The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-04-19

German Spy System Covers Every American
[continued From page one.]

Berlin and Great Headquarters, were
compared with reports gathered in
Berlin by the secret service agents
who were watching the American col!
ony. But discussion Of how the spy
department tormented Americans In
Berlin will be taken up In the next
article.
From time to time during the war,
American newspapers have reported
what German spies were doing here
but, as far as have been able to learn,
these reports concerned only German
citizens. Some Americans. Danes and
Swedes, who have gone back and forth
from New York. have not been sus,
pected and some Spaniards who have
travelled from Cuba and South Amer.
lea to Spain for the Kaiser have not
been subject to investigation.
Neutral couriers 6ribed.
Germany has obtained reports from
the United States in three ways:
1. Through Danes, Swedes and
Americans travelling from New York
to Copenhagen, and other Scandina-
Wan ports.
g. BY bribing couriers Of small neu-
trail countries.
8. BY sending so-called neutral
agents from Havana and South Amer
lea to Spain.
Although every Scandinavian pas
senger liner and nearly every freight
ship bound for the North was held up
and examined at Kirkwall, the English
have not been able to stop reports
from reaching Germany by this route.
Although the English have searched
the ships from masthead to coal bunk
ers, although British jackies have re-
moved every piece of coal from some OF
the bunkers and ripped up carpets
and washstands on steamers, informa-
ton has got through. The Dane I met
going to Berlin last fall got his papers
past the British authorities.
Every time was in Copenhagen
heard about information which was
smuggled through to the United States
from these countries. German banks
used to pay sailors as much as 5000
and $500 to carry small parcels to Ger
man agents here. The Foreign Office
used to send to Copenhagen, Bergen
and Swedish ports bundles Of docu-
ments to be sent to the United States.
OF course, not all Of these got through,
but there were always sufficient leaks
to pay the government to take chances
on this route. Then, by paying all ex-
penses and big fees to Scandinavian
citizens. Germany was able to get in
structions here to officials, and to re-
ceive. in return, reports from the
agents in the United States.
Passed Through Panama.
Before Roumania declared war Ger.
many was able. through certain Rou-
manian officials. to get information in
and out of England and France via
Switzerland There were also some
neutrals in Washington who were pro-
German to the extent that they would
send cipher messages past the British
censor for the information Of Germany
One Of the new German papers, for
instance. had an arrangement by which
It received reports from the United
States. via Holland. In Berlin heard
OF several instances where attaches Of
small neutral countries sent informa-
tion to the United States and Spain
through their government pouches,
Until the State Department and AM
bassador Gerard put a censorship on
all mail going through the American
mailbags Germany had been able 20
smuggle information to the United
States by bribing clerks And. even
up to the time diplomatic relations
were broken, Ambassador Gerard used
to receive at least every week notes
from prominent Germans, even mem
bers of royal households, asking him
70 forward letters to the United States.
But the ambassador refused unless the
Iatt <~ - ;~I,
ment officials at Washington. In this