The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-01
HUNTING OF. SPIES IS BR|TA|N'S NEW CAME
Lay Deep and Willy Plots to
 Catch Them Red Handed
MANY NIGHTS WASTED
Amusing Instance of Ridiculous De- noument of Weary Vigil-Ter- ritorial Army of England
 Shows Improvement

London, October S1.-(Special. 1.-The rou- tine of watching the coast Is apt to pail and become tedious after some weeks. Recently, however, the British soldier has found . new sport to help pass the tsdium of the long days and longer nights It is more enthralling than cricket or football and requires greater acumen combined with more prolonged physical effort. The new game is called spy-hunt- ins. There ia a variation of the sport known as mares nesting"
 One thing is certain. For every authen- tte case of spying there are at least ss cases of mares nests. Some of them are the progeny of the fertile imagination of nervous local inhabitants; others have prima facis appearance of a deepiy-laid plot. The military authorities who are responsible for the various areas have to sift out tho evidence in each case and lay deep and willy plots In the endeavor to catch the supposed spy red-handed. Nor ts this as easy as 1t might at first ap- pear, for the man who Is clever and cum hing enough to be engaged as a spy, is usualiy clever enough to appear perfectly innocent and harmless when his case eomes to be investigated.
 Innocence Often Only Skin Deep
 But the innocence is often only skin deep. The unsuspecting Britisher is be- ginning to be extremely sharp at detect 1ng the fly in the honey pot. On the other hand, it often occurs that many weary nights of vigil are wasted on ridiculous denouement.
 One amusing instance occurred in a Sertafn eastern county as late as last night. For three weeks a certain mys- terious light had been noticed operating from . boat on one of the breads in krAlr the form of a bright acetylene lamp, at others . less bright yellow light would appear, varied by a red light. Several nights of careful watching failed to dis cover any receiving station in the vi- cinity and eventually 1t was decided to hold up the supposed signaller. care fully selected party was sent out, every precaution being taken to cut off every possible means of escape by land or sea. Silently two boatloads of territorials pad dled up to the suspected boat, one com ing alongside simultaneously on each side The men used their hands to propel the boat, so as to avoid the noise of dip ping paddles or of oars in rowlocks.
 Hands upl'' was the crisp order that broke upon the still air. Half dozen rifles were poked in front of the noses of the two occupants of the boat, who nearly tainted In their alarm. They turned out to be two enthusiastic anglers
  signalling apparatus consisting of an ordinary carriage lamp and cycle lamps As the anglers brought these lamps into use every time they rebated their hooks the flash signals were accounted for A dozen crestfallen and disappointed sol diers returned to. their bivouacs after ex- yressing in no assured terms their opin- ion of angling as nocturnal pastime. Sometimes, however, these spy-hunting cxpeditions end more satisfactorily, but it requires a great deal of perseverance end imagination to bring the astute spy to book, for he usually masquerades as the most innocuous of citizens and is generally furnished with authenticated documents and very complete and harmless explanation of his presence.
 Among the spies captured since the commencement of the war Is one for in- stance, who posed as an officer under q false name. Another ingenious indi- vidual was logged out in the uniform of a policeman. It will be readily under stood how dogged and persevering must have been the efforts of the soldiers who tracked down these two imposters.
 Territorial Army Improves
 Speaking generally the last six weeks have had a surprising effect upon the territorial army throughout the country, for not only are all the units complete in officers and men and usually with a long waiting list. but the men are hardly secogniza ble for they have improved out of all knowledge in fitness and in ef- 5iciency. The result amply justifies the contention of those critics who main tained that after three months of em- hodiment the territorial soldier would be, at least, the equal of the continental conscript
 II xc II.