The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1916-04-07
The Danger of a
Government Secret
By ALAN HINSDALE

Long before the pan-European war
| was in Berlin. | had especial social
advantages there since a cousin of
mine was married to d man occupying
a confidential position in the foreign
Office Her husband was very much
in love with her and was used to. tell
ing her state secrets that came under
his notiee-of course with the under
standing that she would not reveal
them.
1t IS hard enough for men to keep
secrets, but it seems harder for WON
en-. One day my cousin told me a
state secret that would be immensely
valuable for publication. l needed
funds and would not have hesitated
to sell it but for the fear of implicit
ing the person from whom l received
it, But on this account l had no
though. of doing so.
But | did not guard it as l should
have done. | had received consider
able favor socially from Caspar Won
Hulig. a young German, and we had
become very chummy. One evening
while we were drinking wine together
| preached the subject to him. He
at once asked where l got my infor
nation. This brought me to my
senses. and | threw him off the track
by limiting at a source entirely foreign
to my cousin. The same evening she
sent me a note by her maid, disguised.
telling me that the foreign department
had become aware that it's secret had
got out and was hunting for the leak
age. l responded that l had not i'm
plicated her and she would do well not
to do anything to cause a suspicion
that | had obtained the secret through
| her.
| From that moment l was conscious
of being watched. have since thought
| that l would have been arrested had
it not been that the government was
bent upon decoying me into revealing
the source from which | had obtained
| the secret | refrained from any. men
| ton of the matter to Won Hulig for
| now knew that he was secret servant
of the government.
Fearing that | would be thrown into
prison | determined to make an at
tempt to leave Germany. Had
known the workings of the German
secret service as / do now l should
have had little hope of evading those
who were watching me. However.
was we'll aware that no attempt to
leave German territory would be sue
cessful unless well considered and car
ried out with great care.
| was but nineteen years old-not
surprising to one who has read thus
far in this story-and in juvenile the
atricals had usually been assigned
girls parts. What little beard l had
was very light, and good shave and
plenty of powder concealed it. My
chief difficulty was to secure women S
clothes.
had been used to seeing my cousin
quite often and thought it best to con
tinue my visits. l went to see her
told her that l was about to light out
and asked her if she could secure me
woman's apparel for the purpose. She
was not much older than | and being
frightened, scarcely knew whether tc
consent to my going or not. She final
ly concluded that if could elude those
watching me | would better go and
promised to send me an outfit. She
sent it by her maid. an Austrian. who
was of great benefit to me. She
brought me the clothes in the middle
of the night and gave me letter tC
her people in Vienna, stating that
was a friend of hers who was going tt
Austria to seek a position as ladies
maid She also brought me a woman's
passport
In the morning, dressed as girl.
left my room. On the opposite side o.
the street a man was lounging and
did not doubt that he was watching
the house for me. He seemed not {
bit suspicious of my being a woman
, but | thought it best to meander fol
. awhile through the streets before goin.
to the station.
= | had no adventure between Berlin
and Vienna. though during the day
L man passed through the train, scruti
5 nizing the passengers. But he mus
. have been looking for a man. At an!
l. rate. he paid little heed to me, and a.
|. soon as he had gone | breathed freel,
n again. | have no doubt as soon as
was missed from my rooms ever,
train that had left Berlin after mid
night WAS ScrutjniZed