Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-02-26
my Tweluemonh
at Krupp Plant"
Dutch Engineer S amazing Story
Of Starvation and Cruelty
in Essen.
BY VAN DER LINDEN
Copyright. 1917. international News
bureau.

Hero was an instance OF the very
thorough way in which the Germans
carried out their system OF CamounaEc.
Not only have they disguised, as far as
possible. by various methods, their air
planes. acrodromcs, guns and ships, but
now arc hiding from strangers tho
geography of their war ccntcrs upon
which they are expecting air raids.
| Old residents in Essen arc forbidden
under the most dire penalties to divuiGc
the original names of the streets. which
now bear only numbers: hence visitors
| to the town can bring away no useful
| information as to the locality in which
various new buildings used as dcpots
and military headquarters are situat cd.
| Although / tried on many occas ions to
! elicit information regarding the orig
! inal names of the strassc, / failed: /
was. in fact. warned that | was com
hitting an oncnsc by discussing the
| subject, which was absolutely yer
| botcn."
/ strolled along in n leisurcly. aim
! less way until at last ! reached tho
| Esscncr lIof. which is a fine imposing
/ building of several Storys. There wero
scenes of great animation. for highly
| placed military officers were coming
( and going in motor cars. Few. If any.
/ OF the ears were fitted with rubber
pneumatic tires. nearly all having tires
of q solid composition. which Is being
substituted for rubber. The Esscncr
| liof Is situated in ono of tho main
/ thorouGhfarcs, which in normal times
! is very busy with shopping crowds.
At this time there were few people
about making purchases. and most of
the shops had been taken over by the
authorities. and were being used as
depots or Offices for military purposes.
| one thing which struck mo that day
was the total absence of dogs. We in
! Holland are particularly fond OF dogs.
/ which are most useful animals. and I
commented upon their absence to a
! man with whom ! got into conversa-
! ton. With some bitterness in his tone,
! the man said: THE military collected
all the dogs in Essen some time ago,
and we have not seen them SINCE
! But what should the military want
| them for?" asked.
! ~ don't know" replied the man with
knowing smile; dogs are needed at
! the front. you know. and thosc which
are not useful for that kind OF work
are useful in the Sauerkraut factories"
/ Sausages made of dog and horse
| flesh are in keen demand in Essen to-
dag. but the supply is limited in the
/ extreme.
/ Essen has ever been infested with
1 spies. and secret agents of the Father
land who watch and pry on the work
crs and report everything which they
see and hear. Since the war however.
the army OF spies has been trcmcn-
watching and endeavoring to trap those
who may wish to elicit information,
however innocent it may appear.
None in the works, not even the
heads of departments, are free from
the attentions of the agents. who act
under the instructions issued from their
Headquarters, which is situated inside
the works estate, and is commonly
regarded as the offices. In these
palatial buildings. which have been
constructed since the war began, hun
drcdS OF women are employed, for it
has been found that women have been
the most successful in espionage work
The head Of the women spies. ostcn-
sihiy the chief clerk, was Madame
Nebrikoff. who I learned was of Rus
. sian birth. This woman had held a
high position ut the Cars court, and
was no doubt in the pay of the Ger
mans then. She returned. so l heard
TO Germany hurricdly when troubles
| began in that country, and for her zeal
| in the cause OF the Fatheriand, was
rewarded with the important post at
Essen.
met Madame NcbrikoT on several
must admit that she was Il charming
woman. possessing fascinating man
neT, which we'll fitted her for the work
she had TO perform. The Kaiser re-
Sarded her as one OF the most valuable
agents of his government, and she was
being paid a handsome salary for her
part in maintaining the safety Of the
secrets of the Essen shops
What was regarded as one OF
Madame Nebrikoff's greatest achieve
mcnts took place carly last year at
Essen. when she and her assistants
al az al So R@As RuHMEs a