The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-04-22

. Below the great oil painting Of Kaiser
wilhelm. in the Imperial German En-
baSsy at Washington. Il slightly wr,n-
kled nervous man sat 1t n massive desk
an almost obsolete German dictionary
before him. his fingers running the
pages. figuring out tho numbers. then
running them again. his lips repeating
the numerals OF many a scattered sheet
Of paper before him. repeating
repeating then matching up those nu-
mcrals with tho page numbers and word
numbers OF tho old dictionary.
Quite still the room was. except Tor
thc whirr OF the pages and the slight
crinkle Of the many sheets OF papers
as he referred from one TO the other
There was little need for reference.
however. for every page bore the same
numerals. the same messages written IN
strange conglomerations OF numoeFs
that were apparently meaningless-eVen
to many Of the persons who had brought
or sent them to this wrinkled. nervous
being who sat beneath the painting OF
the Kaiser. And reason enough-for
those pages Of numbers. those 1umoled
sequences Of numerals. were nothing
more nor less than the struggled code
messages by which Wilhelm Fohcnzol-
Tern. Emperor Of Imperial Germany.
sent his daily instructions via tho great
wireless at Naucn. Germany. to the man
who directed his spiders web OF spy
activity in tho United States Count
Johann Won Bcrnstorfr. Imperial Aubas-
Sador.
Bernstorff Receives wireless
Instructions
Zach morning since the war began.
Won Rcrnstorff had received those nu-
neral inscribed pages. caught on wire
less outfits owned privately throughout
tho United States ny German spies. who
had boon placed in America for that
very purpose Each day the instruc-
ticns had com" from Rcrlin-irstruc-
tirnS for tho beginning OF propaganda
camra rcn$. for ccwnivaucc against the
Allies 70" tho handling Of the thousand
and on" m"thods by which Germany
souGh, 10 strike its enemies through
neutral America.
Each morning "a; u'riock. American
ti,u". thoS" n"Ssa EeS flashed from the
tremendous wireless tower at Nauen.
Grrmany--to find spies waiting every
where m america for them. ON intern
cd ships in shacks. built far from tn"
roar and hustle Of the city. even in Fifth
avenue residences. vcre wireless out
Nudlcn dctcctor. 50 necessary to the
catching Of wir"irSs waves from a great
distance. Nor had the members If tn"
Embassy itself neglected 20 take Il part
in thu roc ptnon Of orders from across
the sea. Nearly every morning Al !"
o'clock found Capt Franz Won Pap"n.
military attaciln of tho Imperial German
Embassy and Capt Karl Boy-Ed. naval
attachc. at q secluded part nf Long Is
land. standing beside a racing motor
car. to which WAS attached antrnnar. dc
tectnrs and receivinr apparatus. that
they icht personally assure them
selves that the rode messages from
overseas wore received and started on
their way tn EcrnSt"rff tho master spy.
So It was that enc day in April. 1915.
Count Johann Won BernS;rrff worked
hard at his task Of d"ci ph-ring the maze
os numerals that had como 10 him dur
ing the night. Onr by one hc traced
out the numbers. matching them first
with the page of tho old German diction-
AIRY. then with tho words Of tho aged
hook. each of which was care fully num>
hcr"d fer easy transcription. When he
had finished. his head hnhbrd slightly.
he pressed Il button and almost snapped
an order At tho hurrynr man servant.
Send Or. Albert in hc announced
Yes. Your Excrllcncy"
a moment later a tall dark-hairrd
man. his loft check Scared from a
schooldaE duel At Heidelberg. stepped
into the room. lFe was Or. Heinrich
Albert. fiscal spy for Imperial Germany
master of is exchequrr in America. and
second only 20 Hcrrs;urff in what he
termed 'th" Battle on the American
front" lust a second he hesitated. and
then:
You sent fn- me, sir
Lusitania Must Not Sail.
II did. Just got n message from
Nilhellns.rass" Eernstorff was talking
Jcrkilr. somewhat .Sct;cdiy. Tho Lus-
i;:,nIa must nc sunk on its next yov-
age"
Yes" fh-. Albert asked tho question
with the calmncsS az II person ordering
Il rab--or choosing meal. "Wcll-al1
arrangements arc made. are they NOT
As far rs n" submarines arc con-
c"rurd. sos. Tho "r;irc Irish coast has
been char'ed into squares. each square
carrying the name Of some fish indigen-
nuS 70 if;a: region. TIL" moment that
the word is flashed that the LuSitania
has sailed. X U-boat will be assigned TO
zach ono OF thoSr squares. Then il wilt
hc an easy matter for fishing smacks.
each with Il shy aboard. to patrol the
coast. and send y message from the
nearest" wireless station
Something like: shipping ten cases
% rnacs;erel" broke in rr. Albert.
Exactly" BernStorff looked up with
a smile You and have discussed