New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-21
Gerard Kept Busy Wedding Spies
Out Of the American Embassy
Americana Born Wives Of German Officials Among Most
Active Workers in Berins Secret Service-State Depart
ment Dispatches Deciphered by Code Experts
Nv CARL w. ACKERMAN


Copyright. 1917. The Tribune Association
Registered IN accordance 10Th the Copyright
Act. CanGdG. 1871 The Tribune ASsooid-
ton
James w Gerard. the American Am
bassador in Berlin. used to be kept
busy wedding out spies in the embassy.
/ Because Of a scarcity of American
clerks and stenographers he had to en-
ploy many Germans. even in the con-
/ fdential file rooms. But whenever the
ambassador discovered a real spy, out
he went.
But one of the men the ambassador
suspected was the chief messenger and
announcer. a young German named
Fritz" This fellow was liable to mill
tary duty. but he was never called.
One day, while talking to Secretary of
State Zimmerman. Gerard asked why
Fritz" was always overlooked when
the army called in new men. All other
German male employees were called, al
| though many of them were excused
because the ambassador asked for their
release. but Fritz" stayed. thinner
mann said that of course he did not
know the reasons because he was not
connected with the General staff!
After Gerard returned to the en-
bassy from this call on the Secretary
of State he remarked that it probably
would not hurt the United States to
have Fritz" report because if he re-
ported the truth the General staff
would soon learn that the United States
was in earnest in opposing German sub
marine warfare and would 90 to war if
the Won Tirpitz policies were accepted.
Fritz" however. proved an active
worker for the government and he
watched especially the American cor
respondents who came to the embassy,
reporting faithfully to the Foreign Of
flee what he heard them say.
Aided by American Wives
But the German Secret Service in
Berlin was extremely efficient in watch
ing Americans. And among the most
active workers were American-born
wives of German army officers or Off
cials. The navy. army and Foreign
| Office all had their women agents, and
one of the most capable ones was a
Frau Won Schroeder. wife of Rittmeis-
ter Won Schroeder. who was in the army
Intelligence bureau of the General
staff.
! Frau Won Schroeder worked mainly
| through certain American correspond
ents and business men. Her home was
meeting place for a group of anti
! Wilson Americans who were spying on
Ambassador Gerard and who reported
to her everything they heard about him.
! At one time she was quite intimate
with Zimmerman, but after a while
she turned on the Foreign Office and
| did spying almost exclusively for the
/ Navy Department. When she deserted
| the Foreign Office Zimmerman became
so angry that he told Gerard one day
that if Frau Won Schroeder ever came
TO his Office again he would jump out
of the window.
At the beginning of the war Frau
Won Schroeder was cultivated by sew
eral of the most prominent American
correspondents because in return for
the information they gave her about
the American Embassy and the United
| States she obtained favors for them.
At one time she was so powerful in
government circles that notes to the
| United States in reply to President
/ Wilson's submarine notes were drafted
in her library.
Spy System in Hotel
But Frau Won Schroeder's activities
were only one phase Of the Berlin
| Secret Service.
/ The Hotel Adlon was known as the
gathering place for Americans. Most
/ Americans who came TO Berlin stopped
there, so the intelligence department
/ Of the government had not only every
employe who understood English but
army officers and women agents sta
/ toned there to listen TO- all converse
/ tions. Americans used to say that
within half an hour after they made
any important remark about Germany
and the United States it was known az
! the Foreign Office or General staff. OF
| the numerous incidents which occurred
here one is typical of how oyerzealous
| some Of the spies were, especially some
who did not understand English per-
| fectly.
One day S. B. Conger, of Grand Rap.
ids. Mich, chief of The Associated
Press, and Philip NJ. Powers, of Bos.
ton, also Of that organization. and
walked from a meeting Of the Wal
| Press Bureau to the Adlon. Congei
and stopped in the lobby to talk about
| the censorship. Both Of US were hav-
/ ing difficulty in getting our dispatches
past the Foreign Office censorship, anc
we discussed means OF protesting
against the stupidity of the officials
No other subject was discussed, al.
] though at the time Berlin was aroused