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Show AUSTRIAN CONSUL MAKES CHARGES Consul General Von Nuber and Count Von Bernstorff Said to Be Conducting Treacherous Propoganda. U. S. TO INVESTIGATE Austrian Embassy Denounces Dr. Goricar's Published Statement as Untrue in Every Particular. Washington, Nov. 12. Published charges, attributed to Dr. Joseph Gori-car, Gori-car, former Austro-Hungarlan consul at San Francisco, that Austrian consuls con-suls in tho United States, working under the direction of Consul General von Nuber and Count von Bernstorff, the German ambassador, are active In propaganda for destruction of munitions mu-nitions factories and fomenting strikes among the workers, will be referred by tho state department to tho department de-partment of justice for investigation. The Austrian einbasy here denounced denounc-ed Goricar's published statement as untrue in every particular, and announced an-nounced it would trj' to -find some way to prosecute him for It Gorlcar. the embassy said, left his post on leave and failed to return. Lansing Has Information. Secretary Lansing today declined to comment on the charges. The department depart-ment of justice has a good deal of information in-formation on hand regarding the activities ac-tivities of Consul General von Nuber, which it gathered while Investigating his connection with tho case of Dr. Dumba, the recalled Austrian ambassador, ambas-sador, but so far has nothing definite on the charges attributed to Dr. Gorlcar. Gorl-car. In substance Goricar is accredited accredit-ed with making the statement that he resigned hl8 post after fifteen years In the Austrian consular service because be-cause he declined to perform the work of a spy. He charges that while consul con-sul at San Francisco Commander Maximilian Max-imilian Burstyn, tho Austrian naval attache at-tache at Washington, ordered him to gather plans of the fortifications of San Francisco harbor and along the Pacific coast nnd to get, especially, details of the works at Bremerton navy yard. When he ro fused, Goricar is accredited with saying, he was transferred to Berlin, where, after five months ho was ordered to proceed to Vienna which ho feared to do, because be-cause -of his pro-SIavic affiliations, so he fled to Rome where he resigned last December. German Ambassador Promoting Propaganda. Goricar's story contends that tho German ambassador working with von Nuber, is in touch with the Austrian Aus-trian consuls at Cleveland, St. Louis, Pittsburg; St. Paul, Chicago and Phila-delphia Phila-delphia who spread propaganda among the foreign workers in the munition factories and such activity, Goricar alleges, extends even to controlling con-trolling the foreigners through fraternal fra-ternal and secret organizations. The alleged extent of the activities of the Austrian consuls and the so-called spy system aro described at length in Goricar's published statement Goricar's Gori-car's record shows he first came to this country in 1909 and was consul at Pittsburg, Denver, and finally San Francisco, where ho served three years. Austrian Embassy Statement The Austro-Hungarian embassy issued is-sued the following statement: "Ex-Consul Dr. Goricar, formerly at San Francisco, has been on leave of absence since tho time of the outbreak out-break of tho war and has been temporarily temp-orarily attached for a time to the Austro-Hungarian consulate general in Berlin. Germany. There, very soon afterward, ho obtained knowledge that the Austro-Hungarian authorities had received Information about his secret connections with the enemies of Austria-Hungary, and evidently fearing fear-ing detection he suddenly left his post without permission and disappeared. disap-peared. Later on it was learned that he had gone to Italy and was staying in Rome, from where he tendered his resignation, thereby preventing his dismissal. dis-missal. "While he was in Rome it was ascertained as-certained that he was in close relation rela-tion with tho Russian and Serbian agents, obviously with the purpose of going to tho United States to use his knowledge of the centers of Slavic immigration coming from the mon archy in the service of the Pan-Slavic proaganda, and with the Inteution of disseminating disloyalty among our emigrants against their country of birth. Serbian Slavs Enlisted. "The Vustro-Hungarian embassy has beoiP-informed that quite a number num-ber of Serbian Slavs from the monarchy mon-archy have been enlisted by the agents of the allies, and have left this country coun-try to fight against the Austro-Hungarian army. It Is very probable that Dr. Goricar's suverslve acts contribute to the regrettable acts of treason, which certainly without changing the outcome of the war would be of the gravost outcome for those who may be made prisoners of war. "The Austro-Hungarian embassy was Informed several months ago of Dr. Goricar's agitatory propaganda, carried on In this country, but it has refrained until now from taking counter count-er measures, being aware of ths dis grace brought about by the fact that a former consular officer has broken In such the faith and allegiance to his fatherland. "In view, however, of his state ments to the press which contain the strongest accusations against the representatives rep-resentatives of Austria-Hungary, the embassy must emphatically declare the accusations as false and absolutely absolute-ly baseless. Otherwise silence would be taken as acknowledgment and would create the belief that our consulates con-sulates actually aro engaged in activities ac-tivities in violation of the laws of this country " |