SECRETS OF ROOM 40

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 16 July 1929, Page 9

SECRETS OF ROOM 40

WORK Ol- DIVER MILLER KNOWLEDGE OF MINEFIELDS LONDON. 19th June. Further secrets of Mystery Room 40 of the Admiralty have been revealed in a book entitled' 'Spy and Counter-spy, by Richard Rowan, which has been published to-day. Room 40's uncanny knowledge ot tne German minefields was due to Naval Diver E. C. Miller, who made a speciality of investigating German submarines which, had sunk m deep water. Ho entered one U boat through a jagged hole in the side, forced his way to the officers' quarters, and returned to the surface with a box containing tho plans of two new minefields and three tierman naval code books. Miller's ability to withstand pressure at unusual depths was invaluable. Sometimes two thousand intercepted messages reached the Admiralty in a day. Thanks to Miller every German message could be decoded. One German airman in touch with the British Agent in Belgium agreed to deliver a brandnew aeroplane into the British lines for a reward of £SO and the satisfaction of knowing that the war was over as far as ho was concerned. The 'plane was safely delivered. 'Mr Rowan also tells of the pluck ot a German spy, who for months acted as interpreter lit French courts martial, where persons accused of spying were tried. The information ho gained as to how the French were catching spies was invaluable to the German espionage department. Mr Rowan estimates that 45;000 spies were employed in the World War. and only 2 per cent, suffered the death penalty.