THE GERMAN SECRET
SERVICE IN AMERICA
1914-1918
Count Johann von Bernstorff, the
responsible director of Ger-
many'ssecret policies
in America
THE GERMAN SECRET
SERVICE IN AMERICA
1914-1918
BY
JOHN PRICE JONES
AUTHOR OF "AMERICA ENTANGLED"
AND
PAUL MERRICK HOLLISTER
BOSTON
SMALL, MAYNARD & COMPANY
PUBLISHERS
Copyright, 1918,
By SMALL, MAYNARD & COMPANY
(INCORPORATED)
"It is plain enough how we were forced into the war. The extraordinaryinsults and aggressions of the Imperial German Government left us noself-respecting choice but to take up arms in defense of our rightsas a free people and of our honor as a sovereign government. Themilitary masters of Germany denied us the right to be neutral. Theyfilled our unsuspecting communities with vicious spies and conspiratorsand sought to corrupt the opinion of our people in their own behalf.When they found they could not do that, their agents diligentlyspread sedition amongst us and sought to draw our own citizens fromtheir allegiance—and some of these agents were men connected withthe official embassy of the German Government itself here in our owncapital. They sought by violence to destroy our industries and arrestour commerce. They tried to incite Mexico to take up arms against usand to draw Japan into a hostile alliance with her—and that, not byindirection but by direct suggestion from the Foreign Office in Berlin.They impudently denied us the use of the high seas and repeatedlyexecuted their threat that they would send to their death any of ourpeople who ventured to approach the coasts of Europe. And many of ourown people were corrupted. Men began to look upon their neighbors withsuspicion and to wonder in their hot resentment and surprise whetherthere was any community in which hostile intrigue did not lurk. Whatgreat nation in such circumstances would not have taken up arms? Muchas we have desired peace, it was denied us, and not of our own choice.This flag under which we serve would have been dishonored had wewithheld our hand."
—Woodrow Wilson, Flag Day Address
June 14, 1917
INTRODUCTION
A nation at war wants nothing less than complete information of herenemy. It is hard for the mind to conceive exactly what "completeinformation" means, for it includes every fact which may contain thelightest indication of the enemy strength, her use of that strength,and her intention. The nation which sets out to obtain completeinformation of her enemy must pry into every neglected corner, fishevery innocent pool, and collect a mass of matter concerning theindustrial, social and military organization of the enemy which whencorrelated, appraises her strength—and her weakness. Nothing less thanfull information will satisfy the mathematical maker of war.
Germany was always precociously fond of international statistics. Shewan