South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-02-13
Germdny'S Spy System AS Barred
By High officer Differs From
COlOrtul Tales OF Many Writer'S

an Austrian colonel in Prague. This
colonel was chief OF STAFF Of the
Austrian army division which had
headquarters in Prague. He was
one Of about three or four officers
who knew the secret mobilization
plans of his corps. which Included
some OF the German divisions IN
southern Saxony These secret or
ders stated exactly where each unit
of troops was to 20 iH case ~ war
against Russia. Obviously the Rus
SLAMS were very anxious TO secure
this information.
The colonel had some very un-
fortunate personal habits. a total
lack OF morals. rather abnormal. OF
such a nature as 10 ruin him among
his officer comrades were the facts
TO become known. In some manner
or other, never brought to light tho
Russians learned Of the coloners
secret. and by threats OF exposure
blackmailed him into delivering up
copies Of the mobilization orders
VIC first secured wind OF IL by agents
IN Pctrograd reporting the removal
Of large sums of money from a Pc
/ trograd bank in Berlin. They could
/ find no business transactions behind
the money payments. Investigation
disclosed that at stated intervals the
colonel came TO Berlin under an as
sumed name and drew from this &C
count
"A few days later a committee Of
three German and Austrian officers
, visited the colonel in his apartment
/ in Prague. He broke down and con-
/ fessed and explained how the Rus
slams had blackmailed him into trea-
son. after which he had accepted the
money and continued In their serv-
ice. The senior officer Informed the
/ colonel that he would be given Is
minutes 10 arrange his affairs
I Whether one Of the officers handed
| the old colonel pistol as he walked
/ alone into the next room I can't say.
/ but in moment there was the
sound Of a shot. The colonel had
with his own hand carried out the
penalty for traitors
Russia Paid Well.
The reason ] am telling you this
and what was especially interesting
/ to the German general staff. is the
liberality with which the Russian
/ espionage system paid their agents
I An examination OF the bank trans
| actions OF the dead colonel esteb-
/ lished that the Russian government
\ had paid this one agent alone i'm the
series Of years he had been in their
I service the sum OF 10000 marks.
That was the amount the German
! reiChstag gave the German army to
conduct their military intelligence
\ for an entire year; not for one coun-
try, but the entire world service.
The Germans changed their sys-
\ tenn during the war. Money for the
work was more plentiful and there
was no time to carry out the patient
/ planning necessary to the opening
/ of sources Of information of the
quality type. The result was that
\ agents became more numerous, and
their value fell accordingly.
One Wild Rumor.
"Germany's knowledge Of the Sc
cret methods of her own spy service
did not prevent her from falling
victim 10 the unknown terrors con-
jured in her own mind Of the dan
gers from French and Russian
I agents.
The first day of mobilization in
/ Germany a rumor gave the details
OF how automobiles were transport
ing French gold straight across Ger
many from France to Russia.
In the excitement Of the first
days the general staff believed the
rumor and issued strict orders that
every automobile should be stopped
by guards. As there was a guard
about every mile or two. il meant
holding up and seriously delaying
the automobile couriers speeding
over the country with mobilization
orders An officer who was shot al
five times in getting to the post to
which he had been assigned.
estimates that the German staffs
gullibiHty i'm BELIEVING such a yarn