Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-20

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sand Names"
Allied secret services had heard of the book,
but had heard of little attempt to use it. They
had even heard that the Kaiser had forbidden
the only use to which it could be put. But it
had not been destroyed Late 1918 was the
time, Germany's desperate need the cause that
brought it forth. Armed with its 10000 barbed
secrets the German service set about forcing
propaganda in allied countries for acceptance
of German terms, quick and easy peace.
THEY formed special organization, to
forge chain of scandal over Central Eu-
rope. Its head in Switzerland was lawyer, a
German Jew related to a certain artist well
known in the United States. They would ap-
proach, by means direct or indirect, some one
of influence in an allied even neutral coun-
try whose sins were inscribed in the Black
Book.
Germany wants peace" they would say.
You have influence in your country, political
military financial, journalistic, whatever Use
that influence now to secure acceptance of the
German proposals or We will tell. You don't
think we know? All, we'll here is just little
Of what is in the Black Booki"
Some highly placed men and women faced
sheer ruin social or financial, sometimes both
BY great good fortune, the allied secret serv-
ices were enabled through information fur
nished by the Americans to scotch this nest
of baekmailers and to close the Black Book
It remains closed but where? How many peo-
pie would like to knowi
Ruthlessness was illustrated in the case of
Edith Cavell, the English nurse the Germans
executed in Belgium, costly blunder in judg-
ment If not in justice. Every one knows that
Miss Cavell had helped allied soldiers to escape
Not every one knows other interesting aspects
of that famous case
Edith Caven was arrested August 4, 1915, one
year after the war started by Eberhardt and
Pinckof of the German secret service. Pink
hof had spied in Paris before the war. But
the Judas who betrayed her was member of
an important Belgian family whose father was
known throughout Belgium. The son had
turned renegade gone over to the Germans,
as did few especially among the Flemish
Belgians, and had discovered the cafe near the
Dutch frontier that was rendezvous of Miss
Cavel'S underground railway,
HIS information started an inquiry under q
German agent named Engel, formerly a
Jockey, who uncovered Miss CavelIs numerous
allied associates, some of whose activities
against the invaders were plain espionage. On
July 81 he caught Henri Baucq, sometimes
called Brocque, who under his alias "Fromage"
(cheese) was distributing 5000 copies of La
Libre Belgique the famous secret Belgian news
paper. Others were brought in including the
Countess de Beleville and a woman from
Cambria Thus far the Germans suspected
much, knew comparatively little Then be-
gan a contest of wits to see how much they
should find out.
It ended in one of the most important VIC
tories the Germans won in the secret war.
Miss Caven and her associates were croSs-ex-
amined by Goldschmidt, former German police
magistrate, Their conversations were over
heard by photographs, and stool pigeons were
their cellmates. Steadily all refused informa-
ton or to identify their aSSociates-all that is
but one, the woman from Cambria She told
So it was that on october IL, 1915, Miss Cavell
and Henri Baucq were led out, tied to stakes
and shot. Allied secret service reports are
that she did not faint, but died bravely. Pine
koh got the Iron Cross, Engel sum of money.
But it did not end there. Patiently the
Germans followed the trail opened by the
woman from Cambria. Nor was it so difficult
as might be- since, unlike most secret service
trails, it did not vanish into the ground Most
OF the members of the French secret service in
Belgium knew one another as Spes-a fatal
weakness. Once one had talked, it not
long before almost all were followed day and
night by shadows awaiting only the word.
That word did not come for months. The
Germans bided their time until February, 1916.
When they made their great drive for Verdun
that nearly succeeded-at that instant they
put out the eyes of the French secret service in
Belgium They made the greatest spy roundup
of the war, 300 French and Belgians, ITO of
whom they sentenced to DEATH and actually
executed Sc, which German posters announced
throughout Belgium.
For months the French at Verdun fought,
half blind one of their most desperate battles
of the war. They did not know what went on
behind large and important sector of the
Western front, except as they heard from the
British, whose agents worked on safely, largely
unknown to one another There was just one
bit a grim satisfaction for the allies.
THE traitor who responsible for it all
- continued his treachery. But he had
aroused suspicious among the myriad loyal Bel
gians. One night as he entered his house two
men asked him what time it was then as he