Evening star., 1938-12-17
Spies Turn to Plane Tests
And Aircraft Carriers

= ~ y NJ ~
ed. "Ihe United States has two
new ships-aircraft carriers-which
carry airplanes. They are the En-
terprise and the Yorktown. For
the plans of those ships-for the
real plans, which will show their
weaknesses as well as their
strength-we will pay $l,OO0!"
Rumrich was listening, his mind
already whirling. One thousand
dollars! But-but how could he get
those plans.
1t was as If Schluter read his
mind.
There are ways" he barked.
Young Navy officers do not get
much pay. They are young, they
like to spend money on girls. Many
are in debt. Meet them. Talk to
them. Make friends with them.
Offer them money. We will pay"
Rumrich's black eyes were wide
and excited.
There are other ways, too" con-
tinued Schluter. "A letter on White
House stationery would do it, ad-
dressed to the Assistant Secretary
of the Navy in charge of new con-
struction. Or you might make
friends with a German who is also
a Nazi, employed in the designing
Offices"
Rumrich gulped his beer.
White House stationery d. ?"
he repeated, fascinated by the idea.
But how :. ?"
Schluter looked at him with cold
disgust.
That" he said. sis your AFFAIR.""
"On March / we are making a
contact with high naval official.
We may get them from him. have
a man at Newport News, Va, in the
Shipyard there, most important
man, whom no one in your coun-
try suspects Somehow we will get
them. We do not fail! I assign
you, assign another man, assign
dozen. One must succeed!
"Only, the money goes to Who
ever gets them.
Rumrich's small jaw frightened. II
will do my best he swore. Il will
get them for you!"
That is gut said Schluter. Hell!
Meanwhile, tell me this:
DO you. through your army con-
nections, know of plans for de-
vice for greater efficiency in de-
tecting the approach of enemy air.
craft? There are two such your
army is experimenting with that in
terest us. One is a method of
mounting anti-aircraft guns on or
directly behind the carriage of
searchlight devices and synchroniz-
ing them. The other is heat de-
vice, for detecting approaching air
craft at greater distance than pos
sible heretofore We want to know
all about them"
Tests Made BY Army.
Rumrich didn't know, but prom
ised to try to find cut.
I found out later that Schluter
was right on one device, anyway
At the time he was talking to Rum
rich, experimental teS.e were heino
made at the Army Signal Corps
Reservation at Fort Monmouth, N.
j., to establish the efficiency of lust
such heat device.
Rumrich left Schluter that night
with his head spinning with daring.
fantastic spy plots and q grim final
warning in his ears. IF YOU betrav
u.s. Schluter had gritted you will
die like a dog! And don't forget
you have relatives abroad. Our ven-
geance will be upon them, too"
He saw Schluter many times after
that, in the 20 months that followed.
1t was to Schluter that he gave the
report on the manpower and as
signment of officers in the I'd Corps
Area that he got from Fort Hamil-
ton by posing as the existent Mai.
Milton.
1t was at Schluter's request that
he wrote to former buddies in the
Panama Canal Zone and got them
lnnocently to send him information
on the strength of our Army and
the Notifications there.
1t was at Schluter's bidding that
he prepared to fake Army orders to
lure Col. Henry w. T. Eglin to a
hotel room with our coast defense
and mobilization plans and maps
OF New York Harbor defenses.
1t was at Schluter's suggestion
that he enlisted his friend, the not
Outright Erich CHASER, into this
plot and got CHASER to copy the
Army air codes for him.
AS promised by Schluter, the mys-