The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-03-21

MRS GIBSON Tells
D HER ENCOUNTER
B A Real SPY
sic Thinks Americans Talk
Too Much About the
War.
MEl GERMAN AGENTS
Even in France, Where Ev-
cry One is On Guard,
They Exist.
.Bv mAH McGIoNE GIBSON

BY mAH McGLoSE GIBSON
{Author of Confessions OF Wife"
Wlao has Just returned from trip
TO the war zone Under the auspices
Of the American Red Cross and
The West virginian.)
Returning from over there, two
things strike one very forcibiy.
First, of course. come the cues
lions, When do you think the war
e'oYer before next Christmas"
e seems to me that everyone wants
% be assured that the war will end
before America has suRered-before
fl people know hunger. pain and
40 one In France ever asks this
question or hazards the answer. The
men who are fighting, English.
French and American. know that the
Job that has to be done is to make
those Huns who have murdered peo-
PIE like cattle and perpetrated afro
cities that are not only unth1nkable.
but unbelievable, feel the world at
their threats.
This VIII take quite some time.
The other thing that seems very
odd after the silence that every one
keeps abroad, is the free way in
which everyone discusses the war
with everyone else.
4 was told the other day-in con-
Adence, mind you-just how many
men are now lighting over there by a
man who said he belonged to the
Sec-et Service, and was a perfect
stranger to him!
we should have the signs displayed
all over America that are displayed
In FEance-'Be on guard, keep ST.
Ak Ia NJ
enemies are always open
was going to one OF our training
camps In France and I noticed a
young. dark compIexioned man hang
around the door Of our compartment
where ] was talking with another
American woman
IN q little while my companion left
the train and the man sat down be-
side me with the remark, Il see you
are an American. Did you come over
recently?"
YES" I answered inrocently.
81 too, am an American from
BrookIyn," he assured me, as he ask
ed:
ssHow many men do you think.
America has over here now"
81 haven't the slightest idea"
answered truly.
a number of other questions made
me, suspect that all was not right with
4he gentleman. and I. in turn, began
70 pump" q little.
u found out very quickly that the
Fellow. who said he was a courier be-
TWEEN Berne and Paris, knew nothing
about Brooklyn, where he claimed to
have been born.
when we arrived at a place where
Ee. had to change cars. he said, III
course he was the man right behind
me- when we arrived at the place
where we had to show our papers
There semed to be little contro=
yersy about his passport although It
looked regular enough, but under
stood enough French to be aware that
he told the officials that he was my
courier.
This confirmed me IN my suspicious
and when I arrived at my destination,
which KNEW vas a regular hotbed OF
spies: lost no time in reporting the
case to. the young English secret SER
SsWe win look into the matter I'M
nediately,'' he said. as I saw two men
leave the room at a Significant look
from him.
The next morning I stepped in at
The Office and asked casually. Wen,
what about my spy"
He answered, 'You really don't
want to know what has become OF
HIN. Mrs. Gibson, bat think you
ought to be decorated" and he walk
ed over to the corner and handed me
Ibis English waking stick.
Although had one just like It, I
aeeepted' the cane as souvenir Of an
interesting experience and have car
1isd It ever since.