THE SPY.

Taihape Daily Times, 25 October 1917, Page 2

THE SPY.

j GERMANY’S MEAT SYSTEM. ! HOSPITALITY ABUSED. One of the most amazing facts in connection with the German spy organisation in England is that it was established by the Kaiser himself when he came over in 1911 as the guest of King George to assist at the unveiling of the great monument in front of Buckingham Palace, London, to the memory of his Queen Victoria, says the London correspondent of the San Francisco Chronicle. Ghe German espionage bureau in England, on which the Kaiser relied for information that would bring him victory in the great war, was actually founded within the walls of Buckingham Palace, where the Kaiser was lining as a guest. When the Kaiser came to England on his visit he brought in his train Karl Steinhaucr, a Prussian officer who had been in his personal entourage at Potsdam for a qumber of years. -STEINEAUEE CHIEF SPY. Steinhaucr was destined to become the head of the German secret service in England, and he had hardly sot foot in London when he began to call together his deputies who had been planted in England in advance, receive reports, and issue instructions for their work. Steinhaucr, received his sub-plotters' in the King’s own house. The British secret service was prettywell aware of all that was going on, and was keeping close track of him and liis agents. When the Kaiser went home Stoiuhauer was left behind and for a time he was a noted figure"in London so- j eiety. Before long, however, mysterious whispers about his activity began to get about, and ho was dropped by one after another of his English friends. BAEBEES ENLISTED. Steinhaucr, however, did not confine himself to society. He had his agents in every calling and in every class. A favourite occupation for the petty German spy is that of barber. Particularly in naval ports the barbers if they are so disposed, can pick up many a tit-bit of information from sailors. Bits of gossip dropped in this way, although of no apparent importance in themselves, often supply the missing link when sent to headquarters. Waiters were also among Stcinhauer s agents, London hotels., swarmed ■ with German waiters, often posing as i Swiss. ;

A chance word dropped by a young or an old officer at dinner may convey much information to the waiter, who may be a German staff officer in disguise. i WOMEN ARE USED. German governesses found their way into the families of members of the British Government, It has even been stated that members of the Cabinet employed German chauffeurs. Even women of the demi-monde were employed to make the acquaintance of officers and politicians. It has been stated, with what degree of truth I cannot say,'that somewhere in the archives at Berlin there is a dossier, complete to the last detad, of each, of the public men aud most of the Generals and Admirals, in England. Their characters arc analysed, their weaknesses classified, and their vices, if they have any recorded. These dossiers were compiled by Steinhauer ’s organisation. German financiers sought frieTmsh!jb nith influential men, and, under the cloak of this friendship, cemented by Ups on the market and <l good turns’’ on the Stock Exchange, sought to worm out information that would be of value I to their country. If they succeeded it i all went to Stoinhanc-r to be card- | indexed and classified. AMATEUR REAL DANGER. ■ Stcinhauer’s organisation was bro- j ken up at the very outset of the war, and it is doubtful if it ever got much that was ox real value. Far more dangerous in real war time is the amateur or non-professional, spy, who is able, to avoid detection, because of his record of non-association, with the enemy Government. Usually ho is a eitizen of a neutral country but cases have been 'found in this country of Englishmen betraying their own country for money, and the French have also had that sad experience. However, almost all of the detached spies captured here have been Dutchmen or 'Americans, In some cases, of course, iho only thing about them that was Dutch tor An|.nican has been 'their passports.

These men’s method of working was (ami is) to go about , with eyes and ears open and then carry the information abroad verbally, Communication writing has been rendered too hazardous by the- British censorship. RULE OF SILENCE. In order to deal with this peril, soldiers and sailors arc instructed not to talk to strangers. Even the British school children arc warned periodically by their teachers not to tell strangers where their sol- j diers fathers or brothers are fighting 1

or in camp, or to repeat the little stories of battle that a soldier sometimes writes home or tells to his family when he is on leave. There is compartively little danger now even if a spy does manage to overhear, for the coming and going of foreigners is now strictly controlled at all British ports.