Vonsiatsky Espionage
As
a result of investigative activities of the Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Anastase A. Vonsiatsky,
Gerhard Wilhelm Kunze, Dr. Otto Willumeit, Dr. Wolfgang
Ebell, and Reverend Kurt E. B. Molzahn were indicted
on June 10, 1942, by a Federal Grand Jury at Hartford,
Connecticut, for conspiracy to violate the Espionage
Act. On August 25, 1942, the last member of the group
was sentenced in Federal Court, thus bringing an
end to the third major espionage ring broken by the
FBI since the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor.
Anastase
A. Vonsiatsky, a naturalized American citizen residing
in Connecticut and former leader of the Russian Revolutionary
Party, had in the past made certain contacts and
had associated with certain leaders of the German-American
Bund, including Gerhard Wilhelm Kunze. In the summer
of 1941, he gave Kunze $2,800 in cash. Of this amount
$800 was to defray the expenses of Kunze in departing
from the United States, with the ultimate destination
of Germany. The remaining $2,000 was to cover the
bail bond then outstanding for his appearance in
a local prosecution in New Jersey, involving a violation
of certain racial statutes, which were subsequently
declared unconstitutional.
Vonsiatsky
also made a trip to San Francisco, California, in
the summer of 1941, allegedly to contact a Madam
Takita, an alleged Japanese agent, who was to arrive
on the Tatuta Maru. The ship did not dock
at San Francisco during Vonsiatsky's stay at that
point, due to the tension then existing between the
United States and Japan. On his return from the West
Coast, Vonsiatsky stopped over in Chicago, Illinois,
where he attended a conference at the Bismarck Hotel,
at which Gerhard Wilhelm Kunze, Dr. Otto Willumeit,
a Ukrainian priest, and he were present. At this
conference Kunze's departure from the United States
was allegedly discussed and $50 in cash was reportedly
given to the priest for the purpose of securing a
fictitious passport for Kunze. The Ukrainian priest
alleged that the transmittal of vital military information
to Germany by Kunze was also discussed at the meeting.
The priest requested of Kunze the name of a contact
whom he might have in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
since he intended to proceed to that point, and Kunze
allegedly supplied the name of Reverend E. B. Molzahn.
Subsequent to the above conference, Kunze addressed
communications to the priest, bearing the return
address of Reverend Molzahn.
On
November 9, 1941, Kunze crossed the border from the
United States to Mexico at El Paso, Texas, having
previously contacted Dr. Wolfgang Ebell, who possessed
numerous German contacts in that area and accompanied
Kunze as far as Chihuahua, Mexico. He proceeded from
Chihuahua to Mexico City where he contacted the German
Embassy in an attempt to effect his travel to Germany,
and these negotiations were still being carried on
by Kunze when war was declared between the United
States and Germany. Subsequent to that time the German
Embassy advised Kunze that it could do nothing for
him as it was important not to incur the disfavor
of the Mexican government. Kunze was arrested by
Mexican authorities on June 30, 1942, almost in the
act of leaving the country for Germany in a small
boat he had purchased. Kunze, at the time he was
arrested, was using an assumed name and possessed
a birth certificate in this name which he had secured
from a Mexican official.
Dr.
Otto Willumeit, mentioned hereinbefore, was the former
Chicago Unit Leader of the German-American Bund.
His part in the conspiracy is based upon his attendance
at the conference held in the Bismarck Hotel and
his prior knowledge of the departure of Kunze from
the United States, along with an admission that he
was aware that Kunze had an intimate knowledge of
military establishments in the western section of
the country.
Dr.
Wolfgang Ebell's part in instant conspiracy involved
the allegation and subsequent evidence that Dr Ebell
acted as a go-between and contact man for Kunze and
individuals allegedly in Mexico, as well as acting
as a letter drop and medium of communication between
Kunze and Vonsiatsky, after Kunze's departure from
the United States.
Reverend
Molzahn's participation in this conspiracy was based
upon his relationship with Kunze and the fact that
his residence was used as a mail drop. His brother-in-law,
Dr. G. Gerhrensmann, Polizei Praesidium, Altoona,
Germany, was reportedly the Gestapo chief of that
city as well as the Province Schleswig-Holstein.
At
no time during the investigation or trial of the
above-mentioned persons did there appear any established
European contacts indicating the actual transmittal
of espionage material abroad. Vonsiatsky explained
after his arrest that it was his desire for Kunze,
upon his arrival in Germany, to represent him in
a favorable light so that when Germany established
its own puppet setup in Russia, Vonsiatsky would
have an opportunity of being a part of this structure.
The
long and checkered career of Count Anastase Andreievitch
Vonsiatsky, self-styled Fuehrer of American Fascists
residing at Thompson, Connecticut, came to an abrupt
halt on June 22, 1942, when after a plea of guilty
to the charges of espionage he was sentenced to serve
a term of five years in a federal penitentiary and
was assessed a fine of $5,000.
Vonsiatsky,
a White Russian variously known as "V-V" and "Count
Annie," for many years headed the Russian National
Revolutionary Labor and Workers Peasant Party of
Fascists, which organization he founded in 1933,
and carried on propaganda activities against the
present Russian government through a publication
known as "The Fascist" and other means.
As
a matter of background it might be noted that, generally
speaking, White Russia is the district north of the
Ukraine and, before the current war it bordered Poland.
The district has a small population and for years
it was a bone of contention between Poland and Russia.
In 1812, Napoleon crossed White Russia and recrossed
it on his march to and from Moscow. The district
was also close to the war zone in 1914 and shared
in the disasters of the 1916 Russian retreat.
Though
a White Russian, Anastase Andreievitch Vonsiatsky
was born in Warsaw, then Russia, on June 12, 1898,
the son of Andre Nicholas Vonsiatsky and Inna Anastase
Plyshevsky Vonsiatsky. Vonsiatsky's father was a
Colonel in the Russian Gendarmerie and was a nobleman
of the Province of Vitebsk, in White Russia. Vonsiatsky's
ancestors on his paternal side were very close to
the Czarists by reason of their military services
and consequently one of the great-great-grandparents
was granted a titled estate by one of the Czars.
The paternal name of Vonsiatsky's family was Vonsiatskey-Vonsiatsky
but for purpose of brevity, the name was shortened
to its present form. Colonel Andre Vonsiatsky was
assassinated on June 16, 1910, at the Gendarmerie
Headquarters at Radom, Russia, by one of his own
informants in the Polish Terrorist group. At the
time of his death, Vonsiatsky's father was preparing
to go to St. Petersburg to accept an appointment
as head of the Gendarmerie in Kiev, Russia. Vonsiatsky's
father was a graduate of an officers' course and
after receiving a commission, spent the remainder
of his life serving the Czarist regime.
Vonsiatsky's
mother died of a heart attack in Moscow in October,
1916. An older brother died in the same city of unknown
causes in 1922, while a sister reportedly died in
Russia as a suicide in 1916, because of disappointment
in a love affair. Another sister escaped from Russia
to Shanghai and arrived in the United States in 1922.
