The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-05-26
GERMAN SPIES
THOUGHT TO Be
|NU S. SERVICE
At Work in Army and Navy,
Says Daniels
WILL HOLD AN INQUIRY
Gave information Of the Sailing of the
Destroyer Flotila for European
Waters.

| man spy system is in operation with
| in the United States army and fleet.
| Not only are spies obtaining the infor-
| nation they want in this country but
they are able to get 1t to Berlin in
time for Germany's submarines to
| menace American warships and sol
| diers on the seas.
This was admitted by the navy de-
partment this afternoon Secretary
Daniels announced that word OF the
sailing of an American destroyer flo
tilla for Europe had been sent ahead
to Germany and that German subma-
rines had succeeded in scattering
mines at the entrance of the harbor
for which the American warships
were found.
The following statement was is
sued:
-Four days before the arrival of
the American destroyer feet abroad
Berlin knew that the vessels were on
the way and to what port they We're
going, according to advices today from
Admiral Sims.
He reports he has positive infor
nation Germany was thus informed in
advance, and sufficiently far in adj
vance that the port Of entrance of the
destroyers was mined the day preyi-
Gus to their arrival.
The department calls attention to
this fact as proof the German spy sys
tenn is still at work in this country,
making imperative the need OF secre'
cy in connection with our naval Cd.
erations. The premature publication
of ship movements is particularly
source OF danger.
"The department, while realizing
that newspapers did not give this in
formation, would be pleased if the fact
were brought to the attention of edi
tors by way of showing what extreme
care is required in shielding military
information from the enemy, whether
it become public through the press or
otherwise"
Information involving even the des
tination of the destroyer fleet could
have come from only two sources
the navy department or the fleet. That
the German espionage system could
have extended its tentacle into the
very heart of the naval establishment
has been a shock to officials.
The fact that the information reach
ed Germany with little or no delay is |
expected to result in a thorough in |
yestigation of the censorship estab- |
lished by the navy department. Only
two methods were open to German OPP
eratives in sending the information
home-wreless and cable. Both are
completely under naval control There |
are only two wireless stations in this |
country from which the message could |
have been sent-Sayville and Tucker |
ton. The cables also are under ma
val censorship. IT is quite impossible |,
in the view OF officials that the mes
sage could have gone over either Brit |
ish or French cables, the only other |
construction being open that it was |
first sent to Mexico or South Ameri- |
ca and then was relayed by wireless. |
Dispatches from Buenos Aires told of |
the erection Of a new German wire |
less station there.
The navy department, however, also |
has established a censorship over |
cables to the south and issued strict /
regulations for their commercial use. |
Efforts to find the carelessness or
leak whereby messages containing |
military information escaped over /
either Of these lines are expected A !
third possibility that the message was |
carried or telegraphed to Mexico, and
then relayed, is likely to be investi-
gated
The source of the leak. however,
will cause the deepest probe. 1t was
admitted shortly after the declaration |
of war that six persons suspected of |
spying had been discovered in the !
state. war and navy building. Secret |
service operatives are known TO have |
been scattered through the building |
and in various fleet bases and mobili-
cation points.
In connection with mysterious |
event in the state, war and navy |
building, it was recalled today that |
the stolen fire control plans of the 1
super-dreadnouhgt Pennsylvania never
were recovered. Neither was the nav
al code book which disappeared on the /
Pacific coast and led to a strict in |
vestigation there which resulted in |
several officers losing many numbers |