The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-09
} GERMANS SAID . ID HAVE BE E N
 EXECUTED AS SPIES
Amsterdam Report Says One Noncommissioned Off, ficer, Private and Civil
 ian Paid Penalty

Amsterdam, November o.-(Correspon- dence of the Associated Press)-Three Germans, including one noncommis-
 stoned officer, one private and civil official, have just been executed in Germany as entente spies. The leader of the group, according to the German newspaper accounts, was Dr. Roos
 His associates were Joseph Schnitzler, a noncommssioned officer in an artil- lerv battalion at the front, and Albert Strudel, soldier in a telephone section i'll Coblentz.
 The Cologne Gazette gives the follow
 ing account of the case
 t'The enemy espionage service not only succeeds in now and then sending en- emy subjects and suborned neutrals with false or stolen passports to spy in Ger many but occasionally German suc- cumbs to the temptation of money.
 "A German courtmartial had to deal with one of these cases a short time ago. The three men named were ac- cused of treason. Dr. Roos. who had been a failure in his profession and in life, while on a business journey to Swift zerIand in 1915 made the acquaintance of a certain Joseph Kraft, in Geneva, whose business was to get agents for the French intelligence service. Here Dr. ROOS was also introduced to all dl- legged Captain Barrat.
 "It was agreed that Roos should set. tie in Frankfort, and from there send military and economic information to Switzerland to a covering address. Grew illiot, Geneva. The information was written by Roos in invisible ink between the lines of newspapers which were then
 sent in wrapper looking quite in- nocuous in the post. As a reward for be- t,ax vii s at Ta-
 ceived an advance of 2000 francs and a monthly payment of 10O1 francs was guaranteed him.
 Tn October 1915, Roos began his ac- tivities in Frankfort. At first he had his own observations only to rely upon, but later he gained accomplices in Strudel and Schnitzler He sent several reports monthly, until finally the secret writing was discovered and it was as- certained that he was the sender. Soon afterwards his acc0mplices were discov- tered. All three made full confession. "The activities of these three spies has done great injury to the fatherland and the army, as the two soldiers, especial ly Schnitzler, who was at the front, were able to give valuable information. The court-martial condemned all three to death. The punishment was carried out soon after.
 "In addition, it was possible to have a l number Of other members or the eSplofi- age organiza ton brought to triaf The recruiting agent, Josef Kraft, and Gre l villiot, who received letters from Roos at Geneve, were tried by the court there.
 Kraft was fined 300 francs and sentenced to three months Imprisonment Grevilliot l got 600-franc fine and four months im- prisonment for obtaining information on i behalf of foreign power.'
 Another account of espionage activities | in Germany is printed in a number of German papers this week. It pays a grudging tribute to the activities of an i alleged Russian agent named Lander l of whom it says: This versatile and
 cunning spy, who is generally described ] as man of education; and of an ami