Still another sister reportedly remained in Russia
and her whereabouts has been unknown since 1936.
Anastase
Andreievitch Vonsiatsky followed in the footsteps
of his father and attended military preparatory schools
in Warsaw, St. Petersburg, and Moscow from 1908 and
1916, entering the Emperor Nicholas Academy in St.
Petersburg in the latter year. This Academy has been
reported to be comparable with West Point in the
United States. During the Second Revolution in November,
1917, Vonsiatsky and others left the military school
and went to Rostov where they joined in the battle
against the Reds. Vonsiatsky himself obtained the
rank of Lieutenant and fought with the White Russians
until March, 1920. During his period of service he
received a bullet wound in the left arm and back
and also another wound in the stomach. In addition,
he was at one time severely ill from typhoid fever
and suffered with frozen feet. Leaving the Crimea
in March, 1920, Vonsiatsky proceeded to Constantinople
where he received treatment in a British hospital.
He remained in Constantinople until April, 1920,
and then went to Paris and in May, arrived in London
where he remained for three months as the guest of
the wealthy Prince Yuossopoff. In September, 1920,
the young Vonsiatsky returned to Paris and during
the following month journeyed to Constantinople where
he came in contact with many White Russians.
It
might be noted that Vonsiatsky's revolutionary activities
have been the subject of numerous magazine and newspaper
stories. It has been stated that he undoubtedly participated
in numerous tortures and killings during the Russian
Civil War and it had been alleged that failure to
disclose his activities in this regard constituted
sufficient ground to cancel Vonsiatsky's American
citizenship which he received in 1927. Such action,
however, was never taken. Some newspaper articles
have been published in which Vonsiatsky allegedly
admitted the killings but stated "the murders
referred to were justified; a civil war was raging
and we were defending our country." During 1939,
one newspaper carried a story in which he allegedly
stated that he would commit the killings again if
he had the opportunity.
Upon
Vonsiatsky's arrival in Constantinople in October,
1920, as previously mentioned, he noted that the
White Russians were in complete rout and were fleeing
for their very lives from Russia. According to Vonsiatsky,
he thereupon decided to quit the White Russian fight
and thereafter went to Marseilles, France. Within
a short time he went to Paris, France, remaining
there until June, 1921, when he came to the United
States.
Many
stories have been told of Vonsiatsky's activities
in Paris and how he happened to meet a wealthy American
divorcee, twenty years his senior, in that city.
One story reflects that Vonsiatsky fainted one day
in Paris in the midst of a boulevard throng and was
discovered by his future wife when taken to a hospital.
According to various reports, Vonsiatsky married
a young Russian in 1920, at Yalta, Russia, before
coming to Paris. A new angle concerning his sentimental
career began in Paris when he allegedly was befriended
by a famous French actress. Vonsiatsky is said to
have had a handful of Russian rubles when he first
met her and to have asked the actress to buy them.
The actress is said to have given young Vonsiatsky
a hearty meal and to have obtained for him a job
as a scene shifter in a theater where he worked for
ten francs a day. Vonsiatsky supposedly furnished
the actress very little information about his past
and she provided him with funds to bring his family
to Paris, not knowing that he was actually married
to the young Russian girl. His wife came to Paris
with her parents and shortly thereafter the romance
of the young White Russian and the actress came to
an abrupt halt when she received the following letter
from him:
"Charming
Benefactress:
"My
trouble is that I am unable to express the feeling
of gratitude and respect for you which my heart
contains in your own language. You, not only
by your generosity and goodness, but by certain
personal qualifications, have attracted to you
quite a strange man. Your sisterly kindness has
touched the best sentiments of my heart.
"But
I am an utter stranger to you. You have never
known me before and you have only seen me in
this horrible miserable plight in which I have
been. How much do I feel humiliated in your eyes,
this, too, when you have received me in your
home and have warmed my heart with your caresses.
You are good; you are a saint. In you I realize
that there are still good people on this earth
and that charity and friendship still exist.
"You
will remain as the cherished souvenir of my life.
"I
kiss your hand. Your devoted,
"Anastase
Vonsiatsky."
According
to some to the numerous stories which have been told
about Vonsiatsky, his passage to the United States
in the summer of 1921 was provided by the rich American
woman who was later to become his wife. Vonsiatsky
himself, however, has claimed that he was able to
save enough money working in Paris to pay for his
trip to the United States. Immediately upon his arrival
in New York City on board the French liner SS Ile
de France, Vonsiatsky contacted a banker whom he
had previously met in Paris and this individual assisted
him in obtaining a position in a locomotive concern
where he was employed from 1921 to 1924. Vonsiatsky
has stated that he contemplated returning to Russia
to sell locomotives there. During the first six months
of his employment, he worked in the chemical laboratory
and later was employed in the foundry, cylinder shop
and the assembly sections, where he was working when
he terminated his employment. It has been reported
that Vonsiatsky usually went to work in a big limousine
and that his fellow employees referred to him as "Count
Annie."
On
February 3, 1922, Vonsiatsky was married in Pennsylvania
to the rich American woman he met in Paris. Shortly
after this marriage one Lioubou Gourevich appeared
in New York and filed a claim in the courts asserting
she had been married to Vonsiatsky in Russia. According
to some to the stories which have been told about
the White Russian, he admitted having married the
girl in Yalta, Russia, on January 31, 1920, but pointed
out he entered into the marriage merely to save her
from impending riots and possible death. She allegedly
was the seventeen-year-old daughter of a wealthy
Russian capitalist refugee who was a Jew but became
a Christian before the girl's birth. According to
one source, the girl's father reverted to his Jewish
faith during the Russian Revolution, thereby making
his daughter's marriage in the Russian Church illegal.
At any rate Vonsiatsky's claim that it was a fake
marriage was upheld and the girl was unsuccessful
in her efforts in the New York courts. Previous to
his marriage to the American heiress, Vonsiatsky
is said to have secured an annulment of his former
marriage. In denying the claim of the Russian girl,
the New York Judge was quoted as saying, "Letters
of plaintiff to defendant and to his present wife
apparently constitute a bar to the prosecution of
this action, and are wholly unexplained in the plaintiff's
moving papers." The girl allegedly stated in
one of her letters to Vonsiatsky, "I consider
you not as a husband, but merely as a friend."
Vonsiatsky
became a naturalized citizen on September 30, 1927,
in the Superior Court of Windham County, Putnam,
Connecticut. In March, 1930, he was appointed a First
Lieutenant in the Army Reserve and his commission
expired in 1935.
When
Count Vonsiatsky first came to the United States
he apparently had not thought of playing a political
role in Europe. He was of the opinion, however, that
Communism could not long survive in Russia and some
eight or nine years after his arrival he began to
have hopes of being able to participate in the political
life of Russia. He was a great admirer of General
Koutepoff, a White Russian General active in Paris
about 1928 in the fight against Communism, and donated
5,000 to 10,000 francs to assist him in his cause.
After Koutepoff's kidnapping, however, Vonsiatsky
furnished no further aid to independent groups operating
in France.
