The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1918-06-28
LONDON OVERRUN
" BY FEMALE Spies
Beauties Clean Valuable
Military Information
For Huns.

London, June 22.-London is in
tested with women spies.
In all the hotels, cafes and res
taurants they carry on their nefarious
work, their chief occupation appar-
emily being to keep their ears open
and overhear all the gossip they pos
sibly can about England's war move
ments.
They are difficult to trap, because
London is still the worlds most cos
mopolitian city, and the West End is
crowded with male and female adven-
turers from every land-including
Germany.
a The women spies are of all ma
onalities, but Russians seem to pre-
dominate. If they were captured they
undoubted would declare loudly
loyalty to the allies, but there is little
doubt that a vast number of them are
VI the pay of Germany.
The war has shown men to be
hotels and restaurants, therefore,
these women, most of them beautiful,
scrape acquaintance with soldiers
and civilians, talk with them, drew
them out on military subjects, and
without question turn over the infor-
nation they gather to some master
spy in England, Holland or some
other neutral country for transmits
sion to Berlin.
Huns Knew OF Ostend Raid.
The most insignificant appearing
bit of intelligence collected in this
way may be the final item in a vast
patchwork of information that will
enable Germany to piece together and
verify England's military plans.
II is known that the Huns had ad-
vance information of the English
naval Rad on the submarine basis at
Ostend and Zeebrugge, obtained
merely through the fact that for days
before the raid 1t was common gossip
about the east coast that the navy
was preparing for it,
One mystery of a London hotel is
at present intriguing Londoners.
A little cluster of Russian women,
young, pretty, and with attractive
0anners, went about the hotel I'M
chaperoned, and soon found plenty
of admirers.
Talked 10 Army Men.
II was noted that they confined
their attentions exclusively to SOL
diers, sailors and airmen. They never
spoke to civilians, but no sooner did
an officer appear in the lobbies than
they managed in one of the thousand
and one ways known to women to
scrape an acquaintance with him.
They would have a cup of tea and
a cigarette with him, talk for half
an hour and then make some excuse
and get away.
These Russian women were seen to
be constantly in the company of a
young Russian civilian staying at the
hotel who appeared to be cross-ex-
aiming them in conversation.
Eventually their suspicious be-
havior attracted attention, and a
watch was set on them. The next
day they disappeared
Another example is cited in the ex-
perience of a young aviator officer
who had his wits with him.
Spurn Woman Spy.
With another pilot, he was dining
lat restaurant known for its foreign
clientele. They were talking loudly
and somewhat heedlessly.
A woman sitting at the next table
"A total stranger to them-leaned
over and asked:
|. IL wonder il you can tell me whore
squadron is stationed now?
have a friend there"
The airmen had sense enough to
say they did not know, and imme-
diately changed the subject Of their
conversations to theaters and other
harmless topics.
The English are waking up to this
situation, and apeals are being made
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