New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-26

As | leave the embassy | hesitate
/ The idea of spies is disconcerting. Inc
first person want TO visit is woman
who is member Of the Social Demo
cratic party. Ny errand is harmless
she speaks English and want her 10
act a. interpreter and teach me Ger
man. ! pursue zigzag course and'
having doubled on my tracks, take a
taxi 10 her home
Spies Are Unmistakabie
On this occasion I elude pursuit but
to do so continuously is impossible. The
funny thing about German spies is tha'
they dress for the part. They are as
unmistskable as Sherlock Holmes. Ihey
nearly always wear gray clothes, a soft
gray hat. are pale-faced, shifty-eyeo'
smooth shaver. or have only a slight
mustache, and carry canes.
One night my friend and | lead them
q chase about the city until midnight
We Jump from one car 10 another II
proves an exciting new game. once we
20 up to a gray-clsd man and ask MN
II he isn't tired. But spies grow angry
when spoken to. German officials have
no sense of humor If they had | won
der if there would have been a war
| feel very sorry for one spy. lie
stands on the street corner in the ram
one day from in the afternoon until
Q in the evening go out periodically
to see il be is there. | simply cannot
take him seriously. My friend and !
get into gales Of laughter. | want to
20 out and invite him in 70 tea. He
looks so miserable. But he would never
understand. My friend lives in an
apartment house. He probably still
doesn't know who VI is ! visit. I insist
on relieving his mind. get my friend
10 walk with me 10 the Adlon so she
can be exhibited. She thinks it is dan
gerous. but we are doing no harm, and
surely one cannot be arrested for talk
ing to a Social Democrat. My friends
husband goes ahead TO see what fate
befslls US. He sits on bench under a
big tree directly opposite the hotel en-
trance.
Sure enough, there is a gray-clad spy
talking to the hotel porter. AS my
friend and approach the porter jerks
the spys arm. Here she comes" he
says 1t is terribly exciting. ] feel as
important as a heroine in a dime novel.
] am almost tempted TO enter into some
plot. 1t must be so disappointing to
these gentlemen to find me vibrating
between the German Red Cross, the
poor and plans for feeding German
babiesl
But before leave Germany the spies
get on my nerves. What was at first
amusing becomes nuisance. feel
exactly as though | am in prison.
acquire the habit OF looking out OF the
corner OF my eye and over my shoulder.
These spies are as annoying TO their
countrymen as TO me. The people de-
test them. They grow restless under
such suppression. Free conversation is
impossible, except behind closed doors.
Between German spies and the spies OF
other countries supposed to be at large,
public conversation is at standstill.
Everywhere are signs: "Soldaten -
"Vorsicht bel Gesprochen spionenge-
fair"
For several days wander about Ber
lin letting impressions sink in. There
is, as have said, activity, but it is the
activity of bygone day or country
town. Nowhere are there shining new
taxis, prancing horses and laughing
people.
The taxis are the refuse from the
front They toss and bump you about:
The carriages have been resurrected
from the past. The horses are chiefly
valuable as a study in bone anatomy.
Poor things! | often gave in their din
ner pals. They never had anything but
chopped straw.
People Have Too Little to Eat
As for the people, there is a somb
eravness about them. They are thin.
I didn't see q big girth anywhere.
Germany is stomschless. 1t isn't that
people have nothing to eat, but all
except the very rich have too little
The food they have isn't the right kind.
During the summer there seemed 70
he plenty of vegetables, fruit and a
fair supply Of black bread, but this
without grease, sugar or meal does