New Britain herald., 1919-11-08

hardly realize the extent to which the average British and French ofii- cer risi<ed his life in making the most daring reconnaissance behind the German lines.
 Ono day l was in the shop of a Madame Jacques in Lille, d very cs- timabIe lady Of whose work for us | may have HomGt thing to say later A German officer walked into the place
 "You arc Mr. Maxwcll?" he said in French. "l am Mir. Maxwell" I repeated, wondering ut the same time what new trouble this meant
 The German burst out laughing, and said---'I am glad that my dis guise is good enough to deceive even you. My name Is Hall. l am a Brit iah soldier, and | have been told to seek you out. because you can be of assistance to me"
 It was even as he said, and this officer moved freely about Lille and kept d close watch on the German movements. He was subjected to in suits by thc townspcople, who really inagined him to be German, and on one occasion so well did he act the part of the angry Hun that the mili- tarN police arrested a number of civ ilianS for offering insults 10 him, and
 the captain agreed to appear before the court tho next morning to give cvidence against them.
 think the man would have been daring enough to have done this thing, but fortunately he was called back to the British lines.
 SAW him on ny next visit to Lille. He had come back on another mission, and for about four months after that he was continually coming and going, som metimeS using the under ground road Of which l have spoken, and at others travelling by air.
 This officer is now serving with the army of occupation in Germany. l
 have seen him in the streets of Brus- sels being saluted by German soldiers and returning the salutes as natural
 ly as though he had worn the kaiser's uniform all his life.
 Amazing CoolncsS. There is one story of this officer
 that I would not believe were it not
 vouched for by a cold and matter
 of-fact official document, which was shown to me in London, and is now rcposinG with the director general of military intelligence. One day when
 lhe officer was wandering about in
 
 dierS conveying a French officer along under arrest. He recognized this of
 ticer as belonging to the French se- cret scrvicc and quickly made up his mind how to act.
 He stopped the two soldiers, and Said-"Therc has been q mistake. I will take this prisoner back to the l brigade headquarters. You will go back to your officer and tell him that an escort is to be ready to convey this prisoner to Tournai by the next available train. When you have de livered the message, come and re- port to mo at the brigade headqulr- terS.'
 The soldiers Saluted, and went away, without the least suspicion that they had been tric1ed. The officer brought his prisoner to mo, and the two men remained in hiding with us until the following night, when I sent ] the prisoner with n safe guide to be conducted through the underground passage to Lens. l heard that he
 made the journey in safety, and lived to render very good service to the French government.
 For some days after this incident there was d hue and cry after the Britisher in Lille. and the Germans circulated a description of him, while patrols frequently made surprise wis it's to houses suspected of harboring escaped prisoners in the hope of find ing him. They failed, but had they ] been a little more diligent they might