The Washington herald., 1917-09-17

As he waned from my vision, his
successor shot by, a tall young man.
armed to the teeth with sharpened
pencils. In passing he bestowed a
dazzling Celtic grin.
About half an hour later he reap
peared wearing a somewhat harasseo
expression.
'The chief is ready to see this
lady" he said to the dignitary in
charge OF the reception office. not
raising his eyes from his notes which
he regarded with a dubious concern.
'All right, boy" said that person.
age. And then:
Are the hieroglyphics o. K.?'
A reminiscence of the grin appeared.
III / dope this stun out right, l
ought to get an appointment as spe-
cial agent"
We'll. IL you don't, you'll probably
get a monument saying you were a
good sprinter." said the other, and
headed up the hall with alacrity.
Grasping my courage firmly in one
hand and my notebook in the other.
I followed inconspicuously.
Before we reached Bielaski's door
we heard him speaking with that
clean clipped, snapping velocity Of
utterance, so unmistakable and indi-
vidual
Bet that machine gun dictation OF
his Is worrying another of the
stenogs," chuckled my companion.
But no stenographer was in sight
when we entered the big, light, un-
pretentious room, furnished in the
usual oak. the door fianked by a cou-
pie of huge. curiosity-inspiring safes
and carpeted with a rug of Oriental
pattern which instantly suggested a
Spanish omelet slightly overdone.
Several people were in the office. but
husky looking black-haired individ-
ual vigorously engaged with a tele-
phone and exuding a cracking smash
OF language was instantly recogniz-
able as the A. Bruce Bielaski. u use
the ''the" advisedly)
He's Also an Athlete.
Ones first impression OF the chief
of the Bureau of Investigation records
a young man in the early thirties, ap-
parently hard as nails physically. and
so dark that his gray eyes come as a
surprise. (No, young ladies, he's mar
ried already) He is rather a frequent
visitor at the "Y" gym and, they say.
Is something OF a boxer. which accom-
plishment must have been a very prac-
tical one. during his service as special
agent.
In conversation. he has a gift of
happy phrases and more than a turn
of ready humor. really being, outside
of an outrageous capacity for work.
quite human.
Regrettable to say, he does not talk
for publication. With provokingly po-
lite contumacity, he refused to be
quoted on the alleged escape of pris-
oners from interment camps, the
ethics Gf such there bel of detection
work, or even the allowability of
cheating a little on your food pledge.
To the portion of his many visitors
that it is practical for him to receive.
he is very simple and approachable
and shows a real appreciation of any
service that is offered or rendered the
department, withal-well, it's rather
hard to express, because he certainly
hasn't the prOverbial penetrating
glance of the detector. being. 1 fancy
bit too subtle for anything so OBJ
vious. still it is unimaginable that
his pleasant. uncommunicative eyes
should take anything on faith.
His callers are. of course, kaleido-
scopically chromatic. They range from
government officials and orchidlike
women of society through free lances
Of fortune and business. and private
citizens of shifting degrees of reputa-
ton down to some decidedly fruity
specimens.
Scale of Complaints.
By far the greater part of the COM
plants made concern Teutons who
apparently have not set much of a
limit on their speech; the rest is a
conglomeration of reports concerning
suspected wireless stations, ammuni-
ton shipments. concealed big gun
bases, hidden weapons and the like.
The same rule applies to the grist of
correspondence. of which there has
been a daily deluge for months. ne
cessitating continual overtime from
an office force already more than
trebled.
In spite of the size of the task, each
complaint. however problematic or in
definite to the clue furnished by it.,
has received practical attention in ac-
Cordance with policy of absolute
thoroughness strictly followed.
While many of the communications
received by the Bureau of Investiga-
ton seem to have been written by per-
sons of understanding and patriot
ism. others furnish mental refresh
ment by the weirdness of the mental
ity revealed. One of Mr.. Bielaski's S
assistants. in acknowledging these
missives, sometimes dictated that the
Bureau appreciated the spirit which
prompted them 1t seemed rather in
discreet to me for the department to
line up officially with the anti-prohibi-
tIonists.
Would Probe snuerkraut.
Occasional notes of unseemly levity
refused to take the department seri-
ously. One requested an immediate
investigation of the disloyal eating of
sauerkraut in the writer's vicinity. An
other more lengthy communication is
quoted.
"a certain German Course himD. BY
name Hans Won Bull. residing in
Chestnut street, Philadelphia, is in
charge of a network of agents ex-
tending completely over this country.
He Is perfecting plan whereby all
breweries are to be seized by local
Germans in the event of invasion.
They will hold these breweries for the
Fatherland at the cost of life itself,
which they will doubtless deem well
lost for a bottle of Budweiser.
with damnable and inhuman cum
ming, they have foreseen that, by this
plan. they will be able, at one fell
swoop. to almost totally disable the
gallant army Of the United States
and at the same time illuminate their
own troops so thoroughly that they
will sweep over our unfortunate
country like devastating tide. leav-
ing In their wake a trail of sadly
empty bottles and kegs.
wishing you the success in check