Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1917-02-22
A BEARER OF
DISPATCHES
His Difficulties In Reaching
His Destination
By ALAN HINSDALE

When the pan-EurOpean war broke
out offered my services to the war
department Of Great Britain for secret
service. My reason for doing so was
that was travelling abroad and found
myself strapped in London, commune
cation with my native land, America,
having been cut on, and was unable
to get funds. will admit, however,
that always had desiresto Try my
hand at secret service work. 50
Ny fitness to serve the British at
this time and in this field was that
am an American and had an Ameri-
can passport.
I made my offer through an official
In the Office of the foreign secretary
who knew something of my anteced-
ents and was III q position to vouch
for me. There was plenty of work to
be done and plenty of would be work
men, but the main trouble with the
government was ~ know whom to
trust.
One day / received note from my
friend in the foreign office to call upon
him in his Office in Downing street.
Upon my reporting to him he led me
to one Of the chief men in the foreign
department, who asked me number
Of questions about myself with view
to establishing my truStworthiness.
doubt If he would have employed me
had it not been that | told him my
mother had been born in Canada and
lived there till she was twenty years
OF age. That seemed to satisfy him.
He knew the strong affection for the
British flag among those who have
been born and raised under it and
agreed that man would not be likely
to turn traitor to a cause with which
his mother sympathized
When he had satisfied himself with
regard to my fitness for the work he
said to me:
we wish some one to take certain
important instructions to our ambassa-
dor at Athens. You are probably
aware that there are certain Balkan
nations for whose support both the en-
tente and the central allies are strug-
Cling. Greece is one of these countries.
We desire to offer to the king of Greece
certain advantages for his support in
case we are victorS in the great strug-
gle upon which we are entering If a
knowledge of what we offer should fall
into the hands of the Teutons it would
give them certain intentions of ours
which they would at once endeavor to
forestall. London, every route to
Greece and the capital of that country
is beset with spies. We are not sure
but that we have them right here
among our clerks in the government of
fees. You are liable to be watched
waylaid, possibly murdered on the
way"
The commission was given me, and
accepted it. Had there been no risk at
tending it l should not have been in
tereSted in it. l was handed two pack
ages, the one somewhat bulky, inclosed
in an official envelope and bearing the
official seal; the other a simple letter
evidently written on thin paper.
How the spies got on to the fact that
communication was to leave the for
eign office ana | was to carry it was
and is mystery to me. l was told
that no one was employed to copy the
paper, which was written by the under
secretary himself Nevertheless the
matter was known to some one who in
formed the proper person outside, who
at once set in motion certain agencies
to get possession of the document
carried, or at least prevent my deliver
ing it.
AS to my route, it was uncertain l
might go all the way by sea, but there
was some danger Of beng summarized
/ could go through southern France
and Italy, but in the beginning of the
war no one knew how the Italian cat
would jump. Italy did not join the
allies for year after the beginning of
hostilities. l resolved to go through
France to Marseilles, then determine
by what route would continue my
Journey.
I had scarcely seated myself in the
train for Southampton-I proposed to
cross the channel from there to Havre
than l noticed man in the same
compartment as myself casting furtive
glances at me. l surmised at once that
he was aware of the fact that l was
what was, but believed that he would
not have let me see him observing me,
had / anything to fear from him per-
sonally. 1t was much more probable
that he was intending to draw my at
tention to himself while my real dam
ger lurked elsewhere. During the ride
opened my suit case and felt for the
bulky document us though to make sure
it was there. lie left the train at South
ampton, and l did not see him again
till was on the boat steaIning for the
French coast.
On reaching IIavre stood holding
my baggage. suit case. in the crowd
of passengers waiting to leave the boat
for the dock. Suddenly felt the suit
case wrenched from my hand. Turn
ing, / looked for the person who had
taken it. but saw no one near Those