STORY OF A GERMAN SPY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2570, 18 September 1915, Page 6

STORY OF A GERMAN SPY

ONCE AN ENGLISH M.P. THE WAYS OF THE SECRET SERVICE The New York "World Magazine" recently published tbo sensational "confession" by; Mr. Ignitius 'I'imothcus Trebitsch-Lincoln, a native of Hungary,a converted Jew, and who has been successively a Presbyterian and an Anglican minister in Montreal, a curate in England, and became M.P. for Darlington during the general election in January, 1910. In the course of his "confession'.' Mr. I. T. T. Lincoln says, after announcing that he became interested in English politics:—

"I decided to reduce the handicap against my effectiveness attached to a foreign name. In 1905, then, I added to my own name (Trebitsch) that of Lincoln. In 1909 I took out naturalisation papers in the liame of TrebitschLiucoln. . When the poll was declared on the election night I was elected by the small majority of 29. It was a difficult task, yet I accomplished it." In the following election of tho same year- Mr. Lincoln did not seek to return to the House of Commons. "I devoted myself to my business interests in Rumania, and Galicia, intending to return to ' the House of Commons at some later time. But the war upset all my intention's and plans, and forced me. into an attitude of hostility to. the pclicy of England, which eventually led me into the dangerous but highly fascinating sphere of secret service work:" "It should be borne in mind that I set out with ail unflinching determination to deceive the English in- order to'harm them. That Ido not deny, nor will I attempt to justify my actions. I was fully cognisant that for an ex-M.P. to do this would be considered by most men unconditionally wrong. But then I did not care wliat people thought of me. People always judge one wrongly under deceitful influence, preconceived notions and conventional precepts. The plan I mapped out was nothing less than a decision to find out important military and naval secrets and betray them to the Central Powers, and, having achieved, that, to quit England for ever if still alive.

Appointed a Censor. "The deception as to the British authorities I consistently kept up until.'l' saw the paragraph in the 'Evening World,' on April 29 (account of the trial of Kuepferle, the spy who hanged himself). Indeed, that very day I sent arable to Mr. Churchill. When, however, I noted the British Government's boast regarding Kuepferle's arrest, I made up my mind to reveal all through the columns of the .'World.' Here is the plain story: . "On August 18 last year, while sitting in the smoke room of the/National Liberal dub, ! London, I received a telephone ring up a certain number in the War Office. Having done so, I was requested to come across and ask access to a certain room. Once there, I was taken to LieutenantColonel Bellamy, who asked me whether I would be willing to undertake to censor all Hungarian and Rumanian' correspondence, telegrams, cables, etc. "I readily consented. .1 began mv duties on August 20.' Sometimes I worked at the War Office, but most of my hours of service were in the Mount Pleasant Post Office. I continued -to act as censor four or five weeks, during which time tho systematic persecution and insulting of 'aliens,' even though they were naturalised, assumed definite and systematic form. I, myself, had to submit- to many personal insults. '"I resigned as censor. I now determined to leave England, but before doing so. I; felt compelled by an irresistible force, born of disgust an&jthirst for revenge, to hit back in some form or other. After carefully considering various schemes I finally decided to. find out important- military or naval secrets and to present them to Germany.

To Lure the British Fleet. "I had highly-placed ■ friends everywhere, and occasionally obtained information of great importance.. I knew, for instance, of tho first raid on the Bight of Heligoland two days in advance —and. so did tho Germans. But I was not satisfied with occasional titbits. I. wanted to make a big scoop in tho most thorough, fashion. As will bo ■, seen from what follows,. I had to try many avenues before I. finally succeeded. . 1 offered my services in turn to tho. Home Secretary, to Sir Edward Grey,, and to Mr. Churchill, whom I know personally. But they were not accepted. Next I attempted to get into the Counter Espionage Department (M. 0. 6) at the War Office. As an ex-M.P. I was> cordially received.

"Now my aim really was nothing less than to luro part of the British Fleet into a certain quarter of the North Sea on a certain day, and to have the German fleet. within oasy • steaming distance.' In order to procure this I proposed just ' the reverso _ to Captain Kenny; and laid before him a carefully prepared scheme, the ostensible purpose of which was to destroy part of the German navy.' •

Mr. Lincoln thus describes Captain Kenny:—"He is, so to speak, tlio acting chief of the Secret Service at the War Office, or, rather, of the military Counter Espionage Servico. ■ .Captain Kenny is an officer of rare intelligence and ability, and is one of the'best linguists I had met in' England."' -The plan to lure part of the British Fleet— or perhaps the German • fleet—to its destruction appears to.have miscarried. "The Acting Chief of the Secret Service told me that my plan, though most wonderful, could not be accepted, as it would necessitate the disclosing to, me the whereabouts of the British Fleet, or part of. it, which could not be disclosed to anyone. I was baulked. However, ; by my plan and other factors I had evidently gained the confidence of this officer, who told, me of the possibility of sending-me in a few 'weeks' time to a neutral country for uncertain purposes." On December 17, Mr. Lincoln was ■sent to Rotterdam to find' out howmuch cocoa and other foodstuffs was exported from Holland into Germany. "Once tlierei I had to devise means to gain the confidence of the German Consul, for it was evident 1 might prejudice my case if I should straightaway offer my services to him. No matter how sincerely I wished to help 'him as head of the German espionage servico for England—ho might oonsider me an emissary of England. Now my object was to obtain important secrets from the Germans, which I would use as a means to get into the confidence of the English, and find out and use tilings to their harm." Spies in England. Mr. Lincoln induced the Consul by December 30 to place in his hands "tlio absoluto and unquestionable power and means to hunt down most, if not all, of tlio Gorman spies in England—had 11 wished to do so." Ho then describes two codes used by tho German Secret '•Service, operating in England for sending plain language messages to Germany wliioh would seem so innocent .as to pass tlio British censor. "I can state," he says, "as an absolute fact that tho British ships transmitted wireless messages giving exact information of the number and typo of warships, and the longitudo and latitude uud direction in which Moy wore blowing that they thug

This codo was used frequently until one wireless spy, was caught by tho Uritish." Olio of these codes was known as the "family code," because it used Christian names and affectionate messages. The other was known as the "Lageusclieldt" code. As an illustration, tho German agent at Belfast sends a telegram, "Best prices I can give are 1-1 pounds 2 shillings 3 pence," _ meaning page 14, word 23 of tlio dictionary of the. loxico'grap'hpr mentioned. Mr. Lincoln returned to London from Rotterdam on January 2 and-gave his information: unconditionally to tho acting chief of the secret service, whom he represents as' 'besido'himself with excitement on getting codes, a list of spies, some addresses to which" telegrams and letters wore being sent by spies, and disclosures of how they were being financed and through what channels, and a "document which would show what tho Germans do and do not know of the British Army." The secret service official promised to tell Lord Kitchener of Mr. Lincoln's achievements, which would "immensely please" him, and agreed to give him further employment. An appointment was made with "a naval officer who is and has been for ten yaers the chief officer of England's secret service," but whom Mr. Lincoln only knew as "C."

When they met "C"' thanked Mr. Lincoln profusely and promised to let him have matter -which his department would ask him to transmit to Rotterdam to deceive the Germans. This was on January 4. Up to January 7 nothing happened.. Then Mr. Lincoln complained to the actiug chief of the secret service. He got unsatisfactory explanations of the delay, and, growing more, and more anxious, he enlisted the interest of Sir Henry Dalziel, who "promised to take up the matter with Lord Kitchener himself," and called on Mr. Churchill, whom ho did not see. "The Came Was Up." On January 25 Mr. Lincoln got an interview with'.'the director, of naval intelligence. "It was evident from this conversation that things,were not proceeding according to my' wish or in ray favour, and I then decided to. leave for New York by tho first American liner sailing. On January 27 came this official telegram: 'Please call, and bring your passport.—Director of ' Intelligence.' When he called, "Captain Hall," the director put an innocent-looking question to me. This showed mo that tho game was,up. 1 expected to bo arrested at once. However, I kept up the play, and after a clever tactical conversation left the room unmolested. Next morning I left London, and sailed in the steamer Philadelphia the following day, January 30, for New York. I arrived in New York on February 9, and within a few hours of my landing I had a conference with a,certain personage. Notwithstanding the English censor we did send a cable to Berlin, telling them' all that had happened. A few days later we had news from Berlin that our intelligence had reached them.. Captain Hall will now be surprised to hear that his dummy messages in the name of Kuepferle were taken, at their true value, and the replies he got were meant to mislead him."