War by Revolution. Germany and Great Britain in the Middle East in the Era of World War I

126 WARBYREVOLUTION

PapenandBernstorfffailedtolearnfromeitherfiasco;Papenhad
beenespeciallyremissinnotanticipatingthealertnessofBritishin-
telligenceanditscooperationwiththeAmericans.Consequently,the
Germansorganizedstillmorearmspurchases,whichproducedthe
sameresults.InJuneBritishintelligencefoiledanattempttoship
7,300Springfieldrifles and1,920pistolsontheHolland-America
steamshipDjembertotheEastIndies.GermancontactsintheEast
IndieswithemissariesofaBengalirevolutionaryinCalcutta,jatin
Mukherjee,producedasimilarplanwherebythearmsimpoundedin
Seattlewouldgo toBengal.On 28 June,however,theBritishconsul
generalinBataviareceivedananonymousletteraboutthecargo;the
BritishandIndianpolicenotonlydestroyedtherevolutionaryor-
ganizationinCalcuttabutkilledMukherjee.'?StillanotherGerman
plan,basedonfreeingprisonersfromtheGovernmentofIndia'spe-
nalsettlementontheAndamanislandsandusingthemtoattackthe
Indiancoast,collapsedwhenaGermanagent,VincentKraft,sold
detailsoftheoperationtotheBritish.KraftalsoprovidedtheBritish
withextensiveinformationontheIndiancommitteeinBerlinand
itsactivitiesinWashington,D.C.,Siam,theDutchEastIndies,and
Persia,"Laterinthewar hereappearedinMexico,pretendingtowork
forGermanybutinfactspyingforBritain.
BritainnotonlydiscoveredandstoppedmostoftheGermanac-
tivitiesaimedatIndia,butLondonusedthemtourgetheUnited
StatesgovernmenttoprosecuteIndianrevolutionariesandGerman
agentsinAmerica.Bytheendof1915Britainhadaccumulateda for-
midabledocumentarycase forAmericanactionagainsttheIndians
andGermans.InDecemberBritainprovidedtheUnitedStateswith
atranscriptofatrialinLahoreoflocalIndians.Thedefendants,who
hadconspiredtooverthrowBritishrule,hadreceivedmuchoftheir
inspirationfromGhadrandotherrevolutionarysourcesintheUnited
States.Nonetheless,andalthoughWashingtonexpelledPapenfrom
theUnitedStatesinDecember,Americaremainedgenerallyunre-
sponsivetoBritaininthematter.'?
OnlyoneotherGermanandIndianintrigueinBerlinmovedbe-
yondtheplanningstage."Duringthespringandsummerof1915the
BerlinIndiancommitteesentseveralofitsmembersonmissionsto