The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-11-15

So far everything had gone
swimmingly: had been entrusted
by the Germans with a mission
for German-occupied Poland, but
my travelling permit allowed but
one stop-Berlin-tor 48 hours
And my work lay elsewhere.
When 1 stepped off the train In
the very town which was my OBJ
jeetive, clutching my dressing
case and allowing the rest OF my
luggage to continue to Berlin, ]
had not the glimmering Of plan
I marched boldly through the
station, waved aside several SEN
tinels who tried to bar my way
and crashed the Holy of Holes
the private office of the Platz
Kommandant.
"A grizzled and gallant warrior,
h listened affably to my incoher-
ent explanations. l felt Ill - l
must have rest before proceeding
on my journey.
He did not question my story.
Strewdly, he read between the
lines and, taking me apart, asked
whether his suspicion was right
was l on q German mission?
PLAIN WORDS
Everything became easy after
that. The Kommandant took me
himself to the leading hotel and
installed me there.
He told me, regretfully, that 1
had forfeited my visaS, my papers,
therefore, had to be sent to Ber-
lin, for renewal-that might take
quite q whale-in the meantime,
he'd get my luggage back and look
after me.
I had suddenly come to the con.
clusion that the more foolish and
irresponsible I appeared, the safer
I would be, and I acted accord
ingly.
Within "a hours I had become
the comic strip of the Platz Kom-
nnandantur, to the amusement OF
the Kommandant and of his staff.
There were, as We had known
beforehand, important reinforce
ments being shipped from that
town to the Western Front.
The question was to ascertain:
numbers of divisions, all details
pertaining to them, destination,
etc, The dear old Kommandant
made this child's play for me.
1 had impulsively offered to
speed German troops on their way
and asked for permission to pro.
vide them with cigarettes and
chocolate, an offer which was &C.
copied with gratitude.
Henceforth, I accompanied the
Kommandant and his staff several
times a day to the station, to see
troops embarking, and spent a
fortune on cigarettes and sweets.
Then, a comedy which was some
times difficult to play would take
place: my ignorance of military
matters had become a subject of
great amusement and I would be
egged on to deliver myself of in
credible howlerS, which convulSed
the party with laughter.
The Kommandant would pa
tiently coach me: this number
meant regiment--that, division
the other company-would I re-
member.
Strengths of units were given
me and complicated information
as to destinations, the business
Of reforming units at the front,
etc.
Then, later, in his office, over a
glass of light beer, surrounded by
his expectant staff, the Kom-
mandant would question me
gravely and I would produce the
most amazing tumble of erroneous
answers I could think of, mixing
everything up hopelessly, to the
great delight of my audience.
SIMPLE CODE
Meanwhile, military information
Of importance was being sent off
by me almost every day. Before
starting, I had devised simple
and inane code, so inane indeed
that 1t was above suspicion, and
much of my time was spent con-
cocting reports on postcards.
1t had been agreed with the
German embassy in Switzerland
that I would keep my journey a
dead secret from my Allied friends
and to ensure this, it had been
given out that I was travelling
over Switzerland.
I had provided myself with
stacks of picture postcards from
the various places I was supposed
to visit and almost every day I
dispatched several Of them, under
cover, by special courier, to the
embassy, whence they were posted
in a roundabout way, from the
places they represented.
1t is interesting to note that not
one Of my reports went astray and
that, to this day, nobody suspects
the trick
When the kommandant offered
to take me to the hospital where
there was whole ward of French
prisoners Of war, demurred at
first. fearing a trap
When he upbraided me sharply
for refusing to bring some slight
comfort to my own countrymen"
I wondered at his peculiar attitude
and grudgingly submitted to the
ordeal had imagined an atmos-
phere of terri or-sentries-iron
Observation-Disclosures at not be.
ing able to talk to these poor
derelictS of war. :.
I found a situation that stag.
gered me; the old man was
greeted like a friend by a score