The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1930-08-29
HISTORY'S
MYST ERIES
The Javanese Dancer

though the one by which she was
much better-and rather more motor
iOusly-known was Mile. Mata-Hari,
the title which she took when she
made her vows as vestal priestess
at the great Buddhist temple Of Burma
at time when mixing in the affairs
Of the great nations of the West was
as foreign to her thoughts as the
World war was to the minds Of the
majority of people. But Mata-Hari
was destined to come intimately into
connection with the conflict Of ma
tions, and finally, after life Of mys-
terry, to face a firing squad In the
fortress of Vincennes.
The child of Javanese mother and
wealthy Dutch planter, Marguerite
Zelle appears to have been given ex-
ceptional opportunities for education
and training, opportunities far above
those usually afforded to children of
her race. Even before she entered the
service Of Buddha she gave signs Of
possessing more than an ordinary tai
ent for dancing and, during the ten
years which she spent within the walls
OF the nunnery. Mata-Hah perfected
herself In the wierd, barbaric measures
fcence Of their deities.
But the world stretched forth its
first tentacle In the shape Of young
and personable army officer who at
tended one Of the Buddhist festivals
and with whom Mata-Hari fell In love
at sight. Less than a week later she
escaped from the sanctuary and fed
with her lover to Paris, where they
were married and lived for several
years. 1t was not long, however, be-
fore the French capital began to hear
rumors of beautiful and extremely
graceful dancer who had brought with
her all the sinuous sensuous move
ments Of the East, presenting these
before private audiences at special
afternoon functions.
Society, ever watching for some
thing novel, enthused over this new
sensation and her fame spread rapidly
to other parts of the continent. Lon
don, Madrid, Rome, Lisbon, Berlin and
and Mata-Hari found 1t hard to meet
all the calls for her art. Apparently,
she divided her time equally among
the different capitals, but those who
followed her career closely recalled
later that she made point of being
In, fp a ~ efo tNI
periods of the year-the time when
the agents of the Wilhelmstrasse, the
dreaded German secret service, were
gathered together for their confer
ences behind locked doors.
However, no suspicion attached IT
self to the beautiful Javanese until
some time after the outbreak of the
war. She came and went, unhindered
by any thought of treachery, and dur
Ing the first two years of the hostili-
ties she fitted through England, Hol-
land, Spain and Portugal, undoubtedly
In constant communication with Ber-
lin but unsuspected by the author
tiles. How much valuable information
she had gathered during these trips
was never discovered, but the fact
that she spent huge sums Of money
upon her personal adornment and the
support of her large and imposing re-
tinue Is in itself proof of the fact
that the German secret service consid
cred her well worth her hire.
Finally, the combination of her
friendship with young officer Of the
British tank corps and the fact that
the Germans had been receiving an
almost constant flow of information
about this most important branch of
the service led the English authorities
to place Mata-Hari under a more
strict surveillance. Sensing this, the
dancer removed the scene Of her op-
erations to France, but the instant
French officials took up the trail where
the British had left off. Mata-Hari
was marked woman. Less than
month later she was placed under ar
rest and the verdict of the court
martial was Guilty and condemned
W D6 SiIOt lOI ulSu tItdSOH
Just what secrets Mata-Hari had
discovered, how she managed to get
them past the watchful eyes of the
British and French 'censors, how she
received the money which enabled
her to live in almost regal splendor
and the way In which she had Sc
cured admittance to the charmed cir
Gle Of the Wilhelmstrasse are only
few Of the mysteries which sur
round this remarkable woman-mys-
teries which she took with her when,
on the morning Of October Is, she
faced the rifles Of the firing squad in
the court yard Of the palace of Vim
cennes.
90 by the Wheeler syndicate.)