Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-05-16
BELG|AN PATRIOTS kept
ALLIES WELL INFORMED
Espionage Corps Under Princess id
La Croy Rendered Incalculablo
Service,
ny FORBES w. FArnBArny.


LONDON. May 15.-Detsils Of thS
famous Belgian espionage oorn.
which rendered incalculable eeryioo
to the allies during the war, hays
Just been given out.
How Princess do Ia Croy, memh.r
OF one OF the most famous families inl
belgium. courngeousiy took charxe]
and directed the activities Of tho or
ganizatlon, has hitherto been unrc.
vea!cd
Throughout almost tho whole war
this organization. composed OF Bel.
gian patriots. followed tho move
ments OF German troop traina In Bel
gIum and kept tho allied generals In
continuous touch with tho disposition
OF tho encmy's troops.
These agents wore volunteers and
received no remuneration whatever
liehed ut VARIOUS spots on tho two
main lateral railroads which the
Germans possessed in Belgium. and
abpnt all t tns o 1rasfo5p r. Sh,ss
the train was travelling, number and
name nam; OF regiment on train. any par
OF Of thu dvi Sa train IL ,afn
the train belonged.
Vigilance Or-~Death.
rho work required unceasinr viz
lance: because of the Uncertainty OF
! IRE 1roSp train schedules. and the
TOO comfortable. Germany did "1 nos
deal lightly with allied patriots
10 M within her borders, as many
towns testify.
On one occasion the activities or
TO the Germans By traitor and yoa
SUSPENDED. Tho PTIness Se ds Ia snt crey.
Ho oW9yer r.. worked worked uneeasinxly to
Gsnd together and in marvelously
snort time the system was rapidly re-
M omboSs az and ~, IN , wr;ok!ng order.
constantly in the SHADOW " or de ssS
~ firing squad revealed to tn
system tn co IN irnde daily tho German
together with the principal entraini
ing and detrainfng stations.
,Dirision Moved In Four Day-.
=, ~ was discovered that to move n
part OF ts snd Its artillery from one
and took at least four dayn: 10 mous
mo ai~lsion from the enstern to tho
esh,y ,r l1Gnt a 1eSSu ,os from sI,ty 10
days. and that tho intervals botwcnn
stress vas haIt an hour. T Thss r me.nt
able to calculate exactly how faet
me enemy was able TO bring up his
rrc.cntorcemenis. and with these
f fnrnsh and t the adai,iGnal pa',cuiars
nossib!e for the intelligence stan to
trace the movement OF any German
division by rain.
Piled Was Sy IN, ,nro hsn,. Information sup
mat the allies were Informed Of the
arrlVal or the German dis!vionB from
, unh, eastern front after the Russian
complete that l, detailed the IDENTITY
OF the divisions and tho part OF the
front on which they were concen.
rating; Such knowledge was an
Invaluable indication OF enemy In
tont!ons. and any change Of plan
was invariably Indicated by yiror-
Gus movement by rail-.
News or Great Offensive.
The preparations OF tho Germans
f @ns 'h ,bH , of,snsiye In March; 1918.
inirablc lesson In troop concentra-
ton that tho war produced OF the
forty DIVISIONS, that wore ready for
9Toni March :, 81 on nn the s. Quentin
fore. by their movement. by the Bel
CLAN PATRIOTS. Some OF tho divi-
stons came from the eastern front.
Gn!eter parts OF the French front
and from Belgium. The rest Of the
divislons had been with great care
moved from many miles distant by
road. some marching hundrads OF
The Day"
AS movement by road Is almost
impossible TO follow accurately, the
German stan displayed great cum
ming In using this method for con-
ccntration. The massing for tho Lys
/ offensive under Won squast was
carried out in much the Bame way,
and his fatal persistence and wnst-
ago Of precious man power In this
effort Is considered by many to have
ultimately proved tho undoing Of
Germany.
Information Invaluable.
Many OF the divisions moved to
been transferred from Prince Rup-
precht Of Bavaria's group OF armies
which had achieved such admirable
success in the south. Won squast's
attempt to reach tho channel ports
proved to be utterly fruitless after
the first day, thanks TO the allies
knowledge or the encmys plans.
gained in no small measure through
the information obtained by Belgian
agents.
Despite the most persistent and
strenuous efforts Of the German au-
, thorities to trace the members OF
and night throughout the four years
OF war. Fabulous rewards were Of
fered as bait to any weaker and less
scrupulous members OF tho organi-
Zation, but to no avail.
WITHDRAWAL OF FRENCH