Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1920-05-27
TELEPHONE AS
spy CATCHER
Plays important Part IN Upset
tina Plans of German Agents
During War.
WORK OUT ELABORATE CODE
Man Who Directed Work OF Enemy's
Agents Planned to Disguise -Teie-
phone Conversation so as to Mislead
Anyone Listening In as to Places OF
Meetinss-CaIls Easily Can BE
Traced.

II would he interesting to know tuSt
how much of part the telephone
played in upsetting plans of German
agents during the war So nearly
universal is the use of the telephone
in these modern times that 10 listen
IN on a mans telephone calls is I"
penetrate we'll into II knowledge or his
daily activities. writes Fred Z. kelIy
in the New York Tribune.
The German agents recognized this
fac, and were careful to herlnud their
conversations rs much rs possible.
For example. Paul kocnig of the
Hamburg American line. who directed
many German agents In this country
IN to the time Of his internment. hhG
worked out an elaborate code by which
meeting places of the agents in New
York could be diSgused when mention
ed in conversation over the phone
Here is page from his little black
secret memorandum book:
The Code
"Opcratives of the $. s. division
when receiving instructions from me
or through the medium of my serre-
tary az to designating meeting places
will understand that such instructions
must be translated as follows:
"A street number In Manhattan
named over the telephone means that
the meeting will take place five blocks
further uptown than the street men
toned
"Pennsylvana railroad station
means Grand Central depot.
"Knserhof means general post office,
In front of +. o. box $40.
Hotel Ansonia means cafe in io-
tel Manhattan (basement)
"Totel Belmont means at the bar
In Pabst's, Columbus circle.
"Brooklyn bridge means bar In
Inter den Linden"
Likewise. the imperial German en-
hassy was always referred to as 1000;
Won Papen. 1000; Boy-Ed, 5000, and
DR.. Heinrich Albert. the commercial
attdche of the embassy, 1000.
Calls Can Be Traced.
Nevertheless, regardless of the care
one may take to cover up the real M
ture OF telephone conversation. the
telephone Is one of the greatest single
sources of information about wha'
another man is doing, provided ont
may have access to the records.
Most hotels and apartment house
preserve the records of the outgoin'
oh IN,
apartment and the time of day o.
night that such calls were made
When there is criminal invpStiga
tion hotel will usually permit az
cess In such records. on the theory
that the hOtel's responsibility TO so
cir'ty in the interest of good govern
mcnt is paramount to the courtesy il
owes guest. Any telephone user
may call Central and ascertain the
name of the subscriber having any
listed number.
B,r even without the names. with
nothing hut list of numbers that
Somphody has been calling from his
hotel during a period of several days.
II is surprising how many facts are
instantly available To anybody IA,
miliar with the city the name of the
telephone exchange indicates the To-
cation.
CIews Easily Followed.
In New York the Broad and Rector
numbers are down in the financial Sec
ton. and the Riverside or Morningside
numbers are up in the residence dis
tricts. SO that If man comes to
Now York for a week or two and
makes frequent calls of numbers pre-
fixed by Broad or Rector there is
fair chance that he may be identified
with some kind of financial opera
lions
On the other hand If he calls moth
ing but residence numbers such as
Riverside or Schuyler. and calls them
in. say. the afternoon hours. perhaps
there are women In the case, for men
are not usually at home during the
afternoon.
Making a "Date."
Not long ago there was semi-crim-
inal Investigation in which II was
learned that a society suspect four or
Ave times week called a certain
number at about 6 80 p. m. AMI al
most invariably followed this by i'm
mediately calling a certain other num-
Der. What did that seem 10 indicate?
Simply that the man telephoning had
young woman friend whom he
thought well enough Of to take to
dinner several times a week. He call
ed her. and then when he knew that
his dinner engagement with her was
assured he called restaurant to en-
gage a table for two. This was only
rough guess. hut further investiga-
ton revealed that the guess was ex-
actly right.
Guesses Sometimes Fail.
It would not do. however, to rely
on a haSty conclusion. know of a
case In which man called restau-
ran, every night at 7:3O or little
later Two investigators were work.
INK ON the case. One guessed that the