Alma record., 1917-03-01
A BEARER OF
DISPATCHES
His Difficulties In Reaching
Ills Destination
BY ALAN HINSDALE

ucpdTLmeut Oh GFcdt DilthlU iOT bcSIcb
service. My reason for doing so was
that was travelling abroad and found
myself strapped in London. communi-
cation with my native land America.
having been cut of. and l was unable
10 get funds. l will admit, however,
that | always had desire TO try my
hand at secret service work.
My fitness TO serve the British at
this time and in this 1eld was that
am an American and had an Ameri-
ean passport.
made my offer through an official
in the Office OF the foreign secretary
who knew something of my anteced-
ents and was in a position to vonch
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 to know whom 70
trust
One day / received note from my
friend In the foreign office TO call upon
him In his oidce in Downing street
Upon my reporting TO him he led me
TO one of the chief men IN the foreign
department. who asked me a number
OF questions about myself with a view
10 establishing my trustworhiness.
doubt IL he would have employed me
had IL not been that l 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 II and
agreed that a man would not be likely
to turn traitor TO cause with which
his mother sympathized.
When he had satisfied himself with
regard TO my fitness for the work he
said TO me:
I'VE 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 II 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 10 be watched,
wayhid, possibly murdered on the
way"
The commission was given me, and
accepted il. Had there been no risk at
/ tending il l should not have been in
! terested In il. l was handed two pack
/ ages, the one somewhat bulky, inclosed
ia 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
n communication was TO leave the for
/ eign Office and i was TO carry it was
and IS a mystery 10 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
10 get possession of the document
carried or at least prevent my deliver
ing it,
As TO my route il was uncertain.
might 90 all the way by sea, but there
was some danger OF being summarized.
| could 90 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 a year after the beginning Of
/ hostilities. resolved 10 go through
/ France to Marseilles, then determine
/ by what route l would continue my
journey
l had scarcely seated myself in the
train for Southampton proposed to
cross the channel from there to Havre
than / noticed man III the same
compartment az myself casting furtiye
glances at me. / surmised at once that
he was aware OF the fact that | was
what l was. but believed that he would
not have let me see him observing me,
had / anything TO fear from him per
! sonaliy. II was much more probable
that he was intending TO draw my at
tention TO himself while my real dan
ger lurked elsewhere. During the ride
! opened my suit case and felt for the
bulky document as though to make sure
Il was there He left the train at South
amptou, and 1 did not sec him again
till | was on the boat steaming for the
French coast.
On reaching Iicvra | stood holding
.ly baggage. a suit case, III 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
behind me were comparatively quiet.
Convinced that my enemies plans for
making way with my baggage were
perfect, | made no motion 10 recover
IT, 1t was doubtless passed from one
person to another till 1t was at q safe
distance from me.
My arst attempt 10 outwit my way
layers was a success. They had 90: n
dummy dispatch. and had the real
one sewed IN the lining OF my vest
However, this did not accord with my
| plans. had intended TO use the dunn
my In another way and farther on In
my fourupv Now I had lost if and