The
first political organization Vonsiatsky joined in
the United States was known as the Brotherhood of
Russian Truth which was founded by three men about
the year 1923. This party had as its goal the overthrow
of the Communist regime in Russia so that the Russian
people could set up a type of government of their
own choosing. Members of the party attempted to accomplish
its goal by preparing propaganda to be distributed
among the Russians. The propaganda was usually in
pamphlet form and was smuggled into Russia by workmen
who placed the pamphlets in boats sailing for Russian
ports. In some instances, too, the leaflets were
distributed in fish markets in countries bordering
on Russia, the thought being that the storekeepers
would use the leaflets to wrap dried fish so that
they would come into the possession of the purchasers
of the fish.
The
purposes and aims of the Brotherhood of Russian Truth
appealed to Vonsiatsky and about 1927 or 1928, he
entered the party and headed the American branch.
There were chapters of the organization in Yugoslavia,
Germany, France, and in fact, practically all over
the world. Count Vonsiatsky was active in the organization
until about 1932, when he realized that a movement
was on foot to have the party fall into the hands
of the Communists. After having a fight with one
of the leaders he broke off his relationship with
the organization in 1932. The Brotherhood of Russian
Truth did not evolve any particular plan of action
either inside or outside of Russia but merely urged
the Russian people to prepare for the day when they
would be able to overthrow the Communist regime.
After leaving the Brotherhood of Russian Truth in
1932, Vonsiatsky decided to form a political party
of his own to carry out his own ideas and aims in
attempting to overthrow the Soviet government and
establish a free government for the Russian people.
He and one Donat Kunle, a former officer of the White
Russian Army who had come to the United States about
the same time as Vonsiatsky, founded the Russian
National Revolutionary Labor and Workers Peasant
Party of Fascists, frequently referred to as the
All Russian National Revolutionary Party, for the
purpose of grouping together White Russians all over
the world who would be willing to go to any length
to assist the Russian people in overthrowing the
Communist regime and setting up a government of their
own choosing. Vonsiatsky's organization was organized
in May, 1933, and had its headquarters, called The
Center, at the Vonsiatsky palatial estate near Thompson,
Connecticut.
Vonsiatsky
himself took the title Vogd (Leader) and Kunle was
the secretary. The organization also had an executive
committee of fourteen or fifteen members and the
president, assistant president, and general secretary
constituted what was known as the Presidium. Kunle
was a flyer by occupation and before becoming associated
with Vonsiatsky was employed by a large aviation
concern. He was killed in an airplane crash in June,
1941, and his body was returned to Thompson, Connecticut,
where it was given burial by Vonsiatsky.
The
application for membership in the Vonsiatsky organization
was written in the Russian language and contained
in the upper left hand corner the slogan, "God,
Nation and Toil." The membership book was in
questionnaire form and the applicant signed the following
statement:
"I
hereby appeal for the inclusion of myself in the
number of its members. Upon entering the Party, I
obligate myself to fulfill all orders of its higher
organs and observe the necessary conspiracy."
The
membership blank contained space for the name, nationality,
citizenship, faith, date and place of birth, educational
qualifications, speciality, extent of family, foreign
languages known thoroughly, and the exact address
of the applicant. The application was decorated with
a reproduction of the emblem of the organization
which consisted of a red banner bearing a white swastika
on a blue field, the banner being on a staff topped
by the Russian double eagle.
In
a speech delivered July 4, 1937, to what was described
as the Annual Meeting of Executives of the New England
and New York Districts of the Russian National Revolutionary
Fascist Party, Vonsiatsky made the following statements
among others:
"All
over the globe is resounding our appeal to organize
and to fight the powers of Stalin. There does not
exist any little corner in the world our 'Fascist'
has not been read. It has fallen to my share to
be a leader of the Russian National Revolutionary
Movement. It has fallen to my share to tell the
people of Russia about our life and struggle; to
state in black and white the actual accomplishments
of our many years of anti-Communistic work . .
. "
"Our
Russian National Revolutionary Party is a school
of Fascist education. In our organization the Party
workers begin to learn the duty of active work
and struggle . The Party through its executive
office helps to show the Party workers the way
of this struggle . . ."
"I
appeal to all Russian patriots to help actively
in preparing for war the Russian National Revolutionary
Party. Enlarge, Comrades, your activities in propaganda
work; try to enlist in our ranks still more Party
workers."
As
a further illustration of Vonsiatsky's activities,
consideration might be given to the January, 1937,
issue of "The Fascist," which contained
a picture of a vast assemblage of German soldiers.
The title over the picture was "The Army of
the Holy Swastika." The following quotation
from Vonsiatsky appeared under the illustration:
"With
the existence of Germany and Adolph Hitler, as
a fortified base, and directing center for all
anti-Communist movements, the beginning of a war
by the U.S. S. R. with Germany can change with
lightening-like rapidity into the end of International
Communism and the victory of the Russian National
Revolution."
The
June-July, 1940, issue of "The Fascist" contained
the following statement by Vonsiatsky concerning
his Party:
"The
Russian National Revolutionary Party, of which
I am the leader, does not support either Germany's
or Japan's ambition for hegemony in Europe or the
Far East.
"The
Germans and the Japanese have never made clear
their attitude toward a replacement of the present
Stalinist rule by a Russian National Government.
"The
sole aim of our organization is to return Russia
to a free people with a government elected by the
people, of the people and for the people.
"Our
intention is to form in Russia a truly DEMOCRATIC
government.
"Our
Party is not anti-Semitic.
"Our
Party has no membership dues; it is financed solely
by voluntary contributions from its members and
sympathizers. It is not subsidized by any FOREIGN
POWER or foreign individuals.
"Our
organization is BANNED in Germany and Japan.
"Only
in the United States can we enjoy freedom of action
and thought within the laws of the country.
"I
HEREWITH STATE EMPHATICALLY THAT THE ACTIVITIES
OF OUR ORGANIZATION ARE AGAINST THE PRESENT SOVIET
GOVERNMENT ALONE AND THAT IN NO WAY WHATSOEVER
DOES IT ACT AGAINST THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED
STATES OR VIOLATE ITS LAWS WHICH WE LOYALLY SUPPORT.
ANASTASE
A. VONSIATSKY
Thompson,
Conn.
July 4, 1940"
At
the time Vonsiatsky founded his Party there was already
in existence a White Russian organization known as
the Russian Fascist Union with headquarters in Harbin,
Manchuria. Vonsiatsky took a world cruise in 1934,
and while in Manchuria he attempted to effect a consolidation
of his Party with the Harbin group of the Russian
Fascist Union. Although Vonsiatsky reportedly was
given a splendid reception by the numerous White
Russians of the other group upon his arrival in Harbin,
his attempts at consolidation were unsuccessful because
of the actions of the former head of the Russian
Cossacks. The latter individual had hopes of becoming
the head of any Russian government formed in the
event of the downfall of the Soviets and apparently
did not look with favor upon the movement headed
by Vonsiatsky. Apparently the former Cossack leader
contacted various Japanese officials and made arrangements
to have the Japanese warn the White Russians residing
in Manchuria to have nothing to do with Vonsiatsky's
group.
