Closely related to and to some extent under the guidance of von Igel
was the German and Austro-Hungarian Labor Information and Relief
Bureau, with central headquarters at 136 Liberty Street, New York
City, and branches in Cleveland, Detroit, Bridgeport, Pittsburgh,
Philadelphia, and Chicago. The head of the enterprise was Hans
Liebau, from whom it took its familiarly accepted name of the “Liebau
Employment Agency.” During the trying days which followed the arrest
of the Welland Canal conspirators it was unwaveringly asserted that
the Liebau concern was a bona fide employment agency and nothing else,
with no object other than to secure positions for German, Austrian, or
Hungarian workmen seeking employment. That was for publication only. In
von Igel’s papers the truth appears, brought out by the refusal of the
Austro-Hungarian Embassy to continue its subsidies to the bureau.
That the Austro-Hungarian Embassy had taken official cognizance of the
bureau previously, however, is disclosed in the letter written by the
Ambassador to the Austro-Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs, which
was found in the possession of James F. J. Archibald by the British
authorities August 30, 1915. In this letter the Ambassador stated:
“It is my impression that we can disorganize and hold up for months, if
not entirely prevent, the manufacture of munitions in Bethlehem and the
Middle West, which, in the opinion of the German Military Attaché, is
of importance and amply outweighs the comparatively small expenditure
of money involved.”
Representations on behalf of the bureau’s efficiency were made, under
date of March 24, 1916, in a letter to the German Ambassador, von
Bernstorff:
“Engineers and persons in the better class of positions, and who had
means of their own, were persuaded by the propaganda of the bureau to
leave war material factories.”
The report comments with unconcealed amusement upon the fact that
munitions concerns innocently wrote the bureau for workmen (which, of
course, were not furnished) and continues in reviewing later conditions
in the munitions industry:
“The commercial employment bureaus of the country have no supply of
unemployed technicians.... Many disturbances and suspensions which war
material factories have had to suffer, and which it was not always
possible to remove quickly, but which on the contrary often led to
long strikes, may be attributed to the energetic propaganda of the
employment bureau.”
The captured documents contained letters and communications that
established intimate relations between the German Diplomatic Service
and the Irish revolutionary movement. Among others was the letter
concerning a Justice of the New York Supreme Court, Daniel F. Cohalan,
beginning, “Judge Cohalan requests the transmission of the following
remarks.” The remarks are then quoted as follows:
“The revolution in Ireland can only be successful if supported from
Germany, otherwise England will be able to suppress it, even though it
be only after hard struggles. Therefore help is necessary. This should
consist, primarily, of aerial attacks in England and a diversion of
the fleet simultaneously with Irish revolution. Then, if possible, a
landing of troops, arms, and ammunition in Ireland, and possibly some
officers from Zeppelins. This would enable the Irish ports to be closed
against England and the establishment of stations for submarines on the
Irish coast and the cutting off of the supply of food for England. The
services of the revolution may therefore decide the war.”
“He asks that a telegram to this effect be sent to Berlin,” the letter
continues. It is but fair to say that Judge Cohalan has denied making
the request.
[Illustration: Poster for the Fourth Liberty Loan]
Other documents revealed the German Secret Service dealings with Sir
Roger Casement, subsequently executed by the British for treason, but
though the Department of Justice had this incriminating evidence, it
did not reach the Attorney General until the afternoon following the
arrest of Casement. The cause of Casement’s arrest was not, therefore,
information furnished by the Department, as was loosely charged at the
time.