The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-06-21
Observations
'Mein Gott' Leads
TO Apprehension
of German Spy
BY Helen Essary

shops-dont regard them careless
ly There are indeed spies about.
Be on the alert TO catch a suspi.
eious word or glance. and report
your discovery to the proper auth.
critics, promptly.
Mrs. Joseph H. Grew, wife OF the
State Departments director OF Far
Eastern affairs. had an experience
on train coming from New York
recently that combined daneer,
drama and very, very quick think.
ing.
Mrs. Grew was in the diner at a
table with several strangers. The
train was galloping and playing
leapfrog with telegraph poles IS
" shinTon-bound trains often do
after a delay in New York.
At one violent lurch a man IN
the uniform OF a British officer
spilled a cup OF coffee on Mrs.
Grew, "Ach, Mein Gott'' he cried.
Then quickly changed his apology
TO English words.
Mrs. Grew. having recently lived
in Japan where her husband was
ambassador TO Japan and before
that in Turkey where he also head
ed the United States mission, had
had good training in foreign Ian
Fnrnfun
She was Immediately suspicious
OF the involuntary exclamation.
Only a German would cry "Mein
Gott.' she reasoned. The uniform
must be a disguise and illegally
got The man was likely a spy.
She at once told the train con.
ductor what had happened. He
wired a report ahead TO Washing
ton. When the train stopped here,
a group OF FIJI men met the coffee
spiler and carried him off under
arrest. Mrs. Grew was told later
that the fellow was one OF the most
dangerous of German spies. The
United States Secret Service had
been looking for him for two
months
WHILE on THE SECRET SER
VICE THEME. loyal Frenchmen
are saying that as the Allied troops
go farther and farther inland into
France. the truth about this unhap-
py Nazi-infested country will be
discovered. The British. French
and American Secret Service have
been keeping close watch on
France The British and French
reports. so am told. have been In
agreement for the most part. The
American report has varied slight
ly from these two. But now the
real picture OF France as she was
and as she means to be will be re-
vealed to the world.
The old France is dead-forever,
q young Frenchman explained to
me as we sat in War Secretary
Henry L. Stimson's press confer
ence room at the Pentagon Build
ing waiting TO hear the War De-
partment's report on the progress
OF the fighting. Gen. Charles De
Gaulle is truly a sincere and able
fellow | was told. But he Is also
wise fellow. He knows that the
cause which he so bravely foster
ed when France was deep in ma
tional degradation is now far great
er than he is.
THE CAPITAL Is BEING RAP
IDLY DRAINED OF young men.
There have been hundreds OF them
here and there in Offices and at rec
reation centers. Now the best OF
youth and valor is being dragged
into the war net where they squirm
as helpless as fish in a net.
The young soldiers who came TO
my house were listless about the
war-until D-Day. During the past
week six fine, strong boys stopped
in to say goodby. They we're leav-
ing for the front at once.
Gee, ! can't wait to get there"
each one said. i've got TO have a
chance to do my share in this fight
ing"
We talk OF beachheads and the
sea coast OF France without realiE-
ing, many OF US, the sort OF place
we are speaking so casually about.
Sea coast to many American minds
means miles OF sandy beach with
only a light house beyond the
twenty-third sand dune.
The French countryside. II you
haven't been there. seems In your
American minds as open country
as those bare stretches between
Washington and Baltimore.
There are no bare stretches In
France. Normandy. where the big
gest assaults are being made is
thick with farm houses and tiny
villages. The beaches are not mere
sand and sea. They are settled
with houses and busy with people.
II would not be possible TO land
anywhere along the French coast
without being seen by hundreds OF
eyes.
Railroad lines weave and inter.
weave across the fields and through
the dozens OF small Towns There
is no breathing space for the Al
lied troops as they cut their way
through dynamite and cold steel
toward Berlin.