British Secret Service During the Great WarEveritt, Nicholas
History
British Secret Service During the Great War
Everitt, Nicholas
Secret service -- Great Britain; World War, 1914-1918 -- Secret service -- Great Britain
"He gave him twenty-five kroner, just to pay the automobile with, and
let him go. As I naturally was interested to hear how they proposed to
get rid of me, I gave the man whom they had tried to bribe orders to
return to the Embassy at three o'clock and pretend to agree with the
wishes of your envoyé extraordinaire. I advised him to 'sell me dearly'
and demand a respectable sum for such a dirty job. Christensen, who had
been a seaman and naturally seen many strange people, assured me that he
felt quite at home with His Majesty's representative. He returned to the
Legation at three o'clock and remained alone with Mr. Findlay until
nearly five o'clock. An exact account of the conversation will duly be
sent to you and others. My servant pretended to agree to the British
Minister's plans and only demanded a moderate sum for his treachery. Mr.
Findlay promised on his word of honour (this strange phrase was used to
guarantee the transaction) that Christensen should have £5,000 on his
handing me over to the British authorities.
"If by this abduction any harm should happen to me, or any personal
injury be inflicted upon me, no question would be raised and full
impunity would be guaranteed to the abductor.
"My servant emphasised that I should travel in the afternoon to
Copenhagen, and he had already reserved my place in the train, unless he
had some immediate opportunity to carry out the commission.
"Mr. Findlay admitted that it would be necessary to defer the attempt
until there appeared a favourable opportunity to lure me to the coast,
to one or other place by the Skagerak or North Sea where there would be
an English warship which waited to catch me.
"He confided further in my servant the commission to steal my
correspondence with my supposed colleagues in America and Ireland,
particularly in Ireland, so that they could be made a party to the
'sympathetic punishment' which was intended for me.
"He explained a system for secret correspondence with him which
Christensen should use and write through a confidential address in
Christiania, to which he should communicate the results of his
endeavours to steal my papers and report my plans.
"This address in Christiania was written down in block letter capitals
by Mr. Findlay on a half-sheet of the Ambassador's letter-paper. This
precaution, said he, would prevent the handwriting from being
identified.
"This document, besides 100 kroner in Norwegian notes which Mr. Findlay
had given him as earnest money, with more to follow later, was
immediately brought to me, together with a full account of what has
already been told.
"As I was obviously in a dangerous position I changed my plans, and
instead of travelling to Copenhagen I resolved to change the method of
travelling and the route.
"Thus it was that I, with secret knowledge concerning the full extent of
the crime which was planned by your representative in Norway, left
Christiania on October 30th.
"The remainder of the history is soon told.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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