Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1916-01-01
Public Hears Little of 1t, But
Achievements Figure Large
in Archives.
CATCH MANY FOREIGN SPIES
England swarmed With Spies In Ger.
man +Pay-ln Some Cases They
Were British Citizens for
Whose Loyalty Their
Neighbors Vouched.


New York World has just had an OPP
portunity of learning something Of
what the British secret service has
accomplished from one who, though
not an official has been in the way
of knowing something about it. One
has heard very little of the British SCI
cret service at any time. indeed there
slre those who believed that 1t was
nonexistent before the war and had to
he improYised, like Kitcheners army.
From what the World 5 informant says
this seems to have been another great
delusion. II seems indeed, to have
lad one very good attribute of secret
service--it worked without being sus-
peeted OF being at work.
Some time ago, when the demand
for the more rapid internment or re-
latriation of Germans became insis-
tent in parliament, a committee was
created, with the wides; possible pow
tTs under statute. to investigate all
Demands for internment or repatria-
ton or appeals for release by those
tlready interned The proceedings of
this committee have. of course. been
secret. but it has, nevertheless, dealt
With many thousands of cases-ab0dt
10000 probably-and 1t must have sat
twelve to fourteen hours a day to get
through them
The secret service proposes, for in
Htance. that a certain German-or
Angtrinn no L.
tnterned. The individual is brought
before the committee hears the rea-
sons given for his internment saws
whatever he can against the proposal
ana the committee gives its decision
ottentimes the interned person finds
some new reason why he or she should
De released. and this reason Is taken
into account by the committee on ap-
peal There is no other appeal: the
committees decisions are superior to
the jurisdiction of all the courts of the
realm. It's powers, therefore, are of a
very extraordinary kind. nothing like
II since the star chamber. Such are
the products of war emergency.
Army Captain Suspected.
Needless to say. this tribunal has
MAD some extraordinary cases before
1t. For example. there was the an.
peal for the confinement OF a British
army captain. with near relatives high
in the service. and coming of an old
English family. 1t is in such cases
that the cleverness and completeness
of the British secret service comes
in. Failure to satisfy the committee
in case of that kind would smell dis.
credit and increased difficulty In get.
ting internment orders In other cases
In this particular instance all the
influence that might be expected was
brought TO bear to show that the
suspicion alleged against the CAPTAIN
was. groundless-and not only that
but preposterous But it was shown
that he had been In correspondence
with suspicious individuals in Ger.
many. and particularly with a beau.
tiful German lady with whom he was
infatuated and who was known to be-
one OF the units in the kaiser's widely
extended spy system. Il was not al
legged that he was giving away secrets.
but his desperate infatuation for this
lady and the fact that he had found
means Of corresponding with her
since the war made II desirable that
he should be put in place of security
and he vas. This victim of the In
ternment committees activities was A
British subject; but no matter whose
subject you may be YOU are equally
amenahle to its juridction.
oisloyaty That Amazed.
There is talk here OF another s,ril,.
ing example OF the thoroughness with
which the British secret service has
been doing It's work IN peace time
German OF title for over twenty
years naturalized. who lived in n very
grand way In an English county. was
brought up for internmeut He had
been one of the most prominent men
in his district in public affairs a.volu
Bile admirer Of the Union Jack. had de-
nounced Prussian designs against the
peace OF Europe, entertained on Law
ish scale. and was an exceedingly
popular as we'll as influential person
in his locality When the demand was
madC for his iuternment he appealed
to his influential county friends. More
than anything else it hurt him that
It should be thought possible that he
coGld have been false. 10 the English
friends who had become SO dear &c
him They were all up in arms in his
favor, and the committee got protests
from most OF the representative per
sons and bodies in the county denounc
ing the action Of the authorities il
casting this slur on a gentleman for
whose loyalty and trustworthines:
they would vouch as for their own RI
bad given innumerahle evidences o-
shis genuine love of England and nat
actually taken very active part 4