New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-06-17
German Agents Work
i'm United States
Mail Service.
AFTER SECRETS
OF THE ALLIES
Diplomat Charges They
Also Learn of Ideas Of
fered to u. S. Officers.
SCIENTISTS ARE USED
Agents Able to Pass on New
ldeas-Embassies Now Take
Due Precautions.
SCIENTISTS ARE USED
From The Tribune Buresu. J

From The Tribune Buresu.l
Washington, June 16. - That
scores of letters written by inventors
of guns, ammunition and other ar
ticles Of military value TO ordnance
officials of the United States army
and navy have been opened while in
the custody of the Postofiice Depart
ment and read by German secret
service agents is the charge made
by a diplomat who represents one Of
the Allies in Washington.
IL do not want my name used, but
l can quote you chapter and verse
on this question" said this diplomat.
"There is no doubt about it what
ever. Mail to our own Office and
those of the other representatives Of
the Allies is opened continually, and
perhaps with even greater regular
ity than that going to the ordnance
experts of this government.
what we are particularly anx-
icus TO avoid is the inventors Of this
country trusting to the mails the
secrets they are trying TO SELL They
may think that they are perfectly
safe in the mails, but, as matter Of
fact, the chances are very largely IN
favor of letter from an inventor
10 one of the ordnance experts being
opened and read carefully by Ger
man secret service agent before II
reaches its destination.
Opened in Transit.
1--WE have positive information
that letters mailed in a postoffice
building were opened before arriy-
ing at their destination. In another
case a letter was mailed direct on
government railway postal car,
and it was opened before arriving
in Washington. In this case the
only explanation | can see is that
the German secret service agent is
actually a civil service employe in
the railway mail service.
There are two classes Of informa-
ton, both of prime Importance, which
these tamperers with the mail wish to
obtain. One of these, Of course, re-
lates to the new inventions along mill
tary lines The Germans are intensely
scientific and have numbers Of men
quick to appreciate the Importance OF
any such discoveries or TO recognize
that they are worthless.
zone would not think that they would
have a sufficient number Of men pos
scssed Of this scientific knowledge
which they could spare at this time,
when it would be the casual judgment
that all such men available would be
needed in the arms and munitions fac
tories of the German government or in
the testing shops and Laboratories
where new inventions would be tested.
But this is not the case.
Scientists on Watch.
"They have such men to spare, It
seems. for they have number in this
country keeping a continual watch for
new ideas. They were here before the
war began, and they will stay after It
closes, still on the watch for anything
which might be Of importance to the
army and navy.
"On the other hand, these special
agents are anxious 70 find ut any
thing they can by opening the mail
which is directed to the embassies Of
the Allies or is sent out from them.
They have found out several things
which we did not understand how they
ascertained until we discovered the
whole arrangement-never mind how.
at is obvious that the privilege Of
reading all the mail to and from the
embassies of your enemies is perfect
ly enormous advantage to be given to
a country, and yet the Germans have
obtained what practically amounts to
that privilege by their highly success
fui spy system.
Cannot Guard Descriptions.
"We are guarding again;t IL in mail
sent out by oil the embassies and legs-
tions representing the Allies, but we
have not been able. Of course, 20 srik,
their guns on letters containing deserip-
tions and drawings OF new military
and naval inventions. That Is what we
are most anxious to do now. We do
mt want the descriptions Of these In
yentions 20 be scanned by German OK
perts, 10 be used. perhaps, by the Ger
man army and navy against our forces
in Europe.