The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1914-11-20
Nv Mission and Betrayal IN
England.


before Count Won Wedel, | vas taken
over TO Koenlggratzerstrasse 20, 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
q had been deemed advisable to send
me to Neutrality-suspicious. 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 a construction officer. 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-
spective fields. II wal like n rehearsal
IN the grooming ! had received years
ago when taken into the service and
trained for months. sat for hours
over diagrams with n naval officer on
each side. They brought me before
charts that were as big as the wall OF
the room. These charts gave the eX
act dimensions and type OF every yes.
sci in the British navy Not only that,
! was made to study the silhouette OF
all the new and different types OF
English warships-why. you Will see.
Obviously this special training was
significant. Part OF my mission TO
England was TO watch the prepare
tiont and maneuvers Of British war
ships at the naval bases on the Scot.
tish coast
A Strained Situation.
The situation between England and
Germany was ticklish. Politicians
had worked up a war scare to such a
pitch that the people OF the W ma.
tons were ready to rush into conflict
Only a spark was needed to fire the
situation. Hence my mission
II vas included I'm my instructions
10 watch the movements OF British
warships on 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 l learned from my In.
structions-it would be necessary 10
calculate distances. to take observa.
lions on the exact nature OF he newly
reconstructed Rossyth base near Edin'
burgh on the Firth OF Forth; besides
keeping in touch with things In Gro.
marty.
was 70 watch especially the new
Rossyth base and to report progress
on ornaments. new equipment. any
thing OF use to the German admiralty.
/ wal to keep tab on all the British
fleet maneuvers then In progress on
the Scottish coast.
When ! left Berlin ! vas thoroughly
equipped to carry out instructions.
Every war vessel OF the British 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, n quiet select Scottish hos.
teIry. registered under my quasi.
correct name OF A. K. Graves, NJ. d.,
Truro, Australia. My stunt" was TO
convey the impression OF being an
Austria Ian physician taking additional
postgraduate courses &C the famous
Scottish seat OF medical learning. Aft
or a few days residence at the Bed.
ford, / installed myself in private
quarters at a Mrs. Macleod's. 20 Craig.
lea drive. Edinburgh.
For the first fortnight | quietly
.-N - ha.NNuna aWnaNlnn a atvw.a.
ton that / was a s~emi.invalid. Having
by this time familiarized 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 is
a long bridge. II Is between the
Rossyth base and the North sea. War.
ships going to and from the naval sta.
ton pass under It,
Gradually I worked myself into the
confidence OF one OF the bridge keep.
ers. shall not give the mans name.
for 10 do so would injure him, and
quite unwittingly he gave me facili.
ties for studying the naval base and
furnished me with scraps OF informa.
ton that | wanted to know
The schooling | had received In the
siIhouettes presently came In handy.
One night my friend. the bridge tend
err. learned that the feet was getting
up steam. Accordingly, | stood on
the bridge that night and waited. Al
i've o'clock in the morning a gray,
rainy, toggy morning. through which
the ships moved almost ghost-like. /
made out l6 wal vessels. From their
s~ilhouettes. | knew them TO be dread.
naughts, cruisers, and torpedo boat
d~estroyeTs, At once ] filed a cable
by way OF Brussels. informing the in.
telligence department OF the German
Avy that an English feet l6 strong
had put 10 sea, subsequently. !
learned that In describing the l6 ships
l had made only n mistake.
After about three weeks began 20