Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-06-20
SPIES IN ENGLAND
STILL ARE ACTIVE
They Manage by Mysterious
Means to Communicate With
German Government.
ONE SURPRISING INCIDENT
Spy Is Received by General
French and Made Guest at
Headquarters.
ONE SURPRISING INCIDENT
BY PHILLIP EVERETT.

LONDON. June 19.-Gernan spies
are as busy in this country as ever, and
still manage by mysterious means to
communicate with their government
Here Is one incident proving this which
has been carefully suppressed by the
authorities:
There arrived at Boulogne the other
day British naval officer. who i'm
mediately after landing presented him
self to the military authorities, and
said that he was a bearer of a special
verbal message from the War De-
partment to Sir John French. His
papers were apparently in order, and
a motor car was placed at his dis
posal. which swiftly carried him to tho
British headquarters. whore he was
very well received. as he introduced
himself as having served under
brother of the general who received
him.
He was invited to be the guest Of
the general for dinner at the officers
mess. where 1t was found that he num-
bored among his close acQuaintanoes q
number OF naval officers who were in.
innate friends OF several Of the high
officers present at the table.
He rapidly became exceedingly pop
ular. and was taken around to all
parts Of the front. where he showed
himself intensely interested in every-
thing. After a while headquarters had
no secrets for him.
One evening. however. he happened
to be placed next to a young oficer
Of the military secret service. who
thought he detected a slight foreign
accent in the way his neighbor at the
table pronounced certain words His
suspicious were aroused. and he i'm
mediately cabled an inquiry to London.
SUSPICION IS CONFIRMED
By NEWS FROM LONDON
The reply came the next morning.
Nobody knew the naval officer and no.
body of his name and rank had been
intrusted with any verbal message to
the commander-in-ch chief. The man
was spy.
For two days. however. he was al
lowed full freedom and Swallowed to
discover II he had accomplices in the
village. When enough had been found
out. he was arrested and examined,
and the following morning he was
shot.
In the early days Of the war people
marveled at Germany's perfect system
of espionage. How has it been or.
ganized?" was the question one heard
on every hand. 1t now appears that
Germany ran schools for teaching
spies.
One of these institutions existed at
Larrach. in the grand duchy of Baden.
The teaching was at once theoretical
and practical At first the pupils
studied maps and drawings. which
gave minute details Of the uniforms
Of the French. Russian and British
armies, guns. rifles and shells.
Afterwards the future spies were In
organization OF the country in which
they had to operate-the electives.
garrisons and forts. Technical instruc-
tors explained to them the strategic
utility OF the network OF railways, the
Importance OF the different stations for
mobilization and other things of the
same nature.
They were further taught the means
of noting with discretion and rapidity
the information collected. When a spy'
travelling through n French town found
four regiments Of infantry two of cavalry
and one of artillery. 1t was SUFFICIENT
for him to underline on the railway
time table the name OF the town, and
to put certain signs beneath the figure,
4. : and l on the same page In this
way the effectives of a district were
indicated without the most perspicaci-
Gus observer OF German correspondence
being any the wiser.
AS soon ms an espionage pupil COM
pleted his studies he was given a false
name, passport. money and a mission.
He was told to return as often as
possible to report the result OF his
mission. 1t was borne in upon all spies
that If they succeeded they would be
rewarded. but that if they compromised
themselves they would be disavowed.
In this connection it is interesting
to reproduce story from the "Cri de
Paris" Two women appeared at the
offices OF a Woman's Mutual Assistance
Association and applied for French
governesses.
Meanwhile" they added may we be
able to take back our German cover
nesses?"
AS you like" replied the president
OF the association. but you will prob
ably have to pay more for German
governesses after war"
Why"
Because there will no longer be at
Berlin an espionage fund for supple
menting the salaries OF German gov
ernesses."
Officially. all commercial intercourse
with the enemy is forbidden. but any
one passing through Piccadilly may go
into the shop OF the Turkish Reggie and
buy cigarettes manufactured and sold
by the government OF Turkey, though
the money undoubtedly finds its way
to Turkey.
POPE'S NEPHEWS AT FRONT