Through German-American interests the plans were made in 1914, he said, and a fund of $10,000,000 was subscribed to carry out the details. Secret meetings were held in New York, Buffalo, Philadelphia, Detroit, Milwaukee, and other large cities, and at these meetings, Louden asserted, it was agreed that a force of 150,000 men, German reservists, was available to seize and hold the Welland Canal, other strategic points and munitions centres.
“We had it arranged,” said Louden, “to send our men from large cities following announcements of feasts and conventions; and I think we could have obtained enough to carry out our plans had it not been for my arrest on the charge of bigamy. The troops were to have been divided into four divisions, with six sections. The first two sections were to have assembled at Silvercreek, Michigan. The first was to have seized the Welland Canal. The second was to have taken Wind Mill Point. The third was to have gone from Wilson, N.Y., to Port Hope, Canada. The fourth was to have proceeded from Watertown, N.Y., to Kingston, Canada. The fifth was to have assembled near Detroit and land near Windsor. The sixth section was to leave Cornwall and take possession of Ottawa.”
After the enterprise on the Welland Canal failed and Count von Bernstorff, according to von der Goltz, disapproved of the Canadian invasion, there was a lull in any concerted move upon Canada.
By referring again to Captain von Papen’s diary it is evident that he had other matters to absorb his attention. The counterfoils of the cheque-book record payments such as the following payment dated July 10, 1915, “H. Tauscher (Preleuther’s bill for ‘Res. Picric Acid’) $68.” The busy attaché, fighting here in the interests of the Fatherland had other plans.
BUYS UP EXPLOSIVES
Captain von Papen was keenly alive to the production of explosives in America for sale to the Allies. He was watching closely the product of the different ammunition factories. He was locating the source of the ingredients for such explosives, and he was naturally concerned in any method for preventing the export of arms and ammunition to the Allies. He possessed an unusual mind for economic data—a quality which aroused the admiration of Dr. Albert. The two men were much in conference over industrial matters that might be managed in the interest of the Teutonic Allies. Under Dr Albert’s guidance he took up the project of acquiring a monopoly in toluol, a constituent of the deadly explosive T. N. T., and for buying picric acid, and liquid chlorine.
How he made recommendations on these things to Dr. Albert was shown in connection with the fiscal agent’s activities. Other secret letters and reports prove that he and his associates had control of the Lehigh Coke Company, which turned out a large amount of toluol, and that he was studying to control the supply of picric acid in this country. Still further, he devoted much time to the Bridgeport Projectile Company in Bridgeport, Connecticut. This company was organized shortly after the outbreak of the war, and its promoters were prevailed upon to sell out to German buyers who, after an exposé of their activities, disposed of their holdings to still another group. Carl Heynen, an able German organizer and expert in Mexican affairs, had charge of the plant and supervised construction work and the placing of contracts for steel, ammunition and presses. The money was furnished by Hugo Schmidt and Dr. Albert.
Von Papen, Heynen, Dr. Albert, frequently in conference, planned, as excerpts from memorandum prepared by them prove, to utilize the company in several ways: (1) to turn out supplies that could be used by Germany and her Allies, or by countries planning to make trouble for the United States; (2) to take the Allies’ orders and fail to fill them; (3) to use the company as a means of getting information from the War Department.
One of Captain von Papen’s own letters reveals the importance of these enterprises. Writing to his wife about the so-called Albert papers, he says:
“Unfortunately they stole a fat portfolio from our good friend, Dr. Albert, in the elevated. The English secret service, of course. Unfortunately, there were some very important things from my report, among them such as buying up liquid chlorine and about the Bridgeport Projectile Company, as well as documents regarding the buying up of phenol and the acquisition of Wright’s aeroplane patent. But things like that must occur. I send you Albert’s reply, for you to see how we protect ourselves. We composed the document to-day.”