The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-04-21
GERARD kept BUSY
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toned there to listen to all converse
lions. Americans used to say that
within half an hour after they made
any important remark about Germany
and the United States It was known at
the Foreign Office or General Staff.
OF the numerous incidents which &C.
Cured here one is typical Of how over
jealous some Of the spies were. espec-
tally some who did not understand
English perfectly.
One day s. B. Conger, of Grand Rap
Ids. Mich, chief of The Associated
Press, and Philip M. Powers, of Bos-
ton, also Of that organization. and I
walked from q meeting of the War
Press Bureau to the Adlon. Conger
and stopped in the lobby to talk
about the censorship. Both Of us were
having difficulty in getting our dis
patches past the Foreign Office censor
ship and we discussed means Of pro-
testing against the stupidity Of the
officials. No other subject was dis
cussed, although at the time Berlin
was aroused over the possibility Of
break with the United States.
A few hours afterward / saw Joseph
~. 0lCWs VI oOctOhp AhcS oCNiCI0Ay Va
the embassy. Ambassador Gerard was
at the time in New York. Grew said
Count Montgelas, chief Of the Ameri-
can division Of the Foreign Office. had
asked him whether the United States
was about to break diplomatic rela-
tions, because "Mr. Conger and Mr..
Alderman had stated that afternoon
that they were packing their trunks to
he ready for the break"
Street Only Safe Place.
Some one of the numerous agents at
the Adlon had reported his version of
our conversation. After this incident
whenever Conger and l met to talk
about anything we selected the middle
of the street!
In Berlin lived on the top floor of
an apartment house in Wilmersdorf, a
quiet suburb of Berlin. When moved
In the apartment underneath was occu-
pied by German family, which moved
,ut very suddenly after the Sussex was
torpedoed. A few days later read on
the name plate of the apartment the
card OF the new occupant. His name
was German, but the card was his for
mer business card which he used in
Petrograd.
One evening I returned from the Of
flee and was dining on the balcony,
such as are built on all Berlin apart
ments. After was there few min
utes talking to my wife, ten-year-
old boy. son Of the couple living under
meath our apartment, ran into his faith
er's study and shouted: ooh, daddy, |
that mans home upstairs"
In few seconds the whole family |
was sitting on the balcony underneath.
r c,.L Ay~4k
English as well as did.
One day Ambassador Gerard receiv-
ed through the mail letter addressed |
In q plain envelop containing spy's
report on Gerard addressed to the Min
istry Of War. The report covered sew.
eral typewriter pages and narrated
about everything the Ambassador had
done and said during the previous
week. 1t was so accurate that the Am
hassador thought ne might have die.
tated 1t himself. What Mr.. Gerard did
with the letter finally l do not know,
but he said at the time that he be.
lieved the report was sent to him in
tentionally although there were evil
iences that 1t might have been placed
IN the wrong envelope by the writer.
= Work Of Code Experts.
The code experts in the Foreign Of
flee and military bureaus were consid
cred experts in any code in the world.
Although the United States used three
codes It was known that at least two
were known to the German govern
ment but the State Department in
sending dispatches usually mixed the
codes so that any one knowing two of
them or even the third. could not de-
cipher the telegram. That was, how
ever, the intention OF the State Depart
ment but frequently dispatches were
sent to the Embassy from Washington
and then made public verbatim as they
we're sent.
Because this had happened several
times the Ambassador feared the gov
eminent could read all his kilograms,
so he adopted the policy of sending all
important confidential communications
through the United State governments
private mail pouches. which were sent
to the United States weekly by courier
President Wilson, Colonel House and
Secretary Lansing were thus in conf
Dental communication despite the Wig
lance of the German government.
When the Berlin code experts sue
ceeded in deciphering dispatches these
were compard with other information
from the United States and in this way
the government spy system had COM
plete check on all important reports
OBSERVE ARBOR DAY