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Show EXPLOSIVES ON GERMMAIDERS Prominent Germans Arrested in Philadelphia Are at Liberty Under Bail. PHILADELPHIA, March 12 In the absence of official instructions from Washington, search of the interned German commerce raiders Kronprins Wilhelm and Prinz Eilel Friedrich at the Philadelphia navy yard for explosives explo-sives reported to have been smuggled ot the vessels from outside sources, was deferred today. Additional arrests ar-rests ii the alleged plot which may approach a status international in aspect, as-pect, are contemplated, federal agents admitted tonight. Five persons already al-ready have been taken info custody According to naval officers search of the raiders cannot be made without with-out international complications arising therefrom unless the government ac tually seizes the ships, "and that in Itself would be a declaration of war Frank (larbarino special agent of the department of justice. In charge of the investigation, intimated that he dr.i not hold thi? view The status of the government's case against those arrested Saturday are held for trial in the federal courts on the charge of smuggling certain goods, including valuable chronometers from the interned ships in violation of the customs laws, remains unchanged, so far as facts with the authorities here officially have been permitted to become be-come public. Henri Rohner, one of the three principals prin-cipals in the alleged customs frauds asserted his innocence today. He asserted as-serted that two of his chauffeurs under un-der arrest as witnesses, had hauled certain articles to and from the ships for Mrs. Ileh na Fischer, wife of Adel bert K Fischer, president of a firm of machinists Mr. and Mrs. Fischer, who are vaid to be related to the emperor of Germany, are the other principals named by the government in the smuggling plot. With Rohner they are .it liberty under $5,000 bail for trial at the June term of court. Rohner declared he had the assur ance of Mrs. Fischer that the boxes contained nothing detrimental to the; government He said the only articles taken to the raiders at the instance of Mrs. Fischer were some delicasies which she sent to friends of herself and husband and grocery supplies ordered or-dered from bis firm by offieprs of the interned ships for the crews compri? ing 850 men. Rohner is a wholesale grocer. nn |