The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-09-22
UTILIZED SPAIN
AS NEW CHANNEL
Sailing of U. S. Troops Was
Reported Through
That Agency
GERMAN FIRM IN NEW
YORK SUPPLIED DATA
Hamburg : American Line
and North German Lloyd
Co. Gather Facts

Washington, Sept. 22.-The final press
ure that brought the addition of the cen
sorship amendment TO the trading with
the enemy bill yesterday came in the
form of the report on a government IN
yestigation of information reaching Ger
many through uneensored cable de-
spatches and letters. This report showed,
among other things, that Germany was
informed of the sailing date and number
of transports carrying the first troops
to France by an apparently simple bust
ness cable from the representative in
New York of a big German firm to cor
respondent in Barcelona, and that the in
formation was forwarded from BARGE
Iona to Germany by Spanish wireless.
Many German firms are also ineulpat'
ed by the report and it is further stated
that there is no doubt that the United
States army is well sailed with German
spies When this report was presented
TO the conferees and il was shown to
them that the route from this country toI
South America thence to Spain, and
from Spain to Germany by Spanish wire
less was a regular means of communities
ton between German agents in America
and their chiefs in Berlin, the provision
for mail and cable censorship was
agreed to without further discussion.
Among other things the report in ques
ton, which was dated Sept IL, said
Large German corporations, such as
the Hamburg American line and the |
North German Lloyd company, maintain
complete organizations, supposedly for
the purpose of gathering trade Stats
ties for use after the war. but which |
obviously can systematically gather facts
of more immediate value to the German
empire, such as the date of departure
and the number of our troop-carrying
transports. This is equally true of many
banking and commercial houses.
There is no question that numerous
German agents are to be found in the
regular and national armies. They will
have first hand knowledge of strength,
course of training, equipment, progress
and morale of the different units.
1T is worthy of note, as evidence of
the material value to the enemy of I'M
censored mails, that the British govern
ment in the first two years of the war
detained letters destined to Germany,
containing checks, drafts, money orders
and remittances in various forms to the
value of f250,000,000.
1--WE are informed by the office of
-- that the information as to the de
parture of the - transports carry
ing American troops to France was prob
ynI - ha
ment in cable message sent by one
head of the German com
pany in New York to one -, at
Barcelona, Spain. The message was dat 7
ed June Ia, the date the transports I
sailed.
Not only does this channel exist but
we know that it is being used. We know L
Of business reports and credits mailed to
Spain and transmitted by wireless from y
Spain to Germany There are in theI
files numerous communications contain
ing valuable information addressed to !
neutral countries, but intended for Ger =
many and intercepted" \
In the examples of reports of appar y
antly innocent business messages, hav- =
ng in fact entirely different meaning,
here is one that related to the cargo q
If the Deutschland. 1t was sent from II
Berlin by wireless via Tuckerton Nov. 5, Il
9l6, and read as follows
'Haight % platt street NYk. o
Provide that whole quantity of bars n
S taken by Walker without fatal and a.
hat remaining material be only sheets :
The address Haight meant Thomas 81
'rosser & Sons, agents for Krupps, and !,
when translated the message said: ~
Provide that whole quantity of ferro- ca
hrome is taken by Deutschland without e.
all and that remaining material only al
o be nickel" ef
" al