The Washington herald., 1917-05-23
HOLLAND LETTER
The Biggest Daily
Financial News Feature
Of the County's Best Newsp .pers.

of the government will be available for
as exciting and ronantic~a story of de-
tective work as any that has been writ
ten by the masters of detective fiction.
Not until this material is published will
the public have good understanding of
the magnitude of the work performed by
the Secret Service, as well as the sue
cesses which its agents have achieved.
1t is due to information possessed by
the administration and perhaps by some
members of Congress that the drastic
espionage measure was drafted. For it
came to the knowledge of the administra-
ton that the ramifications of the secret
organizations which Germany had estab-
lished in the United States were far
reaching, of great detail and perfected
with wonderful skill. 1t became neces-
sary to match the secret and under
ground work done or plotted by this or
ganization with work committed to the
Secret Service chiefly, although the po-
lice of the United States were frequently
called into cooperation.
Had this secret work, which had for
Its purpose the embarrassment of the al
lies, and, so Ear as possible, the cutting
off of their supplies from the United
States. not been checked, England and
France would certainly have found them
selves at times in very serious posi-
ton. There is now possible a good illus
tration of the perfection of detail of this
spy system, which is, of itself SUFFICIENT
| to show with what far-reaching subtle
and mastery detail the organization has
performed its work, without much sue
cess, nevertheless.
Knew of Ship SaIIInEs.
There came to the knowledge of the
authorities at Washington some time ago
that Berlin was receiving accurate in
formation which told of the sailing of
vessels from the United States the car
goes of which were chiefly made up of
certain iron and steel apparatus upon
which the allies in the fighting in France
greatly depend. The plant where this ap-
raratus is manufactured is situated near
Philadelphia. 1t Is one of the great in
dustries of the United States Various
attempts have been made by violence, or
by fire. to do damage to this plant, and
some injury has, in that way. been done.
So great were the later precautions, how
ever. against violence or fire that de-
struction OF that kind has ceased. But
how did Berlin learn of the departure OF
vessels from the United States carrying
certain steel and iron apparatus of which
the allies in France were in great need?
The Secret Service was instructed to
ferret out, IL possible, the manner by
which this information was conveyed to
Germany and the person or persons who
sent It. Some of the most skillful of the
agents were sent to the plant. Their
scrutiny of 1t and of the employees was
perfect, but 1t furnished no clue. Neither
was any clue furnished by any search OF
the method by which the apparatus was
shipped from the plant to the steamers
Therefore the Secret Service men went
few days ago to the private home of
the president Of the corporation, and
having made another search without sue
cess, asked that the domestic servants be
called. With utmost skill the servants
were questioned and examined and still
no clue was furnished to the agents.
Maid Looked Innocent
Then they asked If all the domestics
had appeared before them. In reply
they were told that there were two who
had not. One was the valet and the
other maid. These also were summoned
and the valet was first questioned. But
his innocence was apparently perfectly
established. Then the secret service men
turned to the maid.
The modesty, the shrinking demeanor.
the childlike manner and the apparent
innocence of this maid would of them
selves have been sufficient to persuade
a detective of ordinary intelligence that
here also was no guilt. But OF sudden
one of the secret service men stepped
behind the maid and with quick hand
and rapid clutch lifted from her head
a wonderfully made wig and there stood
before them not a young woman, but a
young man. The wig itself must have
cost a great deal of money, because it
was a work Of art
The bogus maid was an adept as an
actor. The hands were soft, there was
no sign of beard and the complexion was
fair. Moreover, until the wig was lifted, |
the eyes seemed to convey perfect in
nocence. That clue was sufficient. The
spy was taken into custody and is now
in prison. And evidence furnished by this
clue appears perfectly to implCate the
bogus maid as the source of information
sent to Germany.
Presumably the information sent to
Berlin by this spy was communicated
for the purpose of giving warning to the
subma rines so that they would lay in !
wait for the vessels and sink them with |
their valuable cargoes.
Spy system Mastered.
While there are likely to be occa-
sional successes due to the work of
spies, nevertheless it is now the be-
lief in Washington that the system as
a whole is almost completely demoTa- !
States will be substantially as i'm
mune from damage done by spies, or
by information furnished by them, as
is Great Britain.
1t is due to the work of the Secret
Service agents that in the city of New
York there have been established GER
tain barred zones which Germans will |
be unable to enter unless 1t can be
clearly shown that their business |
reasons for asking permits to do so
are excellent and their characters
above suspicion.
AS a result, a. good many hotels
will lose patronage which they have
formerly received from Germans. II
this prohibition bears hard upon
German citizens-and 1t certainly will
upon many who are worthy of all
will be told II they COM |
plain that they must submit to these
restrictions because washington, New
York, and the Secret Service have ex-
cellent reasons for believing that the
spies unless they are restrained, will
make attempts to destroy property and
especially that which has military
value.