Britain's Deadly Peril: Are We Told the Truth?Le Queux, William
History
Britain's Deadly Peril: Are We Told the Truth?
Le Queux, William
Secret service -- Germany; Spies; World War, 1914-1918
"Down by the shipping, along the Clydeside, are many barbers' shops,
etc., owned by foreigners, and in one of these I think I have spotted
an individual whose movements and behaviour entitle me to regard him
as a spy. The party in question is a German of middle age, a man of
remarkably refined appearance--in fact, not the class of man that one
would ordinarily associate with a barber's shop. One has but to engage
him in conversation to discover that he is no stupid foreigner, but a
man very much up to date as regards our methods and things happening
in this country. Our language, too, he speaks like a native, and, were
it not for his markedly Teutonic features, he might pass for one of
ourselves.
"What excited my suspicions first regarding this personage was the
fact that he was continually quizzing and putting to me questions
regarding my employment of a decidedly delicate nature, and conversing
freely on subjects about which I thought few people knew anything. I
also noticed, when in his shop, that he was most lavish in his remarks
to customers, especially to young engineers and draughtsmen who came
to him from the neighbouring shipbuilding yards, leading them on to
talk about matters concerning the Navy and shipbuilding; their work in
the various engineering shops and drawing offices; and the time likely
to be taken to complete this or that gunboat, etc. Indeed, with some
of these young engineers and draughtsmen I have not failed to notice
that he is particularly 'chummy,' and I also know, for a fact, that
on several occasions he has been 'up town' with them, visiting music
halls and theatres, and that they have spent many evenings together.
On these occasions no doubt, under the influence of liquor, many
confidences will have been exchanged, and many 'secrets' regarding
work and methods indiscreetly revealed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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