The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1914-11-27
My Mission and Betrayal il
England.

helmstrasse. Instead of being brough
before Count Won Wedel, | was takel
over to Koeniggratzerstrasse 10, u
the German admiralty intelligence de
partment. Here / met my old chief
Captain Tappken, head of the nava
branch of the intelligence department
The captain briefly informed me ina
1t had been deemed advisable to sent
me to ngland-unwelcome news
this, as you will see.
In the usual curt yet polite manner
of German officers, the captain intro
duced me to three naval experts. One
was construction officer, another IL
the signaling department, the third an
expert on explosives and mines. one
at time they took me in hand, groom
Ing me in the intricacies of their re-
spective fields. 1t was like rehearsal
In the grooming / had received years
ago when taken into the service and
trained for months. | sat for hours
over diagrams with a naval officer on
each side. They brought me before
charts that were as big as the wall OF
the luto0 gave biN -
act dimensions and type of every YES
sci In the British navy. Not only that,
I was made to study the silhouette or
all the new and different types OF
English warships-why, you will see.
Obviously this special training was
England was to watch the prepare
tons and maneuvers of British war
ships at the naval bases on the Scot
fish coast.
A Strained Situation.
The situation between England and
Germany was ticklish. Politicians
had worked up a war scare to such
pitch that the people of the two ma
lions were ready to rush into conflict.
Only a spark was needed to fire the
situation. Hence my mission.
Ii was included in my instructions
to watch the movements of British
warships of the Scottish coast and
promptly cable the German admiralty
intelligence department concerning
them.
Moreover, had to brush myself up
in topography and trigonometry. In
England-so / learned from my in
streetions--it would be necessary to
calculate distances, to take obserya-
tions on the exact nature of the newly
Rossyth base near Edin-
burgh on the Firth of Forth; besides
keeping IN touch with things in Gro
marty
l was to watch especially the new
Rossyth base and to report progress |
on ornaments, new equipment. any
thing of use to the German admiralty. |
was to keep tab on all the British |
feet maneuvers then in progress on
the Scottish coast.
When | left Berlin | was thoroughly |
equipped to carry out instructions.
Every war vessel of the British navy,
every fertilization. naval base and de-
DOT of supplies was coded in secret
service ciphers.
/ arrived in Edinburgh and put
lp at the old Bedford hotel on Prin-
.ess street, a quiet select Scottish hos
elry. ! registered under my quasi
orrect name of A. K Graves, M. D.,
ruro, Australia. My stunt" was to
onvey the impression of being an
australian physician taking additional
courses at the famous
cottish seat of medical learning. Aft
r few days residence at the Bed
ord, l installed myself in private
uarters at Mrs Macleod's, 23 Craig
"a drive, Edinburgh.
For the first fortnight | quietly
,ok my bearings, creating a sugges-
on that / was Semi-invalid Having
v this time familarized myself with
and surroundings, | made /
equent trips to the Firth of Forth t
pom which was located the Rossyth i
ase Now, across the Firth there is S
long bridge. 1t is between the ?
ossyth base and the North sea. War Z"
lips going to and from the naval sta
on pass under 1t.
Gradually | worked myself into the j.
nfidence of one of the bridge keep &
8. | shall not give the mans name. "
r to do so would injure him, and "
lite unwittingly he gave me facili- Il
IS for studying the naval base and "
rnished me with scraps of informa-
IN that / wanted to know S,
The schooling had received in the
houettes presently came in handy. X
lie night my friend, the bridge tend Sc
learned that the fleet was getting h;
steam. Accordingly, stood on if
e bridge that night and waited. At nj
e o'clock In the morning a gray, m
ny, foggy morning. through which
, ships moved almost ghost-like. | th
de out 16 war vessels. From their pl
houettes, ! knew them to be dread NJ
lights, cruisers, and torpedo boat ell
,troyers. At once i filed a cable de
way of Brussels, informing the in te
Iigence department of the German
W that an English feet 16 strong de
| put to sea. Subsequently,
rned that in describing the 16 ships
ad made only one mistake. me
Ifter about three weeks | began to CO..
AnsDicious Of being followed. Ar or