INTERESTING REVELATIONS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1007, 23 December 1910, Page 5

INTERESTING REVELATIONS.

e BATTERY POSITIONS DESCRIBED. s'l ' • EXPERT COMPLIMENTS PRISONEES. i (Rec. December 23, 0.25 a.m.) B Berlin, December 22.. V The prosecution in tho espionage case • at present has not,proved that the entries j in the prisoners' diaries and mcmoran--9 dums relate to secret matters. t The Court deals exclusively with the t discovery or betrayal of secret matters, J and the defence is emphasising the point .that what is visible to all men without '[ offence cannot legally bo secret. 0 Against this a Supreme Court reuling i. in the case of a Frenchman in, 1593 is •1 cited. It is to the effect that such things liccorno secrot when ther is. the intention to desoribe them to a foreign , Governe ment. ... e The real evidenco in tho case .is docu--1 nientary, consisting of papers . found in Trench's room, and. his letters from y "Reggie," addressed to "Captain Trench, i. Poste Eestante, Delfzijl (a small town e in Holland). y , These were delivered to tho Gorman £ authorities at tho instance of Trench, 5 who believed that it was best to make a i, clean breast of tho matter. o The most interesting revelation in tho t caso was the existence of what Trench '' described as a naval Baedeker, accessible to officers only. ' . ■ ■Tho prosecution suggested• that British officers .often camo to Germany to secure Bj answers to questions for addition ..to., the 1- Baedeker.. ) !( t Trench stated that lie went to ■ Sylt Island, off the coast- of Schleswig-Hol-(1 stein, to inquiro into economic conditions, 6 and to elicit where meat could be bought, l. Tho information was intended for the Baedeker, but had not been sent to England. j B Captain Taegert, 'a German Admiraltj :r expert, testified to the importance of tht ;r prisoner's information, and complimented h them on their skill determining the pos,e tion of the Bremenhaven battery and r ; other landmarks. . . o Trench disputed this, declaring that an n article in a'German newspaper drew attention to tho subject.' * Captain Taegert rejected this contention. Ie For the defence it was stated that the r. soundings at Sylt and other islands were r " intended for tho Admiralty charts for use j! in penco time. 0 Trench's note was read disclosing the details of the breakwater. It explained t- tho position of tho Sylt railways, water r - supply, and .village. . A document was . submitted containr; ing questions relative to the ."landingis stages and. bridges at Norderncy. Some 5- bad answers were inserted. d Captain Taegert stated that the maps and sketches of various points revealed the' positions of the batteries, and tbe ares of fire and range with extraordinary accuracy.