Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-19

r. -
1914. 1t has been an extensive and
difficult business. But, despite all pre-.
cautions. some things escape the at.
tention of the best police. And 1t was
in this way that a young neutral
eluded the Allied police. He Travelled
from the French port, to which Amer
leans were to come, to the French
shore of Lake Geneva. Here he re.
ported to another German agent
Signaling Across the Lake
Lake Geneva. at some points, is
twelve kilometers wide; at others it
is so narrow that one can see across
from France to Switzerland and recog.
nize moving objects. The Swiss watch,
as carefully as they can, their side
Of the lake and the French guard
their shore, but on each side there
are steep mountains. There are crev.
ices on the French side which cannot
be seen from the French shore, but
which can be spotted by carefully
trained eye, especially the eye of
criminal German spy in Switzerland
1t is not impossible for signals to be
sent from one shore to another. Spies
can succeed once in doing anything
If so, why should they not be success.
full in signaling from France to Swift.
zerland? Nature, by placing two
ranges Of mountains along this lake,
made the ideal setting for such un-
neutral schemes.
Along the Swiss shore of Lac Leman
lake Geneva) live scores, perhaps
hundreds, Of German and German
friendly families. Most of the Ameri.
cans in Switzerland. for instance. who
are pro-German and who have had
to give up their American passports
because of their sympathies for Ger.
many, live along this lake. Some OF
them have chalets, few have stone
palaces; others live in hotels which
before the war catered to the wealthy
of all nations. There are German
friendly Dutch families. Turks, Hun
garian mobiles and Austrian aristocrats
who make their homes within the
sight of France. .
why do they? I don't know. Moth
ing can be proved against them. swift
zerland is neutral, even that part
which overlooks France, and they
have n right to live and go where
they please.
with natufe and circumstances so
much in his favor the German spy,
be he a citizen of any nation, hotel
porter or a millionaire tourist. can
obtain many things which neither
French nor Swiss can prevent.
So II happened that on a certain
night, few days before the first
American transport arrived In France
light signals were sent across
Lake Geneva. This had been done
before, but 1t was dangerous business
because there were hundreds OF police
eyes watching for such signals.
great many traps had been laid. Sig
nails had been seen before, but they
were always in code and could not be
| read. Agents had been caught in
France, but there were always others
to take their places. On this par.
ticular night brief message was sent
from the French shore. 1t was seen
and read by Allied police in Switzer-
land. But it was in code. Finally
there was pause. Then. in the
Morse code, one word was flashed by
/ the unseen spy on the other shore
This word was "St. Nazaire."
Tipped or on Arrival
Several days later the arrival OF
American troops was announced and
by mistake in censorship the name
| Of the port. "St. Nazaire" was printed
in the English press. although t was
not permitted to be telegraphed tC
the United States. But this precau
ton was of no avail. "S-t-n-a-z.a-i-r-e'
had already been communicated to the
enemy. The report reached him, how.
ever, after it was too late. American
bluff" had made good. The frs
troops landed before the German
submarines knew the name of the
port to which they had been dis
patched. Our police and the official.
Of our Allies had kept the secret from
Germany until the troops were safe II
French waters.
1t was not until several months haC
passed that the neutral laborer who
had carried the. message from st
Nazaire to the French border of Lake
Geneva was trapped But he was
They all are, ultimately. Fate over
comes the spy as 1t does the criminal
In the case of this young man the
Information sought was naval. Closely
allied to this service Is that pertaining
to the army. While there are thou.
sands Of cases on record in neutra
and belligerent European countries o.
German military spies. the followin.
example Of their work is importan
because it shows how the enemy seeks
to protect her chief agents with dip
lomatfc passports.
| (C0NTJNJIEn TONnRRDw,