In
view of his failure to consolidate the groups, Vonsiatsky
decided that Shanghai, China, would be the next best
place to organize a branch of his organization. The
fact that a White Russian newspaper called "Russkie
Avangard" was printed by one Constantine Stekloff
in Shanghai was of material assistance to Vonsiatsky
in the formation of a branch of his Party. Stekloff
was very favorable toward Vonsiatsky's organization
and on numerous occasions published favorable articles.
Vonsiatsky therefore contacted Stekloff and agreed
to subsidize the latter's paper to the extent of
$600 per year if Stekloff would continue to print
articles favorable to Vonsiatsky's cause. Stekloff
agreed to this proposition, became a member of the
Party, and assisted in building a strong unit in
Shanghai. Vonsiatsky continued to subsidize Stekloff's
paper until 1941, at which time, due to the conditions
in the United States, Vonsiatsky decided to turn
over the leadership of the Party to him.
According
to Vonsiatsky, branches of his organization were
at one time located in Sofia, Bulgaria; Sao Paulo,
Brazil; Yugoslavia; Cairo, Egypt; and in several
American cities.
The
only requirement for membership in the Russian National
Revolutionary Labor and Workers Peasant Party of
Fascists was an interest exhibited on the part of
an individual to join the organization and to help
in promoting its purpose. The purpose of the Party,
which as previously stated, was to help the Russians
in overthrowing Communism and establishing a government
desired by the Russian people, was to be effected
by inciting the Russian people to overthrow their
government. Propaganda to be distributed among the
Russian people themselves constituted the chief means
of carrying out the purpose. Vonsiatsky's organization
was believed to contain approximately 1,400 members
at one time. There were no dues and no initiation
fees and the only money received by the group was
in the form of contributions and subscriptions to
the Party paper, "The Fascist." Most of
the copies of the paper were sold out of the United
States, approximately 500 copies of each issue being
sent to White Russians in foreign countries and about
150 to 250 being distributed in the United States.
The average distribution was approximately 750 copies
each issue, but on one particular occasion approximately
10,000 copies were printed.
Vonsiatsky
made trips around the world in 1934, 1936, and 1939.
The pattern of these world cruises was practically
the same in each instance. He embarked in San Francisco
and during the course of his journeys he visited
Honolulu, Kobe, Shanghai, Manila, Hong Kong, Singapore,
Penang, Bombay, Port Said, Suez, Alexandria, and
Naples and then went by train to Yugoslavia and Bulgaria,
and also to Berlin and Paris. In each instance he
returned to the United States through New York City.
In addition to the world cruises, Vonsiatsky made
a trip to Paris and Berlin with his wife. During
these various trips Vonsiatsky contacted members
of his Party in the various cities visited. He traveled
so as to strengthen his Party and the entire White
Russian movement in its work against the Communist
regime. He was the subject of much controversy and
suspicion on the part of foreign governments and
never hesitated to give interviews to newspaper reporters
concerning the purpose of his Party and the hopes
he had for final success. In Japan and Germany particularly
Vonsiatsky attempted to develop friends in the governments
of those countries so that they would look with favor
upon the activities of his Party members.
In
connection with Vonsiatsky's world cruises, it might
be noted that he ordered a specially constructed
club traveling bag of light tan cowhide and about
eighteen inches long, which had a secret compartment
in its bottom. The secret section could be opened
by pressing one or two brass buffers on the bottom
of the bag. Vonsiatsky allegedly stated when ordering
the bag that he contemplated considerable traveling
in foreign countries and desired to carry some personal
papers and wanted to obviate the necessity of what
he termed "unreasonable searches" when
he crossed international frontiers.
During
one of his early world cruises Vonsiatsky met one
Hirohita Nakamura and his wife and daughter. He became
very friendly with this Japanese and sought assistance
from him in the promotion of Party activities. Shortly
after meeting Nakamura, Vonsiatsky sent through him
a sword as a gift to General Araki, one of the highest
officials in the Japanese Army. Following is the
letter used in transmitting the sword:
"Your
Highness
I
ask you as a sincere friend of National Russia
not to refuse to accept from me a small present,
a sword of an era when with the united force of
Austria and Russia the Hungarian revolt of 1849
was crushed, a revolt which threatened the Austrian
empire.
My
present will be given to you by Mr. H. Nakamura
-- a great Nipponese patriot possessing a Russian
spirit.
/s/
Glory to Japan, Glory to Russia,
A.A. Vonsiatsky"
On
occasions Vonsiatsky was host to the Nakamuras at
football games in New England and also on short visits
to his estate at Thompson, Connecticut.
During
the FBI's investigation of Vonsiatsky's activities,
evidence was obtained that he had had some dealings
with William Dudley Pelley's organization. In fact,
upon one occasion Vonsiatsky sent several copies
of his publication, "The Fascist," to Pelley's
organization in Asheville, North Carolina. On one
occasion at least, Vonsiatsky ordered a hundred copies
of Pelley's publication. During 1936, a representative
of the Pelley Publishers wrote Vonsiatsky stating, "Your
work for the Cause we are mutually serving, publishing
your Russian Fascist, has just come to our attention.
From reports given us it seems you are fighting a
rather lone battle, and a little camaraderie is not
amiss." The letter further stated that Pelley's
organization had been in battle "militantly" for
over four years and was "determined to block
Judah in government and the Jewish bankers by the
coming national election."
Vonsiatsky's
relationship with Fritz Kuhn, former head of the
German-American Bund, illustrates his endeavors to
promote goodwill with the German authorities. On
July 16, 1939, Fritz Kuhn was arrested at Webster,
Massachusetts, on a charge of intoxication and using
profane language. At the same time several publications
reflected that Vonsiatsky was with Kuhn when the
latter was arrested. Vonsiatsky denied this, however,
and during 1940 brought suit against several newspapers,
charging that he had been libeled. The suits were
later dropped, however. At any rate, Kuhn stated
at the time of his arrest he had been visiting Vonsiatsky
at the latter's Thompson, Connecticut, estate. Several
days after his arrest, Kuhn pleaded guilty to the
charges of drunkenness and using profane language,
being fined $5 on the first charge while the second
was filed away. At the time of the hearing Kuhn was
accompanied by Vonsiatsky, who furnished the necessary
bail.
Vonsiatsky
has admitted being on the mailing list of the German-American
Bund at one time and receiving various circulars
and pieces of literature from this organization.
He was present and quite active at various Bund meetings,
including a rally at Madison Square Garden and a
celebration on the occasion of the opening of the
German-American Bund camp at Yaphank, Long Island.
While
evidently quite friendly with the German-American
Bund, Vonsiatsky stated that he utilized the Bund
so as to promote the activities of his own Party.
