CONCERNING SPIES.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3404, 7 February 1920, Page 7

CONCERNING SPIES.

HOW BRITAIN PARALYSED

GERMANY‘

AN INTERESTING RECORD.

LONDON, Feb.

The Morning‘ Post gives an interest. in; record of Ger-man_W’s spy system and British counter-espiongige organisation. which was so effective by the summer of 1915 that seven spies were taken in one f»o.rtnight., thus paralysing Gee:-111any’s schemes to re-establish her spy system in Britain. A feather in the cap of the organisation was the capture of the Dutchmen Janssen and Roos. Suspicious were aroused by numerous telegranis from Naval ports to the Hague, aparently offering cigars. This was considered reinarkable as the sailors‘ were not in the ha':3it of smoking cig‘zlrs, so the semlel‘s were arrested. Janssen and Boos were examined, when they claimed to be travellers on behalf of the Die‘-‘ks Conlpany, of the Hague. They gave contradictory expianations. The

prosecution showed that Diierks’ address was the same as the Gerimm secret service in Holland. Next day Roos en.clea,voul'e,d -to suieiile by (‘utting his manacled wrists with‘ the broken glass of a door. The cigm: code was found to refer to naval secrets, I-lavanas meaning light cruisers, and Coronas batleships. Janssen and Roos were convicted and shot at the miniature rifle r:ulge in the Tower. They faced the firing parties bravely. Neutmls in Holland elsewhere titiis learned that an espionage mission to Englancl was most difficult. Thencefox'\\'al‘<l Germany only sent carmal spies, who pretended to be commr>l--cial traveller-3 and -tnied to get away !‘r-ai’:)z‘»> tlieir lllo'\'Bll}’PD.i’,S aroused S'l‘S_picion.