The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-01-08
SERVICE
TELLS STORIES.
Mysteries of Work During
War Partly Told by
| British Chiefs
NESTS OF AGENTS
WERE DISCOVERED
Apparently Innocent Band of Gypsies
Were Found to be Sending Out Infor-
nation as to Movements of British
Troops-Poisoned Delicacies.

LONDON, Dee 81. Correspondence |
of the Associated ss)-Secrets of |
the war work of the British secret SER |
vice now revealed show that German
spies or agents of the German govern
ment were making active preparations
even before the beginning of hostili-
ties, to use the Isle of Wight as a land
ing place for German forces and for the
bombardment of Portsmouth. One of
the first precautions taken in August,
1914, was to place close restrictions on
persons trying to land upon or leave the
island. From Harwich to Hampshire,
along the south and southeast coasts of
England, nests of German spies and
agents were engaged in desperate mis-
slons in the early days of the war. One
of the urgent tasks of the British Sc
leret service was to stamp out the opera
tions of these men.
For n long time the authorities were
unable TO discover the origin of Morse
Esignals that were being flashed out to
German submarines from the seafront
lat Pevensey. Special watch was kept
IVH Il ttitdIu tOtldSt anu, stHIH0u2n no
lights were shown, the patient observ-
ers finally solved the mystery They
learned that after dusk several persons
near an upper window manipulated
what appeared to be the dial of an or
binary clock. A raid on the. cottage
disclosed that the clock dial was fitted
with a dark prism. BY focusing the
Iprism on the strong headlight of fish
ing smack anchored off shore 1t was
possible to send forth signal flashes
These flashes were not visible to a per
son standing on the beach, but out ri
the channel they could be read easily
Between the coast and Tunbridge
Wells, which was the Headquarters Oh
la British army corps, a band of gyp
sizes made the rounds of villages undis
turbed until an officer made the signifi
cant discovery that none of then
could. converse in Romanv the gypsy
I tongue. Investigation by secret servic,
men proved conclusively that the mas
queradcrs while pretending to trad'
|. with the country folk and tell fortune
secured important information as II
l the movements of troops in the south
| en command. Prompt and drastic ae
e ton followed these revelations.
s At the beginning of the war numer
{ Gus instances came to light of alien
: attempting to enlist under false pre-
lenses. If the recruiting officer was dis
satisfied with mans appearance o
accent. he was taken aside and tn
! oath was administered to him separate
> ly. 1t is practically impossible for
:, foreigner to repeat the unusual phras
? ing of the oath without betraying hi
= origin. and in that way many danger
= Gus spies were captured.
; About Christmas, 1914, foreign dil
J. lomat in London received an anony
nous gift of pate de foie gras. Sus
/ lpicion was aroused and analysis Shove
d the presence of a deadly poison. Sc
e crct service agents were called in an
It they proceeded to work on the theor
: that the pate de foie gras had com
from one of three aliens then undo
y surveillance. Accordingly, to each c
, them was sent anonymously a can c
: fol gras exactly similar in appearance
= to the can containing the poisone
: stuff.
The landlady of one of the tri
a Lopened and served it for his suppe
- and it was, not until late in the evei