The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-04-19
BY CARL W. AcKERMAN


Copyright 1917, Tho Tribune Association
Registered according 10 the Copyright
Act Canada. 1917. by The Tribune
Association
Travelling one day last fall from Cop
cnhaSen to Berlin with Julius G. Lay,
former American Consul General IN Ser,
lin, l met Dane who had just returned
To Denmark from the United States. He
spoke English, German, Spanish. and his
native tongue. Throughout the trip
which lasted about twelve hours. he
sorted ard collected bundles Of news
papers and papers, which seemed TO nave
gotten diSarranged at some time preNl-
GUS to his arrival in Copenhagen.
During the conversation which fol-
lowed he said he had been in South AM
erica. making a study OF English pro.
pagauda One of the books he carried
contained hundreds of clippings from
Latin-American newspapers. Another
volume contained thousands OF articles
and news dispatches from our press.
At that time it appeared unusual for
Dane to be interested in propaganda
in America, but few days after our
arrived in Berlin saw him come out
of the foreign office with one Of the
books Of clippings in his hands.
That man was undoubtedly an agent
OF the Foreign Office Press Department.
which is In reality the intelligent bureau
Of the Ministry OF Foreign Affairs. Be
cause he had a Danish passport he could
travel back and forth to the United
States and South America without being
Seized by the British.
Employ Danes and Swedes.
I cite this incident because it shows
how Germany has been getting infurma-
tIon from the Cnited States. Naturally
the British have not permitted Germans
TO cross the Atlantic, at least on paSsrn-
ger liners. but they have not been able
to stop the hundreds and perhaps thou
sands. of Danes and Swcdes who have
been employed by tho different branches
of the German intelligence service.
The German spy system, which eX-
tends 10 every corner OF the globe, Is
divided into three departments. The
navy is supposed TO have the most clab
crate and efficient service. The army
ranks next ana the foreign office third.
When Captain Boy-Ed was in The United
States he was chief of the naval spy
service here. and his co-worker in the
en-. The foreign office had a large num-
Der of agents. all working under the di-
rection Of Count Won Bernstorf. tho
ambassador.
Lines from the intricate and far
reaching German Secret Service con-
verge at great headquarters. in Silcsia
Information gathered by the navy. army
and political departments is siftcd in
Berlin and sent to headquarters. where
it is placed before General Ludcndorf.
the first quartermastcr general and Won
HindenhurES right hand personal adj
visor. Ludendorf is really the centre Of
the spy system.
While the German service covers
every activity In tho world which
touches directly or indirectly anything
which Germany has done or may do. ii
is from time to time conferred upon spc
cia work. After the sinking of the
I.usitania. Anconia, Arabic and Sussex
the United states and South America.
Every activity in tho United States
was investigated and observed. The
naval service conferred It's attention
upon our naval preparations and meth
DDS of attack The army kept in close
Washington. The Foreign Office
studied the press and the Admlnlstra-
ton. Nothing. absolutely nothing. was
overlooked.
Berlin and Great Headquarters, were
compared with reports gathered in
Berlin by the secret service agents who
were watching the American colony.
But discussion of how. tho spy depart
ment tormentcd Americans in Berlin
From time to time during the war.
American newspapers have reported
what German spies were doing here. but
as far as I have been able to learn.
citizens. Some Americana Danes and
Swedes. who have gone back and forth
from New York. have not heen suspect
ed and some Spantards who have trav-
elled from Cuba and South America TO
Spain for tho Kaiser have not been sub
ject to Investigation.
Neutral CouHers Bribed
Germany has obtained reports from
the United States In three ways:
/. Through Danes. Swcdes and Amer
leans travelling from New York to Cop
enhaEen. and other Scandinavian ports.
.. BY hr!btng couricrs OF small ncu-
trail countries.
2. BY sending so-called neutral agents
from Havana and South America TO
Spain.
Although every Scandinavian pass"n-
ger liner and nearly every freight shin
bound for the North was held up and
examined at Kirkwall tho English have
not been able to stop reports from
reaching Germany by this route. AL
though the English have searched the
ships from masthead TO coal hunkcrs:
although British jackies have removed
every piece OF coal from some OF the