A GERMAN SPY.

Taihape Daily Times, 14 September 1918, Page 5

A GERMAN SPY.

HIS TRANSLATED DIARY. FAILURE OF PLOTS IN PERSIA. London. “Ludicrous” is the word that best describes the German efforts to promote unrest in Persia, Baluchistan, and Afghanistan in 1915 and 1916. The whole affair is still more amusing seen through German eyes, and the captured diary of one W. Griesinger, who was a member of the egregious Niedermeyer expedition, has been translated and shows up the’German character more mercilessly than any enemy of Germany could ever hope to do.

The expedition split up into three parts, and Griesinger was attached to the section sent to Southern Persia. They spent seven months in Kerman trying to gel the Governor removed and fomlbting revolt. “Believe we shall begin feud with the Governor so as to give him a taxless and lawless time,” was Griesinger’s way of putting it. They ‘faked’ an attack on themselves to “rcattempt at murder.”

The party appear to have resented their neglect by the Great General Staff. Griesinger growls perpetually about the incompetence of other German agents, of the German Eegatiqn at Teheran —“the fellow 'deserves to be court-martialled,” is his Constant remark about various highly placed officials —and as for the tools he proposed to employ, his opinion of them is shown by his own words: —

“These greasy, blackguardly, Bengal revolutionaries,” “This God-for-saken, beastly people.” “These beastly priests.” “These low, filthy swine.”

One can well believe him when he describes himself as “foaming with rage.” He is just the typical hysterical German bully. He organised more than one robbery. His diary records on November 29, 1915: “Abdullah Khan engineered a burglary at the Persian telegraph office. Instead of telegrams the fellow brought back watch, pince

ncz, etc. ’ ’ He gloats over the robbery at the bank at Zozd, also organised by the expedition, and “made a profit of 15,000 tomans” (£6000). Yet, when it came to a question of despoiling the bank at Kerman with the . help of the Governor, Griesinger says: “We fear ■he will rob the bank and the bazaar and then bolt.” They evidently judged him by their own standards. Finally the party advanced towards Baluchistan, believing that all' was prepared for a rising. They were-Undeceived before they reached the border, and Griesinger’s comment is;

It appeared that we had been quite wrongly informed concerning Baluchistan . They must be the most incredible, impudent, most underhanc. most mendacious and cowardly pack of cads, on a level with the beasts.” “Omr dutiful dreams of invading British territory in conjunction with the “brave’ Baluchis, to work into the hands of the others in Afghanistan, all vanished in smoke,” he adds the next day.

The party, “now really in an evil mousetrap,” tried to get back to Bagdad, but were seized by the Persians at Niriz, and were thus prevented from adding further to the gaiety of nations.