The sun., 1917-07-04
SPIES MASKED
AS WAR NURSES
FROM AMERICA
Six Red Cross Convictions
Responsible for Entente's
Strict Rules.
GAVE AID, TO GERMANS
interviewed Wounded and
Prisoners and Watched
Troop Movements.
GAVE AID, TO GERMANS
Special csbls Despatch TO Tn. srx.


LONDON. July 3.-German spies who
came from the United States wearing
the insignia Of the Red Gross forced the
French and British Governments TO re-
fuse to permit any nurses whose parents
were unnaturalized Germans to cross
the sea TO administer TO the wounded in
France. Only last winter six nurses in
the American contingent were arrested
and convicted upon charges OF espion-
age.
These women had worked near the
advanced dressing stations, where they
had access TO valuable information, both
by observation and by taking statements
from the wounded. Prisoners were'also
interview1d by these nurses to increase
their fund Of information. The women
thus convicted were from America and
were OF German parentage.
They conveyed to Germany vital in
formation on troop movements and the
condition OF the allied troops at certain
portions OF the line. and used their po-
sitions for the general purpose of serv-
Ing the German Government The allied
officials doubled their vigilance in this
regard following the conviction of the
six nurses, and the affair Is the true ex-
PLANTATION Of the ban on Red Cross work.
ers OF German parentage. of which so
much comment was made.
Frances Consistent Policy.
1t has been the consistent policy of
France since the war started that no
per5ons OF German birth or of unnat-
uralized parents can enter the coun-
try. especially IL they are connected
with an organization whose work Is
carried on near military bases.
IL may seem unjust to some people
In the United States that nurses are
barred on these grounds, but expert
ence has proved. the military authori-
ties contend. that it is the only policy.
The secretary of the American Red
Cross. talking to THE Sun correspon-
dent at London headquarters, said
out of all the hundreds OF nurses
who have passed through London on
the way to France there has been but
one woman to whom admission to the
battle area was refused. Her parents
wero unnaturallzed Germans and she
had never been naturalized She was "a
much German as II she had come d.
rect from Berlin. She was among those
who didn't have passports.
Barred by the French.
The matter was taken UP with the
French officials in London, who gave
her permission to go to France. but the
officials over there, a. might have beei
expected, refused to admit her. with the
result that she had to return to tht
United States at the expense of thu
Red Cross
I'VE Immediately warned our Amerl.
can office not to allow nurses in this
category to sail for either England oil
France, because II simply meant they
would be sent back on the next ship
Apparently our people at home arr
taking the proper precautions. because
this case was the only one and will
probably be the last. have no com
plant to make against these regula
tions. We recognize the danger and in
tend to take every precaution to aid thu
French authorities"
In British official circles there is nc
little astonishment that any unpleasant
feeling could have heen aroused II
America by the precautions. One Off
cial who has been closely connected with
Great Britain's relations with Americf
declared the allied regulations regarding
nurses going to France had to be ex
ceptionally strict,
ut is quite possible that the Ameri
cans are 50 new to war conditions tina
they think the rules too severe" he said
but bitter occurrences speak for tn,
wisdom of the rules. No American borI
nurse Of either American or naturalizel
parents will be barred but we simpl!
| cannot run risks with those who nigh
he German symnathizera