GERMAN SPIES.

Taihape Daily Times, 10 January 1918, Page 6

GERMAN SPIES.

SOME AMAZING DISCLOSURES.' Clear evidence 'that the Germans still have a spy system at work in Britain is contained in a White Paper giving the evidence ’on -which the Germans base their allegations that we use hospital ships as troop and munitions transports.

In a covering letter the 'German Government explain: “The names of several of the trustworthy informants and witnesses could not be mentioned because they are either directly or indirectly within the reach of the enemy’s power, and would therefore, bo exposed to severe reprisals if their names were given.” One of those “within reach of the enemy” is described as “an agent in London who has been proved reli able.” Of another it is said—“ One of our agents reports from Cardiff.” A third unnamed witness is “A Rotterdam merchant who was at Cardiff on business during December 1915 and January, 1916.” A fourth is “Engineer in the Danish steamship M REMARKABLE STORIES.

The Cardiff “agent’s” report was that the Eed Cross ship Formosa “is lying at Cardiff (January 7, 1916). There are troops and naval officers on board. The British reply is that the 1 * troops ’ ’ were the E.A.M.C. staff in khaki, the “naval officers” transport department officers visiting the ship in connection with repairs The unarmed British merchant, who complains that it was “difficult to come into immediate proximity of the vessel (the Formosa.) ”. says “300 Infantry men in marching order were taken on board.’ ’ The merchant adds that the ship’s name “was included in the list of ships entering and leaving, without any mention of the names of the owners, as is customary always in the case of Government ships.” 'All the German “details” are denied in the British replies. Most of them are shown to be baseless, and olhers to be fallacious deductions. The munitions, it is shown, were Eed Cross stores.

Four repatriated Germans who were interned in ships off the Isle of Wight, stated “that hospital ships sailing from Portsmouth were more heavily laden and much deeper in the water than on their return and that they were “convinced” that these vessels were carrying troops and munitions. The British answer is that “the vessels were necessarily lighter in draught on their return voyage, as bunkers are filled up in Britain for ■out-and-home voyages.” One witness says he saw the Maure-* tania said from Naples for Salonika in March, 1916, with troops and munitions and return with sick and wounded. The Mauretania was not at Naples in March, 1916, at all. Another said he sailed in the steamship Escaunt from Brooklyn to La Eochelle with no other cargo than munitions, and that at La Eochelle in July, 1915, he assisted to transfer cases of munitions to a British hospital ship. The British answer is that the Escaut’s log shows that she called neither at La Eochelle nor at La Pallice in June, July or August 1915, and that she was fitted at the time for the transport of horses A D ANGLE'S STOET. The narrative of the Austrian dancer Messany, whose statement about troops and munitions in the Britannic has already been officially denied, is completely [disposed by the sworn statement of two British soldiers whom he quoted to support his falsehoods. The vessel carried 2490 noncot invalids, and it is officially stated that such men on board ship in the Mediterranean are served out with khaki clothing, hospital clothing being used only for cot cases. Messany, who w T as himself an invalid, was apparently too ready to jump to conclusions.