There have been two kinds of German propaganda. One, devoted to setting before the American people Germany’s side of the war, may be classed as legitimate. The other has been illegal and criminal. While both are set forth in this narrative, the greater space has been devoted to illegal activities.
The author claims for this book no other distinction than a plain unvarnished statement of facts—vital, dramatic, absorbing facts of the manner in which secret agents of the Teutonic governments, acting under orders of authorized directors, have attacked the very integrity of our national life, commercial, social and politic. It contains facts arranged from an American viewpoint by an American who considers it his duty to present them to his fellow Americans.
These facts were obtained by the writer as a reporter on the New York Sun who devoted a year to no other work. They were derived by a painstaking investigation and where flat statements are made they are based on knowledge obtained by the author from various authorities and from the examination of documents some of which have never been published. They show how German agents sought to subvert the aims of our government to the advantage of the Central Powers. They furnish a glimpse of the manner in which these men and women sought to make America the hinterland for the European War; how they planned and executed bribery, arson, felonious assaults; how they plotted destruction of property and even murder on American territory.
These facts emphasize the need of a new kind of preparedness. They prove that not only does the nation need preparedness in arms on both land and sea against a foreign foe but also defence against those within our bounds, who are eager to betray us. No true American, whether he be pro-Ally, pro-German, or strictly neutral, can read this book without realizing the thoroughness and the perfection of the German espionage system and being convinced of the way in which Germany’s spies have overrun the entire country, nor can anyone doubt the necessity for preparedness to cope with these men and this system in a different guise in the event of still graver issues.
JOHN PRICE JONES.
When the German note announcing that the Imperial German Government intended to resume with greater vigour its ruthless submarine warfare was handed to the Secretary of State of the United States, a crisis in the affairs of this nation was abruptly precipitated. The President met that crisis with courage, with promptness and in a way that merits, and has, the unqualified support of every American who is proud of his citizenship.
After the receipt of such an insulting note it was unthinkable that the United States could longer remain on friendly terms with a nation that deliberately returned to wanton murder of innocent non-combatants, including women and helpless children.
The conduct of the Imperial German Government in striving to win a war by means (which barbarians would hesitate to use) begun by that Government without just cause and pursued by riding rough-shod over a much smaller and much weaker nation, has been condemned by every civilized country, and it will be many years before the German people recover from the shame and degradation into which they have been plunged.
Germany will have to repent in sackcloth and ashes for a long, long time before it is received again into the Family of Nations.
In prosecuting the war, Germany and her allies have proceeded from the beginning upon the theory that “the end justifies the means” and acting upon that theory have held in supreme contempt the rights of neutral nations.
From the beginning of the war, subjects of Germany, resident in the United States, have continuously violated our laws in the most outrageous and flagrant manner.
At the very threshold, they sought to use the United States as a base from which to supply the German raiders in the South Atlantic, and to that end, by fraud, obtained from the collectors at various ports of the United States legal clearances, thus subjecting every ship which lawfully cleared from any United States port to seizure by the Allies.
Next, they sought and obtained, by fraud, and false swearing, passports to be used by German reservists in returning to Germany, travelling under the guise of American citizens; thus placing in danger the lives and liberty of honest Americans travelling with legitimate passports and entitled to the protection of this Government.
Because the Allies were able to purchase in the United States munitions of war, foodstuffs and all other supplies they might need, and were able to transport them, and because the United States did not at the behest of the Imperial German Government, stop the sale and transportation of the supplies, which its citizens had a perfect right to sell and transport, German residents devised the inhuman scheme of making chemical fire bombs and infernal machines to be placed on ships carrying passengers and supplies, with the deliberate intent and purpose that the ships should be crippled or sunk in mid-ocean—it mattered not to them that all on board might find a watery grave.
Numerous attempts have been made to equip men of the most desperate character with necessary explosives and other implements of death and destruction and have them go from the United States into Canada, our friendly and respected neighbour, to destroy railroads, canals, ships, warehouses and factories without regard to human life.
Agents have been sent to the United States with unlimited money at their command to engage gunmen and thugs to blow up our munition plants and factories—many explosions have occurred—many lives have been lost—much damage has been done—I cannot say who caused such wholesale murder to be committed, but I have the right as you have, to suspect.
It is a matter of record that the German Military Attaché, Captain Franz von Papen, and the German Naval Attaché, Captain Boy-Ed, knew of and sanctioned some of the conspiracies above referred to—_perhaps_ the German Ambassador did not know of them; but it will be hard to convince a hard-headed, common-sense American citizen that he did not know what his right hand and his left hand were doing in such a crucial period.
Murder has followed murder on the high seas, one crime came fast upon another in the United States, and now we are told that this Government must do as the Imperial German Government directs; or murder on a more colossal scale will be the result. The people of the United States have not taken orders from any Government since 1776, and the German murderers ought to have known we would take none now, least of all from a Government that had forfeited its right to the respect of any civilized nation.
“The German Spy in America” will give you some small conception of what the Germans in the United States have been doing since August 1, 1914. Its author has followed their nefarious plots very closely and he has an intimate knowledge of his subject.
Its purpose is to let the American people know the danger that lurks within; to sound the alarm so that every man may be on his guard; to show the grave necessity for preparedness against a foreign foe, and particularly numerous alien enemies within our borders.
If it serves in a small measure to accomplish its high aim, its author will be amply repaid because he will have rendered a great service to humanity, and above all to our country, which we love more than all else, save God.
ROGER B. WOOD.
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