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
Summarising detail and extracting bare facts from Mr. Price Jones' work,
it is shown that Germany had made her preparations long before war was
declared. She had erected a wireless station at Sayville with
thirty-five Kilowatt transmitters and had obtained special privileges
which the U.S. Government never dreamed would be so vilely abused.
Soon after the declaration of war, Germany sent over machinery for
tripling the efficiency of the plant, _via_ Holland, and the
transmitters were increased to a hundred Kilowatts. The whole plant was
in the hands of experts drawn from the German Navy.
On April 22nd, 1915, the German Ambassador at Washington, by direction
of Baron von Bernstorff, inserted notices by way of advertisement
warning travellers not to go in ships flying the British flag or that of
her Allies, whilst many of the ill-fated passengers received personally
private warnings; for example, Mr. A. G. Vanderbilt had one signed
"Morte."
It is also stated than one of the German spies who had helped to
conceive this diabolical scheme actually dined, the same evening the
vessel sailed, at the home of one of his American victims.
The sinking of the vessel was also published in the Berlin newspapers
before she had actually been attacked.
On reaching the edge of the war-zone, Captain Turner, who was in charge
of the _Lusitania_, sent out a wireless message for instructions in
accordance with his special orders.
By some means unknown the German Government had stolen a copy of the
secret code used by the British Admiralty.
A copy of this had been supplied to Sayville, which used it (_inter
alia_) to warn Captain Turner against submarines off the Irish
coast--which evidence was revealed at the inquest.
Sayville was very much on the alert, looking out for and expecting
Captain Turner's request for orders.
As soon as it was picked up the return answer was flashed to "proceed to
a point _ten miles_ south of Old Head of Kinsale and run into St.
George's Channel, making Liverpool bar at midnight."
The British Admiralty also received Captain Turner's call and sent
directions "to proceed to a point _seventy to eighty miles_ south of Old
Head of Kinsale and there meet convoy."
But the British were slow and the Germans rapid. Captain Turner received
the false message instead of the genuine one, and over a thousand
unfortunate beings were sent to their doom.
At the inquest the two messages were produced and the treachery became
apparent. Further investigations pointed direct to Sayville, Long
Island, New York, to which place the plot was traced.
The German witnesses who swore the _Lusitania_ had guns aboard her were
indicted in America and imprisoned for perjury.
To use the wireless for any such cause as above described was contrary
to and in violation of neutrality laws; also of the United States of
America's statutes governing wireless stations.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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