Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1914-11-20
My Mission and Betrayal in
ENGLAND.

November IS. 1911, received the
usual summons to report at the Will
helmstrasse. Instead Of being brought
before Count Won Wedel, I was taken
over to NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. 70. to
the German admiralty intelligence de-
partment. Here I met my old chief.
Captain Tappken. head Of the naval
branch Of the intelligence department.
The captain briefly informed me that
1t had been deemed advisable to send
me to Enghnd-unwelcome news.
this, as you will see.
In the usual curt yet polite manner
of German officers, the captain intro
dnced me to three naval experts. One
was a construction oflcer, another in
the signaling department, the third an
expert on explosives and mines. One
at a time they took me In hand, groom
ing me In the intricacies Of their re-
spectiye fields. Il was like q rehearsal
In the grooming I had received years
ago when taken into the service and
trained for months. / sat for hours
ever diagrams with a naval officer on
each side. They brought me before
charts that we're as big as the wall of
the room. These charts gave the ex-
act dimensions and type Of every YES
sed in the British navy. Not only that,
] was made to study the silhouette OF
an the new and different types Of
English warships you will see.
Obviously this special training was
significant. Part Of my mission to
England was 10 watch the prepare
tionk 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 war scare to such q
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.
It was included in my instructions
to watch the movements of British
warships on the Scottish coast and
promptly cable the German. admiralty
intelligence department concerning
them.
Moreover. I had to brush myself up
In topography and trigonometry. In
England-so / learned from my in
stEuetions-st would be necessary to
calculate distances, to take observa-
lions on the exact nature Of the newly
reconstructed Rossyth base near Edin-
burgh on the Firth of Forth; besides
keeping ia touch with things in Gro
marty.
was to watch especially the new
Rossyth base and to report progress
on ornaments, new equipment. any
thing Of use to the German admiralty.
I was to keep tab on all the British
fleet maueuvers then in progress on
the Scottish coast.
When left Berlin was thoroughly
equipped to carry out instructions.
Every war vessel OF the Britich navy,
every fertilization. naval base and de.
pot Of supplies was coded in secret
service ciphers.
arrived in Edinburgh and put
up at the old Bedford hotel on Prin.
cess street. quiet select Scottish hos.
telry. I registered under my quasi
correct name Of A. K. Graves. NJ. D.,
Tare, Australia. Ny stunt" was to
convey the impression Of being an
Australian physician taking additional
postgraduate courses at the famous
scottish seat Of medical learning. Aft
or few days residence at the Bed.
ford. installed myself in private
quarters 1T q Mrs. Macleod,s. 2s Craig
lea drive, Edinburgh.
Fer the first fortnight quietly
teok my bearings. creating . sugges-
ton that ! was Semi-invalid. Having
bs thia. time famfSarised myself with
Edinburgh and surroundings. made
frequent trips to the Firth Of Forth
upon which was located the Rossyth
base. Now, across the Firth there 10
q long bridge. Il 10 between the
Rossyth base and the North sea. War.
shsps going to and from the naval sta,
ton pass under It.
Gradually ! worked myself into the
confidence Of one Of the bridge keen.
era. ! sAaA not give the mans name,
Yodl 70 90 Is would tnjure him, and
quite unutthngiy he gave me facili-
ties for studying the naval base and
furnished mo with scraps Of informa.
ton that ! wanted to know
the schooling had received In the
silhoustAes presently came in handy.
One night my friend. the bridge tend.
ar. learned that the deet was getting
mn steam. Accordingly. stood on
the bridge that night and waited. At
i've o'clock in the morning gray.
rainy. foggy morning. through which
the ships moved almost gh0st.like. /
made out is war vessels. From their
silhouettes, knew them to be dread.
aauRhts, cruisers. and torpedo boat
destroyers. At once fled cable
81 way Of Brussels. informing the in.
teldgence department Of the German
navy that an English heet 16 strong
had put to sea. Subsequently. /
learned that IN describing the 1e ships
-