The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-10-14
BRITISH ISLES
ARE MECCA FOR
FOREIGN SPIES
Admiralty, War Office
Employees on Guard
Nv DAVID P. SENTNER
Copyright. 1887. by international
News ServicO)

News ServicO)
LONDON, October IA, GNS0.
The cockpit Of current espionage
activity is in England. because
the greatest rearmament program
in the world is under way here.
Some of the secrets alien spies
are trying to uncover are:
Whether England is ready to
fight;
Details of the new British war
machine;
Political intentions of a re-
armed AngloSaxon empire.
$500 SPY ESTIMATE
One British intelligence officer
estimated there are $500 spies
now in England. two and one-half
times as many as we're in the
United Kingdom before the re
armament program began.
Shops. restaurants and hotels
around Government buildings are
reported to be honeycombed with
foreign agents, posing as walters
and mattresses, who eaveSdrop on
conversations of Government en-
ployes.
An order has been issued to all
workers in the admiralty, war Of
flee and air ministry to exercise
extreme caution in discussing Of
ficial business in public places or
with friends.
MAN. ODD INCIDENTS
There have been hundreds of
cases where sabotage has been in
dicated since the British rearma-
ment program began. A feed pipe
in a heavy bombing machine is
found to have been cut through.
A new type Of pursuit plane crashes
on a test flight from unsupported
engine troub! A new cruiser is
found to have its communication
system out of order. Incendiary
fires delay government factory
orders.
A group of men is discharged
from dockyards doing government
work. Despite union protests and
opposition in parliament, Sir Sam
uel Hoare, admiralty minister, in
SistS the government must reserve
the right to discharge men with
out giving a reason.
British military intelligence
agents develop a sudden interest
in an Italian waitress in Soho.
AGENTS IN OVERALLS
In every plant working on re
armament orders there are British
counter-eSpionage agents wearing
overalls as workmen.
This year, 100000 is being
spent on the British secret service
Last year and the year before the
annual expenditure was only
$850,0O0
Sir Robert Van Sittart, perma-
nent underSecretary for foreign
affairs, is the only man who knows
the full personnel list of British
spies.
Special Scotland Yard officers
watch closely ports Of entry, air
craft and munitions factories.
While Germany guillotines for
eign spies and Russia shoots them
against a wall. the British have
the most Suave technique. They
do not bother known foreign
agents except to open their mail
and use decoy messages to draw
out the plans of their superiors
In some cases they deport them
100000 GAS MASKS
The British government has
manufactured 100000 gas masks
for distribution to the public in
the event of a war emergency.
I asked an official if there had
been any special safeguar
against foreign powers obtaining
a sample of the gas mask used.
mo" he replied with a smile.
1--WE have posted a sample mask
to each European army chief. We
want the world to know what a
good defensive article we have
produced"
Each intelligence unit of every
nation has samples of all foreign
gas masks, explosives, rifles and
other weapons in general use,