The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-06-27
Everybody In Paris Shaken Through
Sieve Every Few
Days by the
Officials.
SOME CAUGHT EACH TIME
Potato Vender Was innocent Appear
Ina Individual, But He
Turned Out to be
Spy.
[By William Philip Sims. United Press

IBy william Philip Sims. United Press
Staff Correspondent
PARIS, May TO- (By mail to New
you OVERRIDING this
spy mania an American business
man asked a French army officer here
the other day when, after devoting an
entire day to an attempt to get out OF
Paris he had still another days work
ahead OF him waiting In line for
ytsas at consulates, procedures ana
commissaries.
What do you mean by OVERRIDING
the spy mania?" the officer wanted TO
know.
II mean simply this" the American
explained. Every few days the mill
tary authorities issue new orders
about passports, permits de sehour,
laissez-passers and what not. Oi
course. the changes are designed a.
least in part to discourage spying.
Isn't the spy danger exaggerated!
Have you really much to fear from a
spy? Could a spy do much damage
r. YOU actually allowed him to movo
around all he pleased back OF the firing
liner
Heavens yes!" the officer exclaim'
ed.
81 ask you because am an average
American business man." the man
trombone went on, and frankly VI
you were to let me wander up ana
down the whole line OF trenches
couldn't tell the Germans awning
that would help them If ! tried
The French officer smiled.
You are not trained for the jop'
that's ALL" he said. "You remind me
of a newspaper man we caught ND
near Scissors the middle Of Septem.
Der. He witnessed while there. one OF
the greatest turning movements OF
this, the greatest Of all wars. yet as
iha confessed afterwards. all he saw
wa. q lot Of soldiers walking down
the road
t. "But the newspaper man was not
military expert. There is the whole
difference. Had trained spy wit
messed that same thing, he wo".a
have had something to report, tel
you
Let me illustrate: Last fall, at
critical moment a certain street cor
ner in Dunkirk. then alive with sol
diers. was used by a peddler OF
.frites,' or French fried potatoes. as
his stand. In appearance he was no
whit different from the aother sellers
Of fried potatoes, the like Of whom
every town In northern France has
many. He had lots Of trade, especial
ly among the soldiers, for not only was
thu weather cold and his potatoes al
ways hot, well-cooked and delicious'y
brown, but best OF all from the sol
diers' point of view, he gave more ter
a son than any other peddler.
"The military authorities look after
everybody in a town. or course, they
looked after this man. He proved 10
be spy. And, since he was at his
fried potato stand early and iate-Ae
was up by daylight and did not close
up until the streets were cleared al
night-one might ask, as you did, what
II he was a spy? what could he learn.
there, working away at his one corner?
"What he was doing was this: The
Germans were trying to get to Calais,
via Dunkirk. They were very eager
to know Just how many troops they
had in front OF them; they wanted to
know whether these troops were old
or Young, whether English. French,
belgian, or mixed. And so OH.
"Well by standing there at his cor
ner attracting to him each hour OF
tho day many soldiers, he got the num-
ber of regiments by looking at TIC
numbers on their coats aad car 9. ana
nv the insignia he knew to jus: what
arm OF the service each man belong
ed. To this man. trained to ais job
the simple soldier who bought cent
worth OF fried potatoes meant an en-
tire regiment Of 1000 men Or more,
II was an easy matter to t1u1 approx.
imately the number OF soldiers III and
around Dunkirk, that there were 81
MANY French, SO many Belgians, so
MANY English, SO many Hindoes and
so on. -..
"As matter of fact this man was
found tn have q remarkably accurate
list OF the military units of the entire
region. He was shot, OF course. You
sea we can't afford to overlook any
thing"
Now and then new rules are promul-
gated by the military governor reiat-
ing to papers permitting one to live In
Paris. Yesterday these papers had to
be thus and 50; today they must be
changed like this; tomorrow a photo
graph of the holder must be affixed
and stamped by the police commissaTJ
of the district. Each time change
is made a few suspects are rounded
up. With each diminution of the
meshes of the new very fine sitter,
spy or two is left in the seive.
Americans here comply with each
new regulation with good grace. Few
erumble. Not all understand the i'm
nortance of the change but they shake
their heads philosophically and say:
well, I suppose it's all rlght; It's
their country anyway and they're