The Secrets of the German War OfficeGraves, Armgaard Karl
History
The Secrets of the German War Office
Graves, Armgaard Karl
Germany -- Foreign relations -- 1871-1918
He bowed me out. Of course I knew I still would be shadowed which I
did not mind in the least. I reasoned that my visit to the police
might make them slow down a bit. Right along I communicated by cables
and letter with Berlin and went the even tenor of my way. About a
week after my experience with Constable Ross, I received information
that William Beardmore & Co., of Glasgow, were constructing some new
fourteen-inch guns for the British government. That meant a change of
base.
I at once made it my business to go to Glasgow and get particulars. I
installed myself in the Central Station Hotel, and in a few weeks
gained all the information I wanted. It would take too long to detail
how this was done, but you have a very expressive American saying,
"money talks." I had the plans, firing systems, everything of
interest about the new fourteen-inch turret guns. While in Glasgow I
received letters addressed to me as James Stafford. I received two
such letters, and upon my calling at a General Post-Office for a
third, I was informed that there was a letter for A. Stafford.
"Oh yes, that is my letter," I said.
The clerk demurred and replied:
"You asked for James Stafford. Under those circumstances I cannot
hand you this letter. It is against the postal law."
Not being in a position to raise a question I let it go at that, never
for a moment thinking that my employers would be so culpably careless
as to put any incriminating evidence in the mail. Events proved that
that is just what they did. Moreover, I later came to know why that
particular letter was addressed not to James but to A. Stafford. All
my previous letters were addressed to me as Dr. A. K. Graves and were
enclosed in the business envelope of the well-known chemical firm of
Burroughs & Wellcome, Snowhills, London, E. C.--which paper had been
fabricated for the purpose. Of course the letters were sent from the
Continent to London and there reposted. The stationery of this
chemical firm was fabricated so as to disarm any possible suspicion,
for European post-offices are taught to be suspicious. It would be
perfectly natural for me, a physician in Edinburgh, to receive a
letter from a very well-known chemical concern.
When I left Edinburgh to find out about the fourteen-inch guns, I gave
our people in London instructions to use plain envelopes and to
address them to James Stafford, G. P. O., Glasgow. The first two
letters were addressed correctly and plain envelopes were used. _The
third was not only misaddressed but was enclosed in one of the B. &
W. envelopes_--this as I later learned, for a reason.
No one having called for it, the letter was returned to the chemical
company. At their office it was opened and found to contain a
typewritten letter in the German language and five ten-pound notes on
the Bank of England. The contents of the letter, was such as to lead
the firm to call in the police.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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