Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-02-26

speedily picked up and placed where
he could do no further damage.
Not alone did the n. l. D. have to
round up criminals. but they had to
run down every possible suspicious
incident. There were numerous hon
est cranks and harmless liars; there
were fake confessions galore, one OF
which is rather interesting. 1t con-
Germs the confession of a beautiful
sixteen-year-ol Italian girl OF New
York city. who wove such a web OF
circumstantial evidence about herself
that the authorities were puzzled FOR
the moment as to how so young
girl could have been responsible for
SO many overt acts. When her father
was notified of her arrest he ex-
claimed: "You got her. did you?
That's good: then keep her" Further
investigation speedily brought to
light the fact that she had always
lived in the land of romance.
THE greatest hoax perpetrated
upon the German high command
was that Of being absolutely frank
as to the date and hour when q GER
tain advance would be made by the
American troops.
In one instance every one in the
army was talking about an attack
and reports brought in indicated that
tho intelligence section Of the Ger
man army at first had taken 1t seri-
ously and then had looked upon II
az a stupid American bluff and did
not make as adequate preparation ~
they might otherwise have done. II
was a daring stroke, but 1t succeeded.
A charming actress who was en-
toying popular favor at one OF the
French theaters, sktllfully laid her
plans to entrap a we'll known army
officer. She showered special faVors
upon him and spoke longingly OF :.
desire to live in the United State.
and very delicately suggested thst
she might be induced to leave he
stage II some American Army officer
could win her heart. Cozy little att
er-the-theater suppers were arranged
at her apartment and chess seemed
TO be her favorite pleasure. one
evening she prepared a problem and
clapping her hands delightedly. asked
the oficer II he would not have the
problem printed among the chess
notes of certain of the French papers
He replied that he would and. 3ottins
down the position Of the pieces, lett
her. saying that he would be absent
from the city for several days, btu
that upon his return he would pre-
pare the problem for the papers.
The next morning he was in con
sultation with an intelligence officer
from the British army. one from the
French and one from our own serf-
ice. The chess problem not only gave
the position of The reserve forces at
Paris. but it also designated the
places where American troops hsd
been posted. The fair actress never
appeared after that on any stage
N American ace, one OF the
"A earnest men who ever sat in an
airplane, was seated in cafe a
Nancy, together with some fellow o.
! ficers of the air service. They were
enjoying their after-dinner conee'
smoking and talking, when tive
Young women entered. and they soon
were engaged in conversation with
the group of officers. One OF the
Young women appeared to take sre-
| cial interest in the ace, while the
other singled out as her specisl prey
another captain of the air service
During the course of the conversation
the Young women learned That only
one Of the party was going TO stay IN
Nancy for several days, the other
man being the man who was then
captain in the air service. Iraouaii!
the party dispersed. with only Cap
and the woman remaining. she
| told him how she admired the brave
American aviators how they had come
to save her beloved France, what
T, handsome. stalwart men they were.
how brave and yet SO gentle with
women, and invited the ofiicer to dine
with her at her chateau.
| Nothing loath and perhaps seeming
adventure, the officer accepted the in
yitation and spent a pleasant evening
at her home. During the evening not
a word was uttered that could be
construed as having more than a pc =
| lite interest in the air service or in
matters concerning the A. E. F. An
engagement was made the next day
for lunch in Nancy and dinner again
at her home. This continued for
three or four days. until the last even
ing, when the officer spoke of having
to return to his post. 1t was then By
clever questioning that she endear-
| ored to ascertain where certain air
! souadrons were located. 1t was Yer.
beautifully done, but the officer was
/ not quite as stupid as he pretended
The information he gave her was not
! quite correct, with the result that
Baron Richtofen and his Tango,
composed of crack German flyers, had
a twenty-four-h hour search in vain
for a supposed new airdrome. The
French authorities gathered In The
Young woman and sent her to soma
place in France.
| Just before the st. Mihiel drive
started French and American intel
ligence officers picked up woman
in the uniform Of a French Red Cross
nurse. Her papers appeared to be
in perfect order and she told q
STRAIGHTFORWARD story. She was sent
back from the front to the jail n
Neufchateau. where. under severe
grilling, she showed signs ss weak
ening. The coup de grace was giver