Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-22

rock fortress Of EbrenbreitStein.
In 1919 1t was known to the outer world
principally as headquarters of the correspon-
dents "Razzberry Club" but to the inner, as
an American spy trap. Nothing happened
there that they did not know.
In every room there was a dictograph
Telephone operators, chambermaids and walters
were American agents. Into this listening gal
lery Ga introduced all visitors to Coblenz
who were the least suspected-mostly Germans,
some allies, few Americans.
Many an interesting new arrival in Coblenz
found that the Observation-Disclosures was the only
place in town with vacant ROOM and some
who stopped there may hear now for the first
time why they never got permission to see the
things they wanted to see or visit the places
they wanted to visit. Sometimes they made
certain convivial acquaintance at the hotel
and talked confidentially.
AL this was kept quiet but once the hotel
manager nearly spilled the-for him golden
beans:
"Dumkopf! Esel!" he cried to a waiter who
told Capt. Arthur M. Scully no table was
vacant. Don't you know there is always a
table for the Herr Hauptmann of the Ameri-
can Geheimpolizei?"
Many German diner smiled discreetly into
his napkin, and Capt Scully soliloquized: $50
much for secrecy"
WHETHER or not the Germans knew him,
his spy trap and his l. P's did some good
jobs in Coblenz. One was to prevent a big
fraud in the buying of surplus stocks of Areri-
can Army goods sold to the Germans as our
troops left for home.
ring Of profiteering merchants had joined
to manipulate bidding at open auction sales
SO that its members should get the goods they
wanted ct lowest prices. l. P's in civilian
clothes mixed with the crowd, began raising the
bidding. After few moments one heard q
whisper in his ear:
If you want these goods cheap, stop bidding.
Come around tonight to the Riesenfuerstenhof
instead"
AS newcomers to town. many of the bidders
had been put in the spy trap. The walls with
ears had done the rest. They had chosen the
spy trap Tor meeting Of all in the ring to
plan the next days bidding.
Faces eager with cunning and avarice sur
rounded the table as they made pool for the
next day, listing what each contributed Higher
grew the pile of bundled bank notes. It totaled
over 100000 in marks, still near par
Upon one Of the crowding faces a grin had
been barely concealed. Then the mouth grew
stern. He raised hand Amazed, some saw
that it held Colt automatic pistol. Another
man slipped to the locked door
"Thatll be about ALL" said the first. Nov
I'll bid. I'll take the works."
He stretched a protecting hand over the
piled bank notes. The second man opened
the door, and in stepped a dozen, 20, about
all the I. P.'s in Coblenz, each with a Colt.
Outside came the sound of hurrying COM
pany Of military police
Within the lighted, smoke-filled room pam
oemonium arose, then was stilled at the brief
order OF the l. P.s Stick EN- up!" They routed
from that room and other recesses of the spy
trap, 200 prisoners.
Through the Coblenz streets the Americans
marched their 200, to an overf1owing Jail, where
they set the prisoners to work But the Amer
lean civil authorities did not like it, Peace
negotiations were delicate; already the pother
had reached Berlin After all, the prisoners
had not actually got away with much, if any
thing, they said whereto CO replied: Thanks
to U.S." Still, they tempered justice with a
great deal of mercy and released the prisoners.