He stated that shortly after his visit to Berlin
in 1934, some of his Party members in Germany indicated
they were called to Gestapo headquarters and asked
whether they desired to finish their education in
school or in concentration camps. The Gestapo allegedly
advised the members of Vonsiatsky Party it would
not be wise to have any connection with any White
Russian group other than that which was fostered
by the German government. Vonsiatsky explained that
in view of this situation his Party members had to
discontinue their activities in Germany and he utilized
the German-American Bund to reestablish himself so
that his Party could remain active in Germany. Feeling
that eventually Germany would start fighting the
Soviets, Vonsiatsky decided to be friendly with the
Bund so that his Party members in Germany could say
to the German officials that the heads of their organization
and of the German-American Bund in the United States
were very friendly. Once when Vonsiatsky's picture
was taken with Fritz Kuhn, he published the photograph
in "The Fascist" and took great pains that
this particular issue was distributed to the Party
members in Germany.
Vonsiatsky
admitted upon interview after his arrest sending
Fritz Kuhn checks to assist in furnishing articles
to German war prisoners interned in Canada. Vonsiatsky
at first denied having furnished any money to the
German-American Bund.
During
the course of the FBI's investigation, information
was received indicating Vonsiatsky once had an audience
of thirty-seven minutes with Adolph Hitler in Berlin
and had dinner with field Marshal Goering. Vonsiatsky
had pictures of Hitler on the walls of the stone
building he used as an office and arsenal and reportedly
had the highest regard for both Hitler and Mussolini
and spoke of them with reverence. It might be noted
in this connection that Vonsiatsky has denied meeting
with Hitler and other high German officials.
During
1940, Vonsiatsky denied having any direct relations
with the German government and stated he tried to
avoid antagonizing that government. In this connection
he used a Russian saying which in effect was, "Do
not spit in the well as you may want to use it later." He
explained if the persons associated with him in the
fight against Communism should be in a position to
go into Russia in the future to fight, they would
have to pass through Germany. In view of this fact,
he considered it desirable that his relationship
with the German governments should be a friendly
one so that he and his followers could pass through
that country.
Prior
to the entry of the United States into the war during
December, 1941, Vonsiatsky allegedly made statements
indicating he was of the opinion Germany would win
in the conflict. On the day after the Japanese attack
at Pearl Harbor, he expressed the belief that the
losses of American ships were actually much worse
than indicated by the American government. On the
day before war was declared on Japan, Vonsiatsky
was heard to state, "Well, the United States
was looking to get into this war and now they're
in it."
In
articles written about Vonsiatsky, he has been quoted
as saying he did not believe Germany would attempt
to invade England but would concentrate instead on
sinking every ship to Great Britain. He attributed
England's remaining in the war to help from the United
States but stated that such assistance would not
be enough to enable England to win over Germany.
Vonsiatsky was quoted in August, 1941, as stating, "My
work is nearly done. My next issue of 'The Fascist,'
of which I am editor, will come out when Germany
has occupied Moscow. It will be the last issue which
will be published over here. The next issue will
be published in Moscow."
In
an interview with Vonsiatsky which appeared during
the summer of 1941, he predicted the fall of Moscow
within two weeks and stated he got rid of the leadership
of his Party because of his other plans. He remarked
that the new Russian government was taking place
with the knowledge and sanction of Hitler and stated, "we
Whites see in Hitler the realistic power about which
we dreamed for the past twenty years." Vonsiatsky
allegedly stated he was a conspirator and expected
to become the representative in the United States
of the Russian National Government in Moscow.
Vonsiatsky's
nephew was killed in England in October, 1941, while
flying with the Eagle Squadron of the RAF and was
buried on October 15, 1941, with full military honors
in England. Vonsiatsky allegedly expressed sorrow
at hearing of his nephew's death and stated he was
as sorry as he was to hear of the unnecessary deaths
of other American youths in the war. He added that
he regretted not having an opportunity to talk with
his nephew before the latter enlisted inasmuch as
he would have tried to influence the young man not
to go. Vonsiatsky was further quoted as follows:
"Fascisms
are different. The German, Italian, and Russian
Fascisms are different in many respects. The Russian
Fascist Party is just a united movement of Russians
against Communism, and Fascism is the only political
society on the earth at the present time that can
wipe out Communism. Force is the only thing that
can knock it down."
"Theoretically
a democracy is the ideal form of government but
when it comes to a fight, it is too weak in many
ways to combat Communism."
The
following telegram which has appeared in the press
was allegedly sent by Vonsiatsky to the Russian
Embassy in the United States in the fall of 1941.
"Accept
my heartfelt and profound congratulatory sentiments
of the recent glorified victory and triumphant
march of the heroic Soviet Red Army. It behooves
me to ask your kindness to convey these very sentiments
to Field Marshal Timoshenko, assuming of course
that he has benevolently spared of the grim destiny
of Tuhachevsky.
I
graciously hasten to make articulate my horror-filled
sympathy for the personal safety of my esteemed
and beloved pal, Joseph Stalin, and strenuously
urge your official position to make luxurious and
speedy his inevitably desperate departure to more
hospitable shores.
Provided
his passage is crowned with gratification, I will
personally exert every possible influence to secure
a position consistent with his abilities, namely
a nearby sewage disposal plant.
While
your Ambassadorial dignity may not reconcile itself
to the stench involved it is my sincere suggestion
that you partake of the atmosphere attached thereto.
In
the words of Shakespeare, I contribute the following
sapuence: 'welcome the coming and speed the parting
guest.'
Tis
written that lilac smells sweetly of sabotage in
this beautiful season in Moscow. Please believe
me in my sincerity along with a Boisterous Bronx
for the most vigorous Red Army.
Anastase
A. Vonsiatsky,
Leader of the Russian Fascists."
Rumors
circulating in 1940 indicated that Vonsiatsky was
conducting a military camp in which he specialized
in teaching youths Nazi principles and military science
and tactics. It was alleged he had an arsenal of
approximately ten thousand guns in the vicinity of
Thompson, Connecticut. No verification was ever obtained
concerning these rumors.
As
a matter of fact, Vonsiatsky actually maintained
some sixty rifles in a stone building on his premises
which was used as his social and business quarters.
These guns were of the old Russian type, and Vonsiatsky
has indicated he was keeping them to give his office
the atmosphere of the old Russian days. He also maintained
a submachine gun, gas guns, and gas grenades which
he allegedly purchased for self-defense since his
anti-Communistic attitude made him many enemies who
he though might try to harm him. It might be noted,
however, that at the time of his involvement in this
case Vonsiatsky had made most of his guns available
for police and civilian defense use.
After
moving to the Thompson, Connecticut, estate of his
wife in the early 1920s, Vonsiatsky engaged in no
gainful employment and realized only a small income
from stock holdings. It appears that his wife, who
inherited millions, supported him through the years
and made available funds with which he could finance
his Party activities. It has been reported that his
wife was inclined to "mother" Vonsiatsky,
and on one occasion she allegedly stated she would
rather have him engaged in his Party activities than
to be totally unemployed.
Vonsiatsky
is a rather impressive looking individual from a
physical standpoint, weighing approximately two hundred
pounds and being six feet one inch in height. He
is of dark complexion and wears his hair closely
cropped. Football is one of his favorite hobbies,
and it has been reported that he attended a large
eastern university for one year in order to participate
in this sport. In recent years he attended numerous
football games in the New England States and frequently
spent considerable time working on his estate doing
such odd jobs as cutting branches from trees and
burning leaves. It might be noted that Vonsiatsky
always kept one large German police dog on his grounds
at all times.
