New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-04
POLAND OVERRUN
BY GERMAN SPIES
Holding Places of Power
in Russia, They Hope to
See Warsaw Fall.
lBy Cable to The Tribune J

Petrograd. Jan. 3.-The officer in
command Of the flying hospital column
with the Russian troops gives the fol-
lowing accom-. # the troubles with
spies ana other features of the fighting
in Poland
81 could tell you volumes about spie5
after a month in Poland" he said. at
it not only Jews. but swarms also OF
genuine Germans whose duty seems to
have been 10 live in Poland for year.
and who make themselves absolutely /.
home not only as German colonist5
with a double nationality, but as Ger
manPoles, and their signalling tricks
beggar all imagination. When we dis
covered their colored smoke signals
they took 70 arranging codes with
chimney pots. Normal meant all right.
Gone altogether meant guns lying on
the side of the cavalry.
zone day during a change in posi-
tions our troops in hundreds passed
by a man in soldiers uniform lying
in a ditch where he complained Of
rheumatism. but refused aid, saying he
wanted a little rest and would then
manage TO get along. He steadily de-
clined help from the passing troops
o. even a ride in the carts and would
not go on with field hospitals when
asked. Finally along came the Cossack
patrols. There are no shrewder fell
lows than our Cossacks. | told them
that the man refused to come along
and appeared to be wounded and
seemed unable to talk.
"a wounded soldier or tired man
crawls along bit and rests" said the
Cossack, "crawls and rests. This chap
has been here for hours for we passed
this way before.
Down came the Cossack whip and
up started the rheumatic incapable and
under him was a telephone over which
he had been telephoning the news OF
everything that passed along that road
for goodness knows how long. What
happened? Well the Germans got no
more telephone messages from that
man.
"A suspicious Pole was brought in
one day who understood no German
and no Russian. He was Pole at all
points. but still there was something
which the officer examining him could
not quite satisfy himself about HIS
, superior. turning around from his own
work suddenly, said to the officer in
German, OF course, the fellow is a
German spy. Hang him up The sup
posed Pole, who knew no German.
fell into the trap and a full confes-
sion followed, with the usual results.
From what I've seen of Poles, from
princes 70 peasants, | imagine nine
tenths of the trouble between the Rus
slams and Poles is purposely fomented
by the Germans Germans who
own double nationality and hold
place and power in Russia without
ceasing TO work for their precious
Fatherland to take Warsaw, which
was full of Germans in office.
"The Poles have shown themselves
brothers in this war. We have the
power 10 requsition means of convey
ance for our wounded. but any one
who knows what war time is under
stands that there are fifty ways Of
evading such obligations. The enemy
is advancing, the inhabitants of the
countryside are hurriedly clearing out
in all directions, and always there is
considerable confusion. There are
plenty Of men in Poland who evade
every obligation of the law OF human
ity, but they are not Poles"