Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-14

/
more gallant than truthful. So /
shan't hold you to it,"
He laughed, and with a bit of rail-
| lery passed on.
| But the dialogue had it's effect on
the sentry. And Alice delivered that
night to Maj. Cameron a detailed re-
| port OF the number and positions of
Prince Rupprechts batteries in an i'm
| portant zone.
RY this time her information service
was growing so important to the
allies that more diversified means for
forwarding 1t had to be provided. One
day Alice came back from her chiefs
| with paper box full of Debated little
| rubber balloons.
She made no effort to conceal them.
A sentry wanted to know their use.
| Toys for kiddies," she told him
| OF course, If you're afraid I mean to
use them to escape in you can have
them"
AS usual her fnsolence had its way.
| and the sentry, sentimental veteran
! with children OF his own, let her keep
| them.
But the next strong breeze blowing
| east carried a flock of little gas-filled
toy balloons to which were tied bits
| OF message. These were looked for on
the allied front and shot down.
| AT another time an airplane at night
landed in field near MouScron: and
after dumping off several wicker crates.
| flew off again before the German pur-
suit planes got to it,
| And for fortnight thereafter Alice
had flock of champion carrier pigeons
Tor messengers to st. Omer.
Finally she felt assured enough to
| demand a wireless outfit from her
chiefs They hesitated and argued the
peril OF it for her and her workers.
The Germans were superb technicians
at locating hidden wireless.
But she felt she knew her ground.
and fought her chiefs on the issue.
Reluctantly they acquiesced; and the
day she received the last part Of the
portable wireless outfit she was as glee-
1ui as II 1t were dress from Paris.
y X X
MEANWHILE, however, the German
counter espionage service had not
oeen idle. Though it was not generally
known, 226 men and women In Belgium
and France had been caught. tried and
shot by the Germans for spying. Many
others were imprisoned
| For some time the local secret service.
under Maj. Rotselaer was aware of an
actlVe leak OF information in the dis
trlct. But try as his command would
they had been unable to locate it.
Orders were given for greater sever
ity Of scrutiny on the part of sentries
and examining officials. Patrols were
increased Several specialists were i'm
ported from other areas Alice knew
this, but 1t seemed to make no differ
ence in the gayety of her spirits.
The more tirnorouS of Alice,s many
lieutenantS began to worry about her
reckleSSneSS. From worry about that
they went on to doubt the value of ali
this risk of their lives, too. For il
must be realized that all they saw OF
the progress of the war was from
within the enemy's camp.
The enemy saw to it that news of its
victories were magnified for the psy-
Geological effect on the population, and
at that time they could also afford tC
tell the truth.
Finally one of Alice's lieutenantS
voiced the feelings of many.
You expose yourself too much" he
protested And thereby us. I dont
know what good all our work does. any
way. We know you send information
out, but whether our people pay the
least attention to it" He shrugged
his shoulders.
Alice was too good general to I'M
dervalue the effect of weakening morale.
She knew that this was a key man,
that on his mood depended the mood
OF others. He must not be left to doubt.
Propose test that will show you
how our information service is regard
ed" she challenged.
He pondered.
"All right" he said finally. "You
know the boches are accommodating am
munition near the railroad station at
Tourcoing. If your superiors think
enough of our service, let them send us
proof; let them send an airplane tC
blow up that ammunition dump"
Name the day and hour"
Thursday, between midnight and !
in the morning"
Alice made the trip across the occu-
pied area herself next day. She came
back to Tourcoing Wednesday. At mid
night the wavering and the doubters
were gathered in Alice's headquarters
there.
The house was in darkness and the
gathering sat in silence. Edith Cavell
the English nurse. who had helped
wounded Belgians and French to es-
tain to be shot
Others, neighbors, had been caught
and shot. And though none of them
belonged to Alice'S particular unit the
effect on her people was depressing.
MIDNIGHT came. The silence in the
~ room deepened Between mid
night and l in the morning" would
come the test The minutes crawIed
by; the quarter hours went. Match
light showed 10 minutes to l. It was
the key" man who had lit the match
and whose expression the other caught,
Alice bit her lip.
One O'Clock came-and went. Silently
the group rose and without a word
they left.
But before they got to their homes
they stopped to listen. The drone of a
plane came family from great heights.
Nearer 1t came. Well. the Germans
used planes at night. too The next
sound, however, was anti-aircraft artil-
lery.
| Alice ran to her window.
| Several heavier reports followed
bombs. Then the earth was rocked bv
a ponderous explosion, and the night
was gashed by spurts of flame. The
ammunition dump at Tourcoing had
gone up.
| Back to Alice came the doubling
ones, and their tears as they kissed her
were expressive as hers.
| The success of the test encouraged
Alice to make a map. On it She
marked off her balliwick in squares.
M. Bernard. with his needle pointed
pen, Subdivided each square into such
minute areas that single houses made
outstanding landmarks in each subdi-
vision On this map was charted every
ammunition dump in the region.
| 1t is history now that every one of
| these masses of ammunition went the
way of the first one.
| And for reward Alice's chiefs gave
! her-more work. She was ordered to
extend her organization over an addi-
tional district.