Some
of Vonsiatsky's reported activities in connection
with his Party were rather amusing, to say the least.
In 1937, it was rumored that he caught a dozen mud
turtles and pointed the Russian swastika on their
shells. He thereupon turned the turtles loose to
carry the emblem throughout the peaceful woods. On
another occasion, he reportedly sought to purchase
a number of rubber balloons which were to be sent
to Poland so that they could be used to float propaganda
into Russia. On one occasion Vonsiatsky received
a number of relics from Russia which he claimed belonged
to his family. Some connected with the White Russian
movement have doubted whether these were genuine
Russian relics and have expressed the belief that
Vonsiatsky was not a true Count and possibly falsely
adopted this title.
As
a further illustration of Vonsiatsky's tendency to
relive the days of the past, it might be noted that
he remodeled a room at his residence so that it would
resemble his room at the military school in Russia.
The uniform which he wore as a cadet was placed in
a glass showcase at one end of the room. The pictures
decorating this particular room, as well as those
throughout the rest of the building, were pictures
of Russia in the days of the Czars.
A
rather interesting sidelight on Vonsiatsky's activities
was his claim that he was trusted by no particular
group. He discounted any affiliations with the Nazis
and disclaimed any anti-Semitism despite his emblem
consisting of a red banner bearing a white swastika
on a blue field, the banner being on a staff topped
by the Russian double eagle. Vonsiatsky has pointed
out the Germans claimed his organization was financed
by Jewish interest, while the latter contended the
Party was supported in its activities and its policies
dictated by the Nazis. Vonsiatsky also contended
that the Japanese believed he was a spy for the American
Army.
Though
the files of the FBI contained no prior criminal
record for Vonsiatsky, it has been reported that
in 1923 he was arrested in Pennsylvania for parking
his automobile on a business street. After explaining
that he did not expect to be arrested and had no
money, Vonsiatsky was loaned the amount of his fine
by the police officer making the arrest.
On
May 8 and 9, 1942, Vonsiatsky's estate at Thompson,
Connecticut was searched by Special Agents of the
FBI under appropriate legal process and vast amounts
of material were obtained. Among the articles seized
were 17 file cabinets containing three drawers each
of Russian correspondence between Vonsiatsky and
various Russians from 1929 to date; a complete set
of "The Fascist;" hundreds of documents
relating to Vonsiatsky's Party; numerous Victrola
billies; 18 gas billy cartridges, 1 police billy,
2 gas guns, 57 rifles, two automatic pistols and
a quantity of ammunition; 1 large silk banner with
swastika emblem; 2 khaki military coats with swastika
emblems on the left arm sleeve; and 1 box of swastika
arm bands.
On
June 6, 1942, a complaint was filed at Hartford,
Connecticut, charging Vonsiatsky with conspiracy
to violate the Espionage Act. He was taken into custody
on the same date at Providence, Rhode Island, and
later removed to Connecticut. On June 10, 1942, the
Federal Grand Jury at Hartford, Connecticut, indicted
Vonsiatsky and the four other persons previously
named on charges of conspiracy to violate the Espionage
Act.
On
the date the indictment was returned, Vonsiatsky
entered a plea of not guilty. After unsuccessful
attempts had been made by his attorney to have him
examined by a psychiatrist so that he could be committed
to an institution, Vonsiatsky entered a plea of guilty
to charges named in the indictment on June 22, 1942.
After hearing the outline of the charges against
Vonsiatsky, the Federal Judge at Hartford, Connecticut,
sentenced him to serve five years in a federal penitentiary
and assessed a fine of $5,000.
The
placid serenity of the little town of Boca Del Rio,
bordering on the Gulf of Mexico, a short distance
south of Vera Cruz, Mexico, was disturbed during
the spring of 1942 by reports that German submarines
were plying in the Gulf and preying upon American
and Mexican shipping.
Early
in June, a clean-shaven, German-appearing individual
arrived at this fishing village and took a room in
a quiet little hotel giving his name as Alfonso Graf
Cabiedes. Upon questioning he stated that his mother
was German and his father was Mexican; that he suffered
from heart trouble and had gone to Boca Del Rio to
enjoy the restfulness of the seaside. His story was
accepted for a time but his actions soon merited
the suspicions of the natives.
This
man, Cabiedes, purchased a twenty-foot launch with
a six-cylinder gasoline engine and began laying in
supplies for a voyage out into the Gulf for the purpose,
as he stated, of fishing and resting his heart. Those
who had the opportunity to witness his preparations
wondered, however, whether he was planning an innocent
fishing trip. Certainly one man would not need 200
pounds of fish, meat, rice, flour, beans, fruits,
coffee, condensed milk, and chocolate. Could this
individual with a weak heart consume fifty packages
of cigarettes? How long a fishing trip would it be,
or could it be, that required 200 liters of gasoline
and 450 liters of drinking water?
With
invasion by the Axis powers becoming more and more
a threat to Mexico and the Americas, and Axis submarines
skirting their very doorstep, the people of Boca
Del Rio were taking no chances with questionable
strangers who might be numbered among the Fifth Column
agents of the enemy across the waters. Alfonso Graf
Cabiedes was apprehended by officers of the Ministry
Gobernacion of Mexico and questioned concerning his
identity and his intentions. Among his effects were
found a camera, a compass, rulers, maps of the Antilles
and colored drawings of maps of the Americas.
While
in custody, the astounding news was received that
this man was not an innocent convalescent, but was
the former National Leader of the German-American
Bund in the United States, who had illegally left
that country in an effort to escape to Germany and
was wanted as a fugitive by the Federal Bureau of
Investigation on the charge of conspiring with several
other individuals to furnish vital information to
the German and Japanese governments. His real name
was Gerhard Wilhelm Kunze. Upon interrogation by
the Mexican authorities he admitted that he had hoped
to reach Germany via the Azores in his recently acquired
launch. On the personal order of President Manuel
Avila Camacho, of Mexico, Kunze was flown to Mexico
City and there after the necessary arrangements had
been completed he was taken by airplane across the
border to Brownsville, Texas, where he was received
by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Kunze
thereupon was taken to New York, arriving there on
July 5, 1942, where he was arraigned on charges of
violating the Selective Service Act and his bail
fixed at $50,000.00. He was later flown to Hartford,
Connecticut, to face charges that he had conspired
to violate the 1917 Espionage Act.
In
order to fully appreciate the case of Gerhard Wilhelm
Kunze it will be well to review his early life, his
activities in connection with the German-American
Bund and finally his connection with those who were
indicted with him on espionage charges. Kunze was
born on January 10, 1906, at Camden, New Jersey,
and was educated in the public schools of Camden
and Philadelphia. On June 2, 1930, he married at
Oberlungwitz, Saxony, Germany, and returned with
his wife to this country two months thereafter. He
has several relatives in the United States and Germany
but the majority of his wife's relatives still reside
in the province of Saxony, Germany. During his early
days he made several trips to Germany, the last of
which was in June of 1938. On January 31, 1941, he
sent his wife and his six-year old son to Saxony
and they now reside with his wife's parents.
