Evening star., 1933-05-09
NEW BOOKS
At RANDOM
MIC.
NJ C..

"reminiscences Of German Nava
Intelligence Officer. By Capt. vol
Rinteleh tFranx Rintelen Vol
| Kleist. With an introduction b,
A. E. w. Mason. New York: Th'
Macmillan Co.
Reae.ng Capt. Won Rintelen's bool
brings up memories of an old shack O
a dwelling on the cutter edge of a small
community less than half dozen mile;
from Washington. and OF many con
versations with the old. care-worn ant
pOverty-stricken German woman who's,
only possessions were the tumble -dowr
shack and a drunken husband. Sht
was q native of Memel. had married {
Prrssian who some years later lost hi
life in the war of 1870, and on marry
| ing again had come with her new hus
band to America. where he would b,
free from military service. and wher,
he might make q fortune. He got drunl
and stayed drunk instead, but that Il
another story.
While there was never any suggestion
| of anti-Americanism about her, in tht
| light of later events memory recalls tha
she was distinctly German. She coulc
| read but little English. and she coulc
| speak only enough Of it to make mos
Of her wants known. She though in Ger
man. and undoubtedly her life held M
happiness save that Of remembering
| that part Of 1t which had been lived
in the Fatherland.
In 1910 she knew that in a few year:
nearly the entire world would be en-.
gagged In the greatest war in history
She was not secret agent, and sht
was most definitely not a fomenter Of
unrest. She hated war. But she knew
1t was coming-and approximately
when It would come.
Il am olt. 1 will not see it. But il
will come" she would say.
But what makes you feel so SURF
about it?"
Il know"
How do you know? What will bring
1t about?"
Germany. She want big power. She
! want France"
why should she want France? Anc
why sheuld she want more power. AL
ready she is great empire. She still
has that part of France which she ac-
quired in 1870"
"She will not stop until she conquer
Europe, England, even America
"Oh. no. Germany would never seek
to conquer England And America is
out of the question"
You wait und see! I know! Al
ready sphies are at work. right here
Dey make trouble NIT workers. De,
make trouble NIT Mexico. Dey Join
NIT Army Dey join init Navy. Wy:
To know secrets"
During many Of such talks she woulG
tell OF the things that would happen
when the time came When asked how
Z hnn To 10 y
troops on these shores to take posses
sion Of the United States. her answer.
seemed incredible. There would be
strikes on the docks so that ships from
, the Fatheiland would be able to un-
| load their soldiers with little interter-
ence. There would be great airShips
dropping deadly bombs from the skies
upon coast defenses. There would b.
strikes III gun factories and the NUM-
tions plants. SO crippling the United
States that there would be no adequate
supplies to meet the offensive army
When will all this terrible war take
place." The question was asked during
one OF the conversations when she
seemed particularly wrought up ovel
the stupidity Of both England and
America in not seeing and understand
ing the things which were taking place
right In open sight.
In tree years, maybe. Maybe four. =
Only q few people knew the CID
woman. for poverty is not conducive tC
a large social acquaintance. And those
few who did know her and talk WITH
her thought her mind was bit of. She
was not crazy, OF course. but only an
unbalanced mind could conjure up suci,
disasters AS the pathetic old woman
foretOld. In 1911 the association which
had begun In 1910 was ended by hel
death. Less than three years after her
remains had been laid beneath the SOD
Grand Duke Ferdinand was assassinatec
at Serajevo.
Capt. Won Rintelen was sent to the
United States in 1915 as the head Of 6
great network Of German agents busily
at work throughout the country in Q
campaign to hamper the shipments oi
secret groups Of German sympa thizers
to place bombs in munition ships, ano
other secret groups to foment strike.
among the dock workers and in fac
tories. In his book he tells also ci
negotiations with ex-President Huerta
OF Mexico in AN endeavor to start 8
young war in that direction. thereby
diyerting the attention of this country
to its own immediate affairs, and max
ing 1t impossible to furnish further aiC
to Europe
The life of secret agent is one OF
constant danger and unhappiness. In
time OF war there is great rejoicing
when one Is trapped in the enemy ,
camp and put to death. And always II
Is all ignominious end. for no matter
how great service the secret agen,
has rendered his country. If he Is
Nar mol, hA
acknowledged by those who sent him
forth. No honor is accorded him fol
the heroic work he has done. and nc
regrets are publicly expressed at his
passing.
But to read the "reminiscences, or the
biography, or the autobiography of q
secret agent years after the events re-
corded have taken place arouses emo
ti0ns quite different. There Is. oi
course, instinctively revulsion OF feel
ing. not against the man or woman
who has faithfully performed this oner-
Gus duty. but against the systems OF
government and the avarice Of nations
which make such dark work necessary
There can be no defense for the nation
which conducted for so many years 9
spy and secret agent system covering
almost the entire world. But for the
man who participated in that system
who endured unbelievable hardships
who suffered Imprisonment and many
indignities. there can only be the
deepest sympathy.
Capt. Won Rintelen does not ask for
sympathy. nor for understanding. He
has given q straightforward account OF
his activities from the afternoon OF
August 1. 1914. until his release from
the Federal Penitentiary in Atlanta in
1921. It Is not . highly sensational
story, and yet there are some episodes
that seem too fantastic to be true. II
has not been written with O sense OF
injustice or Of rancor, but with q quail
ity Of fairness and frankness and .
tinge of humor which should win
unanimous approval.
Almost every book that has been pub
lished since the Great War has been
called "the greatest argument against
war ever written The people who
inhabit the earth want no more deadly
conflict between nations. On all sides
every nOsSihle effort IL hein9 hrnilahr 80