The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1915-02-11
The Spy and His Work.

picture of the ugliest, and at the same
time most romantic, side of war was
brought home to Americans.
Shot as Spy" The phrase thrills
veteran and schoolboy alike and
heats the blood of anyone who has a
spark of imagination or the spirit of
adventure in his veins. In all the
English language, there is hardly a
word that carries with it such a con-
notation of contempt as "spy.' On
the other hand, whether in the pre-
paration for war, or in war itself,
there is no more patriotic or self-sac-
rifcing work, nor scarcely any of
more profound value to the country
which is being served, than that per-
formed by the much-despised, little
appreciated spy.
The rules of war relating to spies
are clearly defined and offer no re-
dress, regardless of sex, age, or ma
tionality, to one coming under that
classification. If a person, whether
man or child, operates secretly with
in the territory occupied by an enc
my during the time of war, for the
purpose of communicating informa-
ton to hostile army, he is subject
to the death penalty. The single pro-
vision made in his behalf is that he
must be given a fair trial. Yet even
this is not assured, for if he be court
martialed and shot, and later shown
to have been innocent Of the charges
against him, there is no redress
against his eXecutioners.
OF all the systems of espionage ever
organized, that of the German war
Office is unquestionably the farthest-
reaching and most efficient. On the
heels of the British governments as
surance that the German system OF
espionage had been effectively broken
in the United Kingdom, numerous
British war vessels were torpedoed,
many sentries were shot, dispatches
containing accurate information i'm
portant to the enemy were intercept
ed merely by chance, while German
squadron succeeded in stealing past
patrol boats, navigating uncharted
and mined passages, firing on the
Suffolk coast and then escaping. How
some of the information which made
these things possible leaked out is
known, although the spy has not
been apprehended and is still carry
ing on his work.
The Rev. Lord William Cecil re-
cites the story of how British raid
on a German squadron in the North
Sea was frustrated. During heated
argument in an alehouse, an English
sailor, championing the prowess g
his navy, declared that he knew posi-
lively that dreadnaughts, cruisers,
and torpedo boats were at that mo-
ment pushing ahead under full steam
to surprise the German boats. Short
ly afterward the bar was closed for
the night, and. one of the group, who
had precipitated the argument
mounted a bicycle, which had a bril-
liant headlight, and struck down a
road leading along the coast. After
a time he jumped from the cycle, re-
leased the air from the front tire and
then set about to mend "puncture. y
In doing this he repeatedly passed
in front of the lamp, crossing the
patch of light now for just an In
slant, now deliberately stopping In
front of it. Presently he inflated the
tire and pedaled back to the city.
When the British battleships arrived
at the scene Of the intended raid, the
Germans were not there. The bicy-
clist was a German spy. His mes
sage, flashed in dots and dashes, had
been seen through the periscope OF a
waiting German submarine.
There are many other ways by
which an agent, working ahead OF
his army. may and does communicate
information to it without passing
back through the lines. Some OF
these systems are employed to in
form the artillery, for instance. where
it's shells are falling, thus enabling
it to get the proper range on the enc
mys positions. Some of the subter-
fuges are so Ingenious and executed
so cleverly that detection, because OF
the act itself, is difficult. For in
stance, clothes must be washed in
war time as we'll as in days OF peace
yet, a clothesline may be made to
talk by arranging garments on it by
size and color according to prear-