The Web : $b The Authorized History of the American Protective LeagueHough, Emerson
History
The Web : $b The Authorized History of the American Protective League
Hough, Emerson
American Protective League; Propaganda, German; World War, 1914-1918 -- Secret service -- United States
From these facts, both the Military and Naval Intelligence were able
to stop such leaks of information, and stiffened up the guarding of
ships and cargo, besides giving, in many ways, a far greater degree
of protection to the task of embarkation. It is thought that the
League investigations caused recommendation to be made regarding more
secrecy in regard to embarkation. The Armistice cut off these matters.
Sufficient has been shown here, however, to indicate how an enemy might
sometimes get information.
There did not seem to be much to start with in this case which
originated in Northern New Jersey, nor indeed was there much left of
the case by the time it was finished. Yet the case itself had the
makings of quite a big affair. A report came in that Otto B——, starter
for the X. Y. Z. Transit Company, was pro-German. Such reports came
in all the time, so that there were usually fifty or sixty cases in
the zone. Two days later came in more facts from operative C-123. He
had gotten pretty thick with Herr B—— by saying that Germany seemed to
be gaining, and that this news would please his wife, who was German
herself. Herr B—— was much pleased to learn this, and went on to
unbosom himself. Several such meetings enabled C-123 to learn pretty
much everything he desired.
Herr B—— wanted to do something for the Fatherland and the Kaiser. He
was sure he could do something if he had some help. The one danger was
that, in talking to almost anybody, Herr B—— might be talking not to a
representative of the Kaiser but to some one who would report him to
the United States Secret Service. Operative C-123 agreed with him as to
this, and gravely told him he ought to be very careful. But he said he
knew a man that could be trusted, and he would bring him around so that
they could talk it over, and perhaps the two of them could do something
for the Kaiser.
The name of this new man was Schultz. He had been in Mexico organizing
the United States Germans who had fled to Mexico. He had been a
member of the Dantzig Dragoons, and had traveled all through Germany,
and his experiences in the Army there had gotten him his place as
German propagandist of Mexico. He was a member of the Imperial German
Espionage System—and he had his Wilhelmstrasse card to show it. He
always carried it pinned to his underclothing. It was a great day for
Otto, the train dispatcher. At last he had some trusted fellow-Germans
in whom he could confide! He and Schultz