SCHOOL FOR SPIES

Hokitika Guardian, 12 June 1930, Page 8

SCHOOL FOR SPIES

WOMAN AS INSTRUCTOR

ESPIONAGE 1 A! ETHODS

Spies ;iml spying always have that peculiar tasciiiai.on winch attaches to

cue Ji/us. 1 lie sufiteuTannean

acaviues 01 tiie secret service agent nave a strange glamour that is just as sLjrrjng as tiie doughty deeds ol cue warrior. In “bceret War,” by Thomas M. Johnson, a former American war correspondent, there are many astonishing stones of the espionage systems of afL countries and tlieii amazing ramifications during the ureat War.

The book contains a pen picture oi the German super-spy, tvho was a woman. All officer of the American secret service wrote of this creature that, nlie wa<si “a beautiful blonde, of great intelligence, who speaks many languages, and enjoys a great ascendancy over the clients of the House.”

“The House” was one in Antwerp where, throughout the war, she trained spies to work for the Fatherland. All the pupils were smuggled to the house umd kept away from each other during training, secrecy in everything being her first rule. “F'raulein,” states the author, “gave the new pupil a sort of intelligence test to find out what he knew and could know; his capacity, memoi j and presence of mind. If he passed that grilling his troubles began. Through waking horn's lie was scientifically crammed by one German expert after another with information about British, French and American armies, how they were organised, whai equipment they used, and what guns.

M YSTERIO US IXSTRU CTOR S

“No ‘modern’ school lias a more complete collection of models for demonstration, types of warships, dirigibles, aeroplanes, ships, weapons of all sorts, coloured charts of uniforms and badge ranks. . 4 . The groundwork mastered, the course grew even more secret. Mysterious men, described only as ‘of the (Jennan middle class,” visited the pupil in his secluded room to teach how, when he had gathered information, to accomplish the harder task of getting it back to Fraulein. These men showed the learner how to write often with a hall-pointed pen, invisible messages on paper, handkerchiefs, margins of newspapers, and’ how to bring out hv chemical reagents the further instructions lie would receive from time to time, written between the lines of apparently innocent letters. They taught him secret ciphers.” The woman was ruthless,' for she is reputed to have shot in cold blood one of her pupils who disappointed her. Then there is the story of “Zero,” a Herman spy, who was persuaded to betray his masters. His reasons for so-doing were as follows: “Though 1 am a German, yet I bale the German Empire as it is to--1 day. I bate the Hohenzollerns. I hate the army officers. Listen! You have talked about those happy days when you visited us in the Khineland. You remember our dear father and mother, and iVlargrcte. and how our brother went to join the Kaiser’s staff, and how glad we all were and went down to the station to see him off? That was the last happy days of my life. I think. Soon after my brother left us an attempt was made to assassinate the Kaiser—one of the several. Nerves.shaken, the Kaiser with drew to a secluded hunting lodge, taking a few trusted officers, including my brother.

KMPWHOR#TER RIBLE MISTAKE

“Tiie Kaiser slept in an inside bedroom. protected by an ante-room, where all night two officers took turns sleeping and standing guard. As dawn broke my brother lighted a cigarette, relaxed, and unbuttoned his tunic. A't that instant the Kaiser stepped into the room. Embarrassed because the Kaiser was such a stick lei', my brother jumped to his t’eet. clicked bis heels, and in an evil moment thrust his hand toward his tunic to button it.

“But sudden fear of another attempt to kill him seized the Kaiser. Like a ,' flash be drew a revolver and shot my’ brother dead- An instant later

le realised what he had done, and limost collapsed. He tried to make •very amend It was called a hunting accident, and a brother > officer ironght home the body.

That was not all. The dead man’s sister was betrayed, his mother died >f grief, and lii-s father became a woken man. “Zero” was sent to •Switzerland as a spy, and he avenged lis ramily’s misfortunes by revealing •Spionage secrets to the American Inelligence Service. President Wilson was the object of many assassination plots, it is disclos'd, and he had a personal spy, a roman journalist, who was known as ‘Q” or “No. 8.” This woman carded out numerous hazardous tasks in Germany, and then ventured into Bol■.hevist Russia. She was arrested by <f ßed” agents, and after spending nonths in prison the American Intelligence Branch got into personal touch with Jehitcherin and Krassin "he'- tHd that Trotsky wanted to snoot her, but finally he was induced o let her return unharmed to America, her identity being kept secret.

JACK JOHNSON AS A “SPY ’*

Surely the most comic of all spies vas none other than Jack Johnson, .lie negro prize-fighter. “The former world champion sought refuge in

Spain-,” relates Mr Johnson, “where te taught boxing, engaged in wresting bouts, played in the movies, and iiutted about wish a dashing police log in attendance.” He wanted to do something for his country, so he went ;o the secret service in Spain. Apparently “Jack” introduced himself with the remark, “I guess you enow I’m hot dog in this town. I it now all the knowingest people in Madrid. I can find out about how they supply the German submarines or lope the mules the Spaniards sell to France, or whatever you want to find •nit. I want to be secret service man. That what I’m cut out for.” “Jack,” states the author, “was sufficiently encouraged, and departed promising much news of German plo f s in Spain. He told a good many of bis friends that bis ambition was attained. But be turned in no information. He explained it this way: “Y’see. these German spies are all so ’fraid' I’ll hit ’em that when they see me cornin’ they just run right away. ’Course, I. can’t get information from ’em if they run away!”