GERMANY TO-DAY

Hokitika Guardian, 5 September 1929, Page 3

GERMANY TO-DAY

EX-SECRET SERVICE AGENT’S IMPRESSIONS'.

WAR-TIME EXPERIENCES.

Maintaining the traditions of the British Secret Service, although he retired from it several years ago ; Mr T. O. Huss, one of the most interesting personalities on the Ulimaroa, which arrived at Auckland to-day from Sydney, is a man of few words. In the course of an eventful life Mr Huss has visited most countries on the globe and lias had his share df adventure. “These things are all over and done with,” lie said smiling. “I cannot see that they would be of any general interest^”

Nevertheless, casual snatches 'of conversation serve to show.that Mr Huss has enjoyed a most interesting life. He admit that he is a confirmed globetrotter. His home is at Monte Carlo, but he has residences in other cities. At present lie is taking his daughter on a trip around the world and he willbe in New Zealand for about three weeks. He will leave Auckland by the Aorangi on her next northward trip and will visit Canada and Alaska before his return to England. Mr Huss was born in England, his father being a Swede and his mother xn Italian. He spent his early life in the Argentine and as he is a mail of independent means he has been able to indulge his penchant for travel. Not the least of his accomplishments is the fact that lie speaks ten different languages.

During the war Mr Huss was engaged in Secret Service work ifor tin ■ British Government,'but he will not say much about his experiences. In the early part of the war he was returning from Sweden to England with secret dispatches when the Swedish ship on which he was a passenger was held up by a German U boat. T> Germans searched the vessel and took Mr Huss prisoner. Fortunately, he was able to get rid of bis dispatches. When asked bow he managed to get id of them Mr Huss smiled. ’* I got rid of them all right,” he said. “ That was the main thing.” For two years Mr Huss was kept as a diplomatic prisoner at the Celle Schloss in Hanover. He had opportunities for studying. to a certain extent, the German reaction to the war, but does not talk freely of his experiences there. “ After ten years of peace Europe is still unsettled,” Mr Huss said. “Germany and France are both recovering rapidly from the War, but there is still the hereditary spirit of enmity between the two nations, industrially Germany is making great' progress. There are cordial relations between the employers and workers and the Germans have attempted the* 1 colossal task of reconstruction with* characteristic thoroughness. They are a wonderful people r many respects and any one who has travelled would support the plea of Admiral von Tirpitz for co-operation between Great' Britain, the United States, and Germany.”