questions to the department in Washington.