Kunze
was a restless character and was variously employed
in the United States, Trinidad, and Mexico. He has
worked as a salesman, truck driver, butler, and chauffeur,
and as a steward on ocean-going vessels. Like his
beloved paper-hanging Fuehrer most of his jobs before
devoting himself to the cause of National Socialism
were menial ones. In September of 1933 he became
interested in the organization known as the Friends
of New Germany, the predecessor of the German-American
Bund. From that time on he was continuously affiliated
with this organization and later with the Bund.
In
August, 1937, he was appointed by Fritz Kuhn, then
National Leader of the Fund, as National Public Relations
Officer and from October, 1937, on he was employed
on a full-time basis at the national headquarters
of the Bund in New York City. In September of 1939,
Kuhn designated Kunze Deputy National Leader and
from December of that year until September, 1940,
he was acting National Leader in view of Kuhn's conviction
and imprisonment for embezzlement. At the National
Convention of the Bund in 1940, he was elected National
Leader and remained in that capacity until November
9, 1941, when he resigned.
While
with Bund he received $45 a week as well as a drawing
account of $300 a month. In his capacity as National
Bund Leader he issued all commands. Each unit leader
of the organization was required to discuss with
or transmit each Bund command to the members of the
unit so that they would be fully acquainted with
all regulations in accordance with the "Leadership
Principle." Kunze was a domineering type of
individual and like the Chancellor of the German
Reich gloried in the military meetings of the Bund,
the color of his uniformed organization and its other
symbolisms.
A
true picture of Kunze could not be obtained without
following in some detail his activities while in
the Bund. The Federal Bureau of Investigation from
the founding of the Friends of New Germany made a
comprehensive survey and investigation of that organization
and its successor, the Bund. As one of the key figures
in the Bund, the FBI was particularly interested
in the activities of Gerhard Wilhelm Kunze.
Kunze's
legal residence for the past several years has been
at 6501 North Smedly, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
the home of his father. He gave 211 East 87th Street,
New York City, as his address when registering under
the Selective Service Act. During the year of 1936,
he was active as President of the Philadelphia branch
of the Bund. In 1937, Kunze continued his work in
Philadelphia and on July 18th of that year assisted
in the dedication of Camp Nordland, Andover, New
Jersey, the twenty-first German-American Bund Camp
established in this country.
This
year was highlighted also by his participation as
one of the presiding officers at the Fifth Reich
Congress of Foreign Germans held at Stuttgart, Germany,
from August 28 to September 5, 1937. Dressed in the
uniform of the Bund, he made one of the principal
speeches of the assembly, praising the aims and achievements
of the Third Reich and condemning the Jews and their
influence in the United States. He later admitted
that one of the purposes of this meeting was to bring
together active and former members of the Bund. Upon
his return from Stuttgart he was photographed by
newspaper reporters being welcomed by Fritz Kuhn.
At a meeting of the Bund in New York City on November
16, 1937, he was introduced to the assembled crowd
as the National Propaganda Leader who had just returned
from Germany.
The
year of 1938 was a busy year for Kunze and he spoke
at many meetings in New York, Chicago, Syracuse,
New Haven, and Pittsburgh. The meeting in Syracuse
on February 11, was interesting for it was protested
by one hundred members of the American Legion who,
as proven patriots of America, questioned his right
to conduct a demonstration praising the aims and
purposes of the Nazi government. Kunze is reported
as parrying their inquisition with the curt answer, "It's
nobody's business."
The
Deutscher Weckruf Beobachter was the official publicity
organ of the German-American Bund, but Kunze frequently
published messages to his cohorts in this paper.
The September 29, 1938, issue carried a greeting
from him which concluded with the words, "Hold
firm! Make propaganda your cause! Get new friends
and comrades! Don't let anyone ever rob you of your
German language and the pride in your German racialism!"
During
the year of 1939, when events in Europe were coming
to a head and resentment in America was growing steadily
against the aggressions of the Axis forces, Kunze
redoubled his efforts on the part of the German-American
Bund and gave speeches in many cities including Milwaukee,
New York, Newark, and Chicago. In several instances
he was particularly vindictive concerning the President
and his policies. In a twenty-four page German booklet
published in March of that year entitled "Zehn
Jahra Deutshe Jugend in U.S.A." (Ten Years German
Youth in U.S.A.) he is quoted as saying,
"We
have always known that our folkdom in America still
has the right courage of life and only had to be
shaken awake by the spirit of Adolf Hitler in order
to be able to resist with German thoroughness and
striking strength the undermining forces of the enemies
of all free people!"
Kunze
on April 20, 1939, spoke at a Hitler birthday celebration
at Eblings Casino, New York, to a multitude of over
one thousand persons. At the conclusion of the ceremonies
a telegram of congratulations was approved and sent
to Hitler.
The
year 1940 witnessed a retrenchment program on the
part of the German-American Bund. Fritz Kuhn had
been forced to retire as National Leader following
his conviction for embezzlement and there was a growing
antipathy against the Bund upon the part of the American
people. In the company of George Froboese, Kunze
traveled about the country visiting various sectional
and divisional heads and holding conferences concerning
the Bund's critical condition. The FBI through its
various field offices continuously followed their
activities and noted their contacts. On June 9, 1940,
he addressed a Bund gathering in Milwaukee and stated
the Germans were being persecuted and discriminated
against. He criticized the British crown stating "we
must fight the British Fifth Column in the U.S."
On
July 8, 1940, he voluntarily appeared before the
Senate judiciary subcommittee and protested against
the proposed legislation requiring registration of
foreign-controlled organizations stating it would
force the Bund to disband. The Deutscheer Weckruf
und Beobachter carried a special feature article
over his signature in the July 25, 1940, issue entitled "German
Americans! Wake up and fight the Democratic reign
of Terror." The article is a long recital of
the alleged persecutions of Bund leaders and in asking
support from his cohorts Kunze stated in part:
"We
do not call upon you to stand out openly in this
battle, the while your employers or their masters
are your enemies and can always force you to crawl
and beg for mercy by threatening to starve your families
. . . "
He
further stated that America is not an English democracy
and that thirty million German-Americans will not
be enslaved nor deprived of their birthright and
that the freeman's cry "no taxation without
representation" is as much alive today as it
was during the Revolution.
In
testimony of their confidence in Kunze the German-American
Bund elected him National Leader on September 5,
1940. At this time he took occasion to comment upon
the fifty old destroyers furnished by the United
States to Great Britain. The year 1941 found Kunze
still in the front ranks on behalf of the Bund although
the organization was reported to have gone under
cover in view of public sentiment against it. He,
August Klapprott, and George Frobose were active
in traveling about the country and holding secret
meetings. Their activities were carefully watched
and followed by the Special Agents of the FBI.
In
a speech in Chicago in the spring of that year, he
criticized what he termed the lack of freedom of
speech in America and stated to his followers:
"We
fight for our heritage. Within this country are 13,000,000
German-Americans out of 100,000,000 white men. We
have more than enough to fight for our rights. It
is always the job of the minority, and this time
of stress is the best time to free ourselves."
In
1940, the activities of the German-American Bund
and Kunze were brought forcefully to the attention
of the American people when Kunze and August Klapprott,
Wilbur V. Keegan, and several others were indicted
by the Sussex County Grand Jury at Newton, New Jersey,
charged with violating a New Jersey statute forbidding
the inciting of racial hatred. Kunze was convicted
on January 30, 1941, and sentenced to serve twelve
to fourteen months in state prison. On appeal, however,
the conviction was reversed by the New Jersey Supreme
Court on December 5, 1941, on the grounds that they
statute was unconstitutional. Kunze had been arrested
while attending a Bund meeting at Camp Nordland,
Andover, New Jersey.
Prior
to his departure from the United States, Kunze together
with Dr. Willumeit made an extensive trip throughout
the Middle West and along the West Coast at which
time Kunze obtained detailed information regarding
the typography of the country, the situation of military
establishments, the disposition of troops and naval
units, and the possible weaknesses in our national
defense preparations. Upon his arrival in El Paso,
final plans were made between Kunze and Dr. Ebell
for Kunze to leave the United States. On November
8, 1941, Kunze and Ebell secretly drove from the
United States into Mexico. Kunze later corresponded
with Ebell and gave him instructions to be furnished
to the other members of the conspiracy together with
letters which were to be released in the United States.
It
was ascertained that Kunze directed a letter from
Mexico to Vonsiatsky dated December 8, 1941, containing
the following passage:
"If
the Japanese war had waited a few weeks more, I'd
have been in Japan; as it is, I shall have gone
on in another direction by the time this letter
reaches you.
The
Atlantic crossing by air, which I originally had
in mind, would cost $2,600.00 more than I have
now and would require months of waiting. Another
method of travel, the only other one left open,
will require about $1,000.00 more than I have.
There can be no going back for me any more, and
the farther away I go, the more difficult it will
become to send me money.
Please
send what you can to:
Dr.
Wolfgang Ebell
111 N. Mesa
El Paso, Texas."
In
connection with the espionage charges pending against
him at Hartford, Connecticut, Kunze entered a plea
of guilty and on August 21, 1942, was sentenced to
serve a term of fifteen years in a federal prison.
Dr.
Otto Willumeit was born in Sarrebourg, Lorraine,
France, November 25, 1905. He entered the United
States in 1925 and became a naturalized American
citizen at Hammond, Indiana, on September 16, 1931.
He returned to Germany in 1933 and received the degree
of Doctor of Medicine in 1936 at the University of
Bonn in Berlin. Upon returning to the United States
in 1936, he obtained a position with a firm in Chicago,
Illinois, which position he held until 1938.
Dr.
Willumeit joined the German-American Bund in 1937
and became head of the Chicago unit of the organization
in 1938, holding this position until December 1941.
He was also one of the National officers of the Bund
as well as president of the Teutonia Publishing Company
which published the official Bund newspaper in the
Chicago area. In addition, he was president of the
Haus Vaterland, an organization which owned and operated
real estate in Chicago including a meeting hall used
by the Bund and a restaurant frequented by German
sympathizers.
While
at a Bund camp in Michigan during 1941, Dr. Willumeit
ordered a young man who was active in the camp to
jump into the lake and swim with all his clothes
on. The youth obeyed the order promptly and without
question. When he came from the water he stated, "We
are accustomed to swimming such distances; in Germany
we swim with forty pound packs on our back." Willumeit
allegedly ordered the young man to jump into the
lake to demonstrate the discipline in the Bund camp
under his leadership.
An
individual who attended a celebration at the Haus
Vaterland for Hitler's birthday upon one occasion
reported Dr. Willumeit gave a speech to the assembled
group in which he called Hitler a "miracle man." Willumeit
was also quoted as stating that Hitler must be considered
the greatest man to walk the face of the earth since
Christ.
Dr.
Otto Willumeit entered a plea of guilty in connection
with the espionage charges at Hartford, Connecticut,
and on August 21, 1942, received a sentence of five
years in a federal prison.
Dr.
Wolfgang Ebell was born in Zabern, Alsace, France,
on July 28, 1899. He lived in Germany until January
31, 1927, and received his M.D. Degree in 1924 at
the University of Freiburg. He went to Vera Cruz,
Mexico, in January, 1927, and entered the United
States at El Paso, Texas, in October 1930, where
he was admitted to practice medicine. He became a
naturalized American citizen in El Paso during 1939.
Dr.
Ebell became affiliated with the German-American
Bund as its principal representative in El Paso in
1937. He was intimately acquainted with Kunze, and
the latter visited him on various trips throughout
the United States whenever he was in the El Paso
area.
The
FBI had received numerous complaints concerning Dr.
Ebell before his involvement in the espionage conspiracy.
One individual reported having seen in Ebell's possession
a picture of his father in the uniform of a Nazi
Storm Trooper giving the Nazi salute. At a meeting
of a club during 1941, the club members drafted a
resolution endorsing the stand of the Secretary of
State who at the time was in Havana, Cuba. Ebell,
who was a member of the club, attempted to block
the resolution by insisting that the club should
not engage in politics. The club members replied
that it was not a question of politics, but a matter
involving national unity. Ebell soon dropped out
of the club altogether.
Dr.
Ebell entered a plea of guilty to the espionage charges
at Hartford, Connecticut, and on August 21, 1942,
received a sentence of seven years in a federal prison.
Previously, on December 30, 1941, a complaint had
been filed at El Paso, Texas, praying for the cancellation
of Ebell's certificate of naturalization. This certificate
was canceled on April 2, 1942, on the grounds of
fraud.
Reverend
Kurt E. B. Molzahn, the fifth person involved in
the conspiracy was born on June 28, 1895, in Belgrad,
Pomerania, Germany. He served in the First World
War as a Captain in the German Army and came to the
United States in February, 1924. In 1913 he entered
the American Seminary in Brecklum, Germany, but his
education was interrupted when he was drafted for
the army in 1914. He returned to the Seminary in
1919 and finished his course before coming to the
United States. After his arrival in this country
he taught at a college in Pennsylvania for a time
and was a pastor at Johnstown before he accepted
a church in Philadelphia in 1929.
Reverend
Molzhan returned to Germany for visits in 1927, 1934,
and 1937. He was very friendly with various officials
of the German Government and had close connections
with the German Embassy staff at Washington, D.C.
He attended and spoke at several meetings of the
German-American Bund in Philadelphia upon the invitation
of Kunze. Reverend Molzahn secured his final naturalization
papers in November 1940.
Reverend
Molzahn was the only one of the five individuals
involved in the conspiracy who did not plead guilty.
He was taken into custody on June 11, 1942, and was
convicted by the jury in Hartford, Connecticut, on
August 21, 1942. Four days later he was sentenced
to serve ten years, but on June 1, 1945, his term
was commuted to the period already served and he
was released. Reverend Molzahn was reported at that
time to be suffering from a heart condition.
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