The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-01-10
BORKKUM INCIDENT
 WILL CAUSE INQUIRY

London, Jan 10.-When Parlia- ment reassembles some very search ing questions will be asked from the floor of the House of Commons con. corning the "Borkum espionage inci- dent"
 Whether very much will be found out is doubtful. It is certain that all the chance1lories in Europe have been working desperately for a month to prevent the story from leaking out case. it is a foregone conclusion that there will be some lively ministerial lodging when the matter comes up in Parliament. At any rate, the af- fair is no ordinary kind of a mystery and many people suspect strongly man war was very narrowly averted.
 It will be remem bered that when Capt. Bernard F. Trench and Lieut. Vivian R. Brandon of the British Royal Marine Light Infantry were caught spying upon the Notifications of Borkum they admitted that they were after information which they ex- pected to turn over to the English admiralty Tried at Leipzig, they statement that the information was to have been placed in the hands of certain high British parsonage re- ferrcd to by Capt. French simply as Reggie"
 With such a story before them it German and English newspapers would have tried to learn more. They did, but everywhere they ran up against a blank wall. and those which threatened to publish what they merely suspected received curt inti- if they printed anything more than the usual official matter and ordinary mild comment.
 This was effective enough in Ger many where there is a censorship. Tn England it wasn't quite so easy but Official Secrets Act is a pretty for- mioable weapon and editors have wholesome respect for 1t. However, it's use is never threatened except in cases of the gravest necessity. Evl- .dently. then, the Borkum incident was considered very grave indeed.
 The most natural conclusion is that Captain Trench and Lieut.. Brandon were not spying on their own account with vague hope of reward or of serving their country. but that there was definite evidence to show that ders from the admiralty and that 90 exalted an individual could have been shown to have beeen implicated in the affair as to have created an inter- national commotion. Why Germany should have aided the English in hushing the matter up is not so clear. though pressure from mutually friendly powers might have been re- sponsihle for it.
 It may be only coincidence that Secretary of the Navy McKenna bears the name of Reginald, or Reggie"
 If King George creates the 5no- odd peers necessary to transform the House of Lords from Conservative into Liberal assembly they will be known r,S as the 'straphangers" cd the title and it made hit in- stantly. It's so appropriate. And to accept a "straphangership' will be one of the severest tests of party loy- alty that any politician was ever call- ed upon. to undergo. For the fact wear off and the handle it will fur nish the .'straphangers" political op- ponentS threatens to be sufficient to wreck many a promising public ca reer.
 The Express has suggested, as titles are sure to run short before a batch of 500 new noblemen has been creat- ed. that the ''straphangers'' be known by numbers, and this hasn't improv- ed matters any. In short, the Lib- trouble in finding candidates for the new titles-assuming that the King consents to confer them.
 Threats of what sounds very much like physical violence are beginning to be made in connection with the battle for for and against the preser- wation of the lecislative powers of the House of Lords.
 Lord Posebery-once a Liberal not now a decided Conservative-start ed thorn before the recent election, with the plain statement, in, a campaign address relative to the Lords veto. that continued assaults such as the masses were making upon the heredi- tary lawmakers would soon leave the