The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-06-29
Austrian Government to Watch Home
Life Of Military Men as the
Best Way to Keep
Track.
THE CASE OF SPY REDL
He Was in the Employ Of Russia All
the Time While Posing as
Colonel for His
Country.
by Karl H. Won Wiegand. Berlin cor
RESPONDENT of tho United Press.

respondent Of the United Press.]
BERLIN, June 2S-The Austrian
government has decided to adopt the
tactics and surveillance system of
the big American hanks for the gen.
eral staff of the Austrian Hungarian
army. The banks have found the
best protection against loss by watch
ing the private life Of their trusted
employees for evidence OF living be-
yond their incomes-an indication
that they might be dipping into funds
not their own. Austria proposes to
apply the same principles to the men
who have in their keeping the most
vital military secrets and plans of
the dual monarchy. It is hoped that
this will discourage treason and sell
ing out" to other powers. 1t is a case
of locking the stable after the horse
has been stolen
Death sometimes is great light.
The self-inflicted death of Colonel
Redl, Of the Austrian general staff
and chief of staff OF the Prague Army
corps, has revealed story of treason
and spying such as the imagination
of no fiction writer has ever conceiv-
ed. 1t has shown that kings and EN-.
perors and czars may meet, embrace
and kiss one another on both cheeks
in token of friendship, but all the
while their army chiefs are plotting
to get the secrets of the other, spy
ing. bribing and buying the honor
and treason of trusted men,
Colonel Redl was since 1900 in
charge of the "counter-spying" divi-
sion OF the Intelligence" depart
ment of the Austrian-Hungarian gem
eral staff. His work was to uncover
the nets of spys woven by foreign
governments who sought to obtain
Austria's military secrets and plans.
Redl was one of the most trusted
men in the army. He had even been
received by Emperor Franz Joseph
upon several occasions, who desired
to confer with him upon vital military
matters. He was sent to Berlin three
months ago when Austria and Rus
sia were on the verge Of war; to con-
fer with Count Won Moltke, chief of
German general staff. He was re-
garded as the greatest specialist in
Austria in uncovering foreign secret
agents.
All this time he was in the en-
ploy of the Russian government He
betrayed Austria-his own country.
He betrayed its ally-Germany. He
sold to Russia the mobilization plans
and all information regarding Aus
trials campaign If It came to war.
Had Austria been defeated, it might
have been brought about through
Redls treason. Russia knew every
move Austria was making or intend.
ed to make. 1t knew everything that
Redl cleaned from Count Won Moltke,
was it little or much.
Redl was called in by the govern
ment to testify as an expert" in
nearly all spy trials. Just how
many men were sent to prison as
spys upon his word and branded as
TRAITORS" has not yet been made
known.
Redl appears to have been mill.
tary Anew" He knew, of course,
many of Russia's secret agents in
Austria. He denounced these to his
government. Through the Austrian
Spy Bureau of which he. was one
Of the most trusted officers. he nat
urally knew Austrias spies and
agents in Russia. These he betrayed
to the Russian government from time
to time to make himself more solid
and to show his value.
Recently Russian military circles
were startled by the suicide of sew.
eral high officers, including a general.
Their deaths are now being credited
to the machination of Redl. Just as
Redl had been bought by Russia so
these Russian officers are said to
have been induced to turn traitor by
Austrian agents. Redl is declared to
have betrayed them They killed
yrb dicooraroJ -,