The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-03-05
BY WILLIAM PHILLIP sIMNS.

Tie mont NJ the INVITATION OF the gen
sri star Of the Belgian army
by WILLIAM PHILLIP SINMS.
(stof Correspondent United Press.)
. DUNKRK. France. Feb. l2.-(By
mail TO New York )-This town Is
getting tighter and tighter. Pretty
soon Il win be as difficult 10 get into
o. out Of az verdun. Belfort and the
rest OF the war yone towns in the
east uf France.
Why?
Fear OF spies. OF course The
nearest good sired town to the firing
line. In spite OF all that can be done.
spies are ever present For an out
sider II now requires pass from
Gen. Joffre's headquarters TO stay
here even q few days. Then three
separate and distinct passes must
BE- obtained before one Is permitted
sven 70 buy railroad ticket out OF
the place: one from the local police
authorities. one from the local mill
1ary authorities, 10 whom the police
Dermit must be shown. the last from
The special once Of the provost
guard At the railway station. where
both the FIRST and the second passes
are examined.
n you love romance. and have q
properly developed imagination, all
your troubles coming and going are
moro than compensated for. For Of
I'll the towns In hearing distance
Of the nghting line, this one has
most TO offer with the minimum OF
discomfort. The hotels here. though
crowded. are not bad. and II you
stay long enough you win get q
pretty fair idea Of the folks who 70
% make mp the war. generals and
men, English and Turcos. French
and Hindoos. Canadians. Sengalese.
Australians. New Zealanders, Moroc-
cans. aviators. submarines, naval OF.
ncers. secret servicers, spies and
Red Crossers.
Il h just after lunch. As the eof.
Tee room begins TO all up you take
your place by the window overlook
Ing the large square In the middle Of
which stands the heroic statue of
Jean Bart, who played the dickens
with British shipping in bygone
years--but who holds a British
standard In his hand just now.
Waiting for the waiter TO bring
your coffee. you read the names OF
string Of cafes on the opposite
side Of the place. They are odd.
First IL the Cafe OF the Stars"
while next 10 II Is the Cafe Of the
Universe The adjoining ~Cafe OF
the Bank" next to the imposing pile
which 10 the Bank OF France
(brAnch, is not so heavenly in name,
but the "Cafe OF the Sun" on the
other side OF the bank takes up
where the Cafe OF the Universe"
left on. The Cafe Of the Moon"
comes down a peg. but the last OF
the bunch claims the distinction OF
being the "Cafe OF the Eclipse"
But your coffee has come, and the
strangely mixed company about you
n agog. You listen. Capt. Biddle-
ton has the floor. His listener is an
American woman magazine writer.
Biddleton n uniformed In q strange
suit OF khaki witch Is neither Eng.
lish nor American. nor Canadian
nor Indian. nor anything else. He
n mysteriously connected with the
belgian army and calls himself "cap
tain. while claiming 10 be English
The Belgian officers simply cal
him monsieur Draw your own con
illusions. He IL one OF the mysteries
Of Dunkirk. He In now talking OF
campaigning In Central American
republics, where 80 poems are ar
army and where a Britisher car
lick q regiment-presumably propor
Tomato 70 the same army In size.
HIS voice IN drowned out b,
eteers. Steal n an American drum
mer. He has business" with th,
Belgian government He Is faul,
lessly dressed. In fact. f. the bes
dressed man In the room by far
Middleton eyes him With suspicion
Cor. from romarks dropped by him
ell, he was IN the intelligence de
partmsnt OF the French governmea
e the beginning OF the war.
Steel ignores Bfddleton's disaI
proving glancss and finishes the an
oo6ots which he II relating 70
Do1Glan major who speaks EnglIsl
puroly. but fa;is almost completed,
% undsrstand American Steel prob
ah1y vim put across a deal In tn,
aloornoou for q million pairs OF arm,
shoos Or mittsns or sanitary tooth
p1on. fDr the trenches.
On . nofA are two middleaged Ia
6ios vAo appear 10 have steel ram
rods FOR spineA One Is the Duehes,
nomsbo1y a. other. her companion
Soans Ire Countess what'shername
G no Dolsiaa nobolity. They arr
1n1nlns vsry earnestly 10 a Dclgiar
colsnsl. a. attaehs 70 psron de BRO
onUvnlA ~ var minister, The,
~ fsy1ns % get The colonel to plcas
NV ~o~-> v's> 80 h-roo. shc'r ae