AN INTERNATIONAL SPY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2736, 3 April 1916, Page 6

AN INTERNATIONAL SPY

I. T. T. LINCOLN AND HIS PUBLISHERS

(To the Editor of the Now York "Even-

ing Post.")

. Sir,—Whatever duty, trust, engagement, or obligation .tacit or expressed, the Kobert Ivi. JPBride and Company may have toward Mr! I. T. T. Lincoln, one of its authors, who has evaded the custody of the United States Marshals, it is a corporate person composed of young Americans, who appreciate fully their obligations of citizenship and neutrality. Because we are living in times of acute tension and excitement, it is impossible to prevent the exercise of 'prejudice and intemperate statement, yet as Americans and lovers of fair play, we cannot pass unchallegned'the speculations of uniformed persons in.regard to Mr. Lincoln's escape There can bo little doubt that Mr. Lincoln suddenly planned his escape, because he, was convinced that his cxtiadiyon would not result in a fair trial in British Courts. ;In a recent English criminal trial the Justice addressed the prisoner 'from the Bench substantially as follows:— ' ' ■ '

_ '"To-day there are thousands upon thousands of brave men dying on the Continent for their country's honour. It is not to be.expected that in. a case like yours we can weigh evidence as 'carefully as in other times, nor that any great tolerance will bo shown you." What then, can Mr. Lincoln expect from the twelve good men and true who may_ face him in the English jury box? Britain's braver sons are at war. These mon must now be drawn from tho petty shopkeepers who havo joined in tno pillaging of Gorman shops, insulting the German women, and have made their bid- for patronage on the score, that they will not sell food to people of Gorman birth'. This is the sort of justice that Mr. Lincoln faces in England, and the hopelessness of it was, in air probability, itbe compelling reasons for his break for freedom. Nothing could be more desperate than the prospect ; of being carried back to face- any punishment short of death. Notwithstanding all statements to tho contrary, Mr. Lincoln is not afraid of being tried and condemned ias a spy. Under the laws of extradition that fato is spared him, but the fact that he was for several years secret agent .• of a group of Englishmen opposed to the anti-German trend of English politics; later,, a member of ■ Parliament, with the socrots of the lobby in his keeping, and finaNy, in war time, a German spy, make's Ivi.r. Lincoln's case in the hands of ah English jury a foregone conclusion. ■ ' ,

In published interviews with reporters tho British Consular officials are quoted as saying that Mr. Lincoln is not a spy. Why is it, then, that Mr. Lincoln's arrest was brought about by British agents, and who, again, if the I'r.ess quotations are correct, are trailing him with detectives If he is of such casual importance to the British authorities, it seems strange that a newspaper of alleged pro-Ally tendencies has printed Mr. Lincoln's picture ■with descriptive details and prominence _ it would not give to an ordinary criminal escaping from tho jurisdiction of our Courts.

Lot the American who loves fair play review these facts: Between July, 1911, and January 30, 1915. when Mr. Lincoln left England for the United States, ho was in constant contact with the War Office and the Admiralty. From his arrival in New York on February 8 until his arrest oiv August 4, ho was not in hiding. Why was Mr. Lincoln not arrested during this period of time, the-alleged forgeries haying been committed in July and August, 1914? Apparently no move was made until the arrival in England of our advance list of books which announced the full publication of the "Revelations of an International Spy "which was begun in Mew York and ffnishciTm the Raymond strce,t Prison, in BTOOK7H. ,\Ce wish to deny emphatically the suggestion which wo have heard in several quarters tlrnt wC knew in advance of Mr. Lincoln's_ plans, and timed the publication of .his book accordingly. For some 'time previous to the reported date of "his escape, wc were given to understand in the telephonic communications from Mr. Lincoln that he was working daily at the Federal' Building, decoding dispatches and otherwise assisting the Department of Justice officials, and that lie expected the recognition of his services would ultimately result in his release, or the delay, of his case in the higher Courts. We have also been given to understand that he was specifically engaged upon the Archibald papers and documents. In this instance he requested our aid in obtaining for him certain books on higher mathematics, required by this complicated code. Since the date of Mr. Lincoln's reported evasion of his custodians, we have had brief'telephonic communications from him, but have no knowledge whatever in regard to the place from which he telephoned, nor havo we any dependable inference upon which tn base any theories in the matter—Robert M. M'Biide and Compauy, New York, January 20.