Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1917-07-25
Government HOT
ON TRAIL OF SPIES
Transport Leak Strs Secret
Service to Activity.
WATCH GABLES FOR CODES


iective Draft Will Find His Uniform
Ready TO Be Donned - Lawmakers
Hope to Quit Washington Middle Of
August.
Washington. - Especial correspond
ence) AL the energies Of the United
States secret service, under William ].
Flynn, are being directed to search out
the spy or spies who tipped off the Ger
man government on the route taken by
United States soldiers for Europe
Did an apparently innocent personal
or commercial cablegram passing be-
tween New York and neutral Euro
pean country via London or. Paris con-
vey to Berlin information as to the
course taken by the naval convoy which
escorted General Pershing's fighting
men to France, thus subjecting them to
peril of attack?
The question is receiving serious con-
siderati from administration author
tiles. No official and no military or
naval expert knows how Berlin was
tipped off, All are apparently in agree
ment that the most likely medium of
communication between German spies
and agents in this country and Berlin
is by means of secret code combinations
employed under the guise Of innocent
business or personal cablegrams and
passed by British and French censors
without hesitation.
An official in close touch with the sit
uation, whose name for obvious reasons
cannot be used, expressed the convic-
ton that this route is the one which
the Germans naturally would be ex-
pected to choose.
Stop Cables to NeutraIs,
If the administration should become
convinced that American military Sc
crets are being communicated to Berlin
by such means, he said, it would be the
national and international obligation of
the United States to stop the transmits
sion of all cables to European neutral
countries contiguous to Germany or
within easy reach Of Berlin
Press reports from Amsterdam and
other points have frequently made ref
erence to the closing Of the Holland
German frontier or the German-Swiss
frontier pending troop movements.
When the frontier is closed nothing is
allowed to pass except what the mill
tary authorities specially permit
It may become necessary for the
United States to take drastic steps
along this line. They may not be con-
fined to cablegrams going to neutral
European countries. 1t still remains
to be demonstrated that this is the
route through which valuable military
information actually reaches Berlin.
Military and naval experts are agreed
that it is not possible for Germany to
receive any information by direct wire
less from this continent or South Amer
Tea. Any intelligence sent across the
Atlantic, if It is to go in hurry, there
fore must go by cable.
Widespread Spy System.
While the natural disposition in this
instance is to suspect German agents
In neutral European countries, who are
known to be numerous and influential,
it is said by experts to be by no means
impossible that commercial or person
al messages sent from New York to
london or Paris may have been the me-
dunn. It is known that Germany main
tains real spy system in the British
and French capitals.
One Of the features Of the war has
been the apparently accurate informa-
ton possessed by the German authori-
ties concerning the movement Of Brit
ish troops between England and France
and even Of the return movement from
France to England. British newspa-
pers have frequently commented upon
this fact. and It has been the subject
OF comment In official reports reaching
Washington from diplomatic officials.
After nearly three years Of cable CEN
sorship the British and French have
evolved q system recognized as the
best eyer maintained. How anything
OF value to the enemy could slip
through, even In cable passing be-
tween the United States and neutral
country. Is mystery.
Cievsr Secret Codes.
The secret messages discovered at
the Sayville and Tuckerton wireless
stations, which for more than two
years maintained direct communica-
ton with Berlin. demonstrated clearly
to officials that it is possible so to ar
range secret codes as to make detec-
ticn next to impossible.
Such work requires a great deal Of
time and involves preliminary COM
munication between the sender and re-
ceiver. Yet 1t was done successfully
many times before the navy depart
ment took over the operation of both
stations. Even after that time many
secret messages got by the censor and
the experts who did the actual work Of