THE ESPIONAGE ARREST.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1205, 14 August 1911, Page 7

THE ESPIONAGE ARREST.

SUSPICIOUS DOCUMENTS. 8j TelSEraDh— Press Asßociation-CoDS'fielit Berlin, August 11. The newspapers state that a number of maps of tho German coast and cipher letters were found among tho effects of Mr. Bcrtrand Stewart, who was arrested at Bremen on a charge of espionage. A PLAGUE OF SPIES. GJREAT BRITAIN OVER-RUN. Since the Borkum .espionage cases last year there have been an unusual number of suspected spies arrested on the Con tinent. The "Daily Mail" some time ago asserted that it is perfectly well known to the War Office and Admiralty that in tho last four years there- has been a very marked increase in the number of tho foreign secret service agents in England. A fair number of these agents are known to the British authorities, and yet no steps have been taken to deal with them. They come and go as they like. Some examples of their work may bo set forth. In 19CG, on tho eve of the launch of the Dreadnought, a photograph of certain important details of that ship, then a State secri't most jealously guarded, appeared in a German naval journal. No British photographer had been permitted to photograph tho ship. Inquiries were made, and tho .only conclusion seemed that the leakage occurred in the Admiralty itself, whence the photograph had been abstracted.

Shortly after this occurred an amazing incident. A party of German officers in mufti held a staff ride in the eastern counties. The object of a staff rido is to reconnoitre the terrain for military operations, and it nted scarcely be said that for" soldiers to have personally examined the ground on which they may have to fight or manoeuvre confers a great advantage on them. This performance attracted som? attention ami the War Office was informed of it. But no action was taken by the Government to strengthen tho law and render such proceedings impracticable or dangerous. L In 1908 a fresh incident occurred. Tho secret drawings of thfl new Dreadnought cruiser Indomitable disappeared. No one had the slightest doubt where they had gone. Exactly how they were stolen has never been explained, and II r. M'Kenna sfntc-tt in Parliament that it would not ba to tho public interest to disclose the" facts. About tho same time Mr. Asquith was pressed to introduce fresh legislation to deal with espionage, and decliuod on tho ground that it was neither necessary nor practicable.

At all the naval ports foreign secret service agents are known to bo stationed. At Portsmouth a few years ago tho number/ was at least four, but this has recently been raised to ten or more. Sheerness is watched with equal or even 'greater 'vigilance. A number of German naval officers are in the habit of staying in the Islo of Wight every summer, and it is one of our servico jokes that a branch of the German Admiral Staff is located thero in full sight of the greatest British navul base. From their point of vantage theso gentlemen, says the "Daily Mail," are ablo to observe the manoeuvres of tho British submarines, and to keep in close touch with all (hat goes on in Portsmouth, and in tho present state of our law they aro guilty of no offence.