The Stratford Evening Past WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1914. THE ASSASSIN OF EUROPE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 281, 25 November 1914, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Past WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1914. THE ASSASSIN OF EUROPE.

Never in the world's history has there been anything to approach the policy of lying and treachery which the Prussian war party adopted to further their own piratical ambitions, a policy which to-day is recoiling to the utter discomfiture of the base lie-makers of Berlin. Civilisation stands aghast at the unfolding of the tale of German espionage and duplicity and the laying bare of .her vile plans to dominate Europe—and afterwards the world. It is difficult to really understand and realise the full periidy of Germany's treatment of brave Belgium. Up to the! very last moment before the Gorman [ assassin's blow was delivered, the German Foreign Office and the German Ambassador at Brussels reassured the Belgian Government with protestations of their pacific intentions, and did their best to soothe the natural apprehensions of the Belgian King. But King Albert had been covertly warned and could not hut be suspicious of German designs. He therefore instructed the head of the Belgian Foreign Office to inquire of Herr von Buelow, the German representative at Brussels, what were his country's intention. The Belgian Minister reminded the German Ambassador that in 1911 the German Chancellor and the German Minister at Brussels had given an assurance that Germany would respect Belgian neutrality, and that in 1913 Herr von Jagow, the German Foreign Minister, had reiterated this assurance in the Keiclrstag. The German Ambassador made answer that lie was certain that the views expressed by his predecessor atid by the German Chancellor and Foreign Minister had not changed. This happened on the last day of July when the Kaiser's troops were massed on the frontier with their officers holding detailed plans of movements which were—on the famous timetable thati failed—to land the plunderers in Paris in three weeks. On August 2nd

a further depth of Prussian infamy was sounded when the German military attache at Brussels actually expostulated with the Belgians about their needless fears. "] cannot understand for the life of me," he said, "what you mean: bv mobilising. Have von anything to fear? Is not your neutrality guaranteed?" How fortunate indeed for Belgium that Britain and France had also a voice in the matter, for within twelve hours after the conversation above recorded the German bully's ultimatum had been delivered to the little State. For her splendid decision to refuse toj condone the vilest treachery, Belgium j has suffered sorely, and the Allies are iii their defence of her bearing heavy burdens. But these sacrifices will not be in vain when Kaisordom is humbled jn [he dust and Germany is made' to pay for her cold-blooded wickedness.,

THE SPY MENACE.

Writing from London on October 2nd, the special correspondent of the Lyttelton Times says:—The official reports from our British Headquarters in France show that the Germans are up to all. their old tricks of 1870 in their favorite line of espionage. They use clouds of spies, who signal by, I means.of church clocks, smoke, color- ' ed lights, flocks of sheep, and what not. it is known now that there were J spies in Maubeuge, and most, if not' all, the other forts taken by ti:e | Germans. They even had telephonic communication from inside, whereby, every move by the garrison was, thwarted. When the Germans be-J seiged Paris in 1870 they got their heavy guns up early in November, but could not open fire with them before the end of December. At Mauheuge the Germans opened fire with much heavier siege guns, their famous 16-inch howitzers, requiring immense strength of foundations, m two days. This miracle was accomplished in the simplest way imaginable. Under an assumed name the firm of Krupp purchased long ago acres of ground conveniently situated near th« Forts. Here ferro-concrete foundations were laid down and called foundry floors. It is also stated that the big guns themselves were waiting there as boring machinery. In light of these facts a good many people at home here are rather anxious about the light and easy ways in which spies are being treated in this country. The* Navy is positive that its movements are being betrayed every] night by wireless messages from the: east coast, and it is now known that| a good deal of the mine laying off the east coast has been done by. vessels clearing our own ports.