The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-12-23
CREWS OF SCANDINAVIAN VESSELS
CREATE REGULAR COMMUNICATION
CARRY MILITARY INFORMATION TO ENEMY OF UNITED
STATES BY SECRET CODES AND INVISIBLE INK
CUSTOMS OFFICIALS AT WASHINGTON GIVE
OUT SOME DETAILS OF THE CONsP' >CY.

Washington, Dec. Evaporation or
system of regular communication be
tween the United States, Germany. and
European neutrals was disclosed TODAY
by announcement Of customs officials
that within the last two weeks they
have found scores of letters containing
inscriptions i'm invisible ink or code
phrases In the clothing or personal eff
fects of ships crews bound to or from
Scandinavian ports. Swedes and Nor
wegians were most prominent in the
traffic. and about one-fifth of the let
ters were of suspicious character
Scores of the letters are now under
scrutiny and investigations being made
probably will result in arrests of a
number of persons on charges Of vio-
lating provisions Of the trading-with-the-
enemy act, forbidding transmission OF
communications to or from the country
except in the regular course of the
mail or under license by customs au-
thorities or the war trade board.
Officials suspect that crews of yes
sells plying between the United States
and northern European neutral ports
have carried many letters from Ger
man spies in this country, the docu-
ments being sent to Germany from the
neutral port at which they are landed
Until regulations were promulgated
several weeks ago the prohibition
against such communication had not
been forced strictly, although customs
inspectors and secret service agents
had suspected many communications Of
a Dangerous nature on ships leaving
or arriving at American ports. Extra
precautions rnder the new rules. how
ever. resulted in the roundup of many
more letters than II had previously
been thought were carried by messen-
ger.
Evidence gathered thus far leads Of
ficials to believe some neutral subjects,
aided by Americans, have made consid-
cradle money by promoting the clan
destine traffic in communication to
evade the British censorship of mails
before and after the United States en-
tered the war. The new law subjects
such an enemy to criminal prosecu-
ton with penalty of $4,000 fine and
ten years Imprisonment.
Great quantities of commercial COM
munications termed ships and con
sgnees' mail" are varied by vessels
not in regular mail channels. and most
of this heretofore has been licensed
freely by customs officers.
Washington, Dec. 22.-An extensive
traffic in written communications to
Germany. Austria and the northern
European neutrals. involving use of in
visible ink and code systems, has been
discovered and stopped by customs Of
ficials within the last few weeks treas
ury officials disclosed today.
The traffic ii was disclosed was
carried on largely by Swedish and Nor
Veglan ship and marine men.
Scores of persons now are under sur
veilance. and number of arrests prob
ably will be made soon Evidence that
the chain of communications has been |
open ever since the United States en- !
tered the war has been uncovered. and |
officials suspect that much of 'the infor /,
nation which the German government |
is known to have received concerning |
war preparations in America has been |
under well-organiZed |
scheme directed by subjects of neutral |
assisted by some Americans. /
Twenty per cent of the letters writ
ten i'm the United States on shipboard |
and heretofore sent TO Europe by mes
senger by a member of the ships crew,
have been found to bear messages in
invisible ink or to contain code or cryp-
tic phrases suspected of holding hidden
r2eanings.
THE discoveries were made by Gus.
tOInS OFFICIALS dIlti Pitihuibdtioh SNNeiof
weaks ago, of regulations under the
trading with the enemy act forbidding
of communications to or
rom the United States. except through
he regular channels. When the rules
were established a strict system OF
Inspection of ships, their crews and car
goes was begun and the dangerous ma
.ure of many communications found on
shipboard was Immediately discovered.
Most messages in invisible ink, ap-
Darentiy were only personal communi.
cations from persons in the United
states to friends or relatives I'm Ger
many. and although superfciaily they
pore no evidence of carrying valuable
to the enemy. they were
ield upon the ground that they might
De dangerous.
Government agents have gathered
evidence that certain persons i'm this
country, many of whom are Swcdes or
have conducted money
making scheme of transmitting letters
o the northern European neutral coun-
ries. or to, Germany at high prices.
3y this means. the British censorship
n many cases was evaded