GERMAN HUSH MONEY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 166, 8 April 1919, Page 7

GERMAN HUSH MONEY

CRIMINALS IN MOROCCO DEMOBILISED. A fow days after the signing of the armistice the German Embassy in Madrid began a demobilisation of its unofficial agents in Morocco and . the destruction, as far as possible, of all records of their crimes (wrotes the "Times" correspondent at Tangier recently). At the Embassy itself quantities of compromising documents were destroyed and largo sums of money paid out to ensure the silence of the local agents who had acted as intermediaries with Morocco.

The principal aim of this demobilisation is the dispersal of the German agents in Morocco before indiscretions take place. Hermann Bartels, who was the. chief of Abdul MaleVs forces, receives a sum of about .£BOOO to liquidate such ensngemeiitis as he was responsible for. He. however, is understood to be claiming a considerable additional sum as damages for his own loss of business find fortune. Abdul Malek,'who has hi ken refuge in the Spanish zone, had succeeded in gathering a' body of about oiki hundred men, but lie and his follower.' were attacked by tribesmen and robbed of all they possessed. He, too, is understood to be about to present a large claim for damages to the German Government, under threat of revealing the whole plot and the history of his rebel- ' lion.

Other customers whom the Germans may find difficult to deal with are German deserters from 'lie Trench Foreign Lesion, who were led to desert and to take service against France in Abdul MalekV force by very definite but: en-tirely-unfulfilled promises. A sum has already been earmarked to. buy the silence of these disappointed and difficult gentlemen. The principal work of this demobilisation has been carried on from the German : Embassy in Madrid by Major von Kalle. the Military Attache, while dotails are bohiß arranged by the German Consulate-General at Barcelona. On the deourture of the German Ambassador and his suite from Madrid the Barcelona Consulate will: be entrusted with the ei.tire job. ' Very methodical steps are bcinjr taken. Accounts of all .expenditure are being verified as far as possible, and already anutiml recriminations are reported amongst them. An interesting detail of this demobilisation is that: it is the new German l rovernment which is issuing the orders fiom Berlin for the dispersal of these criminal gangs and the destruction of all compromising documents,' with instructions to buy 'the silence of all who might talk. This latter task is difficult, for, hewever loval the Germans , may be, the piFutral agents do not feel themselves bound bv patriotic ties, to a foreign and beaten country unless Ihe material advantage (hey have obtained continues unchecked.