The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1915-10-11
CLEVERLY ALLAYS
ALL suspicious
Submits to Cross Examination but
Person and Baggage Not In
spected by Sleuths ON
Duty at Port
By ED L. KEEN.
(U. P. staff correspondent

LONDON, Sept. 18.--(By mail.)-
The open season for spies is on. Pre-
sumably on account OF the gigantic
preparations Of both countries for the
long-delayed big push in Flanders.
never since the war began have anti.
espionage activities by England ana
Germany been so thorough.
Every traveller to or from Holland
Is watched He is guilty until he
proves himself innocent. II he es-
capes the English or the Germans. he
may be gathered UP by the Dutch.
they being considerably peeved at the
use of Holland for spydom's clearing
house.
Suppose you were a spy. How
would you go about it and what would
be your chances of getting away with
1t?
Here is the story of make-believe
spy who recently made the round trip
from London to Berlin.
An American newspaperman, he was
going on perfectly legitimate mis-
sion. He was properly neutral. But
that is precisely the role spies assume.
They fake an American accent
travel with forged American pass
port, and make noise like a real
journalist.
Potentially he was a spy. He didn't
carry any discriminating documents.
Neither does a clever SPY. But he
had lot of information mentally bot
tied that would undoubtedly have been
of aid and comfort to the Germans.
He was reasonably sure he would meet
folks in Germany from whom he could
get information equally useful to the
English. AS a spy, he would have
played the newspaper game, because,
so far as he knows, that hasn't been
tried recently. The fact that he had
the hardihood to undergo the scrutiny
to which newspaper men especially are
subjected might throw the authorities
off the real scent. A spy wouldn't
take such chances-unless he were
clever.
He didn't advertise the fact that his
destination was Berlin. When he ap-
piled at the British Home Office for
his permit to depart (required of all
travellers to the continent these days).
he said he was going to the Hague.
This was true-but not all the truth.
He was thoroughly questioned by
the Home Office as to why he wanted
to go to the. Hague. He told the truth.
and apparently they seemed satisfied.
At Tilbury, whence sail daily steam
ers for Flushing, came the real inqui-
sition. He was questioned and cross
question separately by six officials:
inspectors of aliens, Scotland Yard
bulls" and an army colonel. After
long wait, during which his inquisitors
compared notes, he was sent to the
customs house for baggage examins-
tion.
His story had apparently held
water 1t was true-but it might not
have been. Only one of the six in
quisitors suspected he was headed for
Germany.
Now, look here" observed this par
ticular sleuth, with third-degree
CLEAN in his eye. (the journalist had
denied it four times). you know you
intend going to Germany. don't you?"
"No. I don't" replied the suspect.
adding with an air of guilelessness.
but might My present destination
is the Hague, and it depends entirely
upon circumstances whether l 90 on
to Germany Frankly, wish to feel
free to visit Berlin. "-(mentsl reser-
vation) --"and will, If the going is
good" 1t was shortly after the Arabic
sinking. and he was by no means sure
that ne or other strange Americans
would be welcomed in Germany. The
sleuth's suspicious were lulled by the