THE SPY DANGER.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 209, 15 September 1916, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE SPY DANGER.

INSANE LENIENCY WHICH HAS COST US BLOOD AM) TREASURE. By LORD HEADLEY. Extract from a letter sent by an officer in the trenches : " Three hours before the death of Lord Kitchener was known in London a board was exhibited in the German trenches stating that 'Lord Kitchener is drowned.'" Only a few days ago I was discussng the German espionage system with the manager of a hotel in the Midlands, and he asured me that, whatever might be tha prevalent state of affairs in the provinces, there could be no possible doubt that Germans and Austrians still flourished in most important positions in some of the London hotels. He even supplied me with part : culars, names, and dates, so it would seem that we are allowing ourselves to be humbugged into believing that our hotels are now clear of the spy danger. There are caterers at the present moment in situations which afford the most excellent opportunities of finding out intended movements of troops, and who can thus give m away to ihc en emy. Many of these men have changed their names, they enjoy the most complete immunity, and are free to spy on our officers by overhearing the : r conversations in betels and railway trains, or by going through papers and letters inadvertently left on tables in bedrooms or writing-rooms.

THE POLICY OF SHAM. The way this particular channel of leakage lias been left open for the use of the enemy and his emissaries in country is nothing short of a national disgrace, and constitutes part of the policy of sham which, for some fearful and wonderful reason, seems to liavn been favoured by those who are in authority. For over twenty-two months I have been incessantly writing and speaking of the importance of clearing our citadel of dangarous foes, and many others have done the same and yet we still find spies and potential spies al most everywhere. Truly, London is a Paradise for Spies. What a contrast to Paris, where the rounding up of undes:rables is effected in a manner unknown to the Metropolitan custodians of the peace! The same laxjty is observed in the methods adopted with respect to the ordinary alien, who is suspected, arrested, interned, and let out with permit. It looks as though the German.; are playing the " confidence trick" on our people. Certainly we are giving them endless opportunities of betraying us, and, from what we know of their astuteness, I should imagine that the* are taking the very fullest advantage of their opportunities. We ask the inncce.nt-looking German if he is a spy and he says, "Nen, mein herr." We ask him if he has wireless or flashlight apparatus or fire arms, and he makes a similar reply, whereupon we trust him and Let him run our hotels and even put him in positions where he can find out vitally important secrets. We" go on with internments restcures they should be called—and nullify the effect by an almost immediate release of the suspected part : es. It is all part and parcel of the cloved-cve policy ol sham, and no one can fail t<; detect jt, wherever the alien questioa crips up. The insincer'ty and sham are evidenced every time questions are asked, for the replies seem invariably to indicate either complete ignorance or else a mule-like determination not to recognise that which is obvious. We have only dealt with the fringe • f the alien question, for so long as tlu-ie aro large numbers of our enemies in our midst—as there are at this moment — we cannot pretend to a clean citadel o«" claim that we .are not fools. How much in blood and treasure all this insane leniency is gong to cost us we know not; but most of us feel that but foi the benevolence shown to the enemy we should be in *a far better position thai we are.

CARGOES RELEASED FOR GERMANY. lam informed that, though ths blockade is all right as far as our Navj is concerned, the principle of "intern ad release" is applied to ships as well as enemy aliens. Many vessels may he. seized by our Fleet and brought to port, from which, after a. very superficial examination, they are allowed !j proceed to sea. So that the blockad'j, though satisfactory enough so far as the number of ships soiled ; s concerned, may be extremely unsatisfactory as regards the slipping through of the cargoes to Germany. We know that we were indebted to the Foreign Office for the Declaration of London, and we cannot help feeling that the leakage in the blockade may come from the same source. For the Foreign Office to direct the Admiralty F.?ems Ike the tail wagging the dog, and it is fairly certain that but for our Navy none of tue diplomats would ho now sitting on their chairs wrtiing instructions more characteristic of benevolence to the enemy than usefulness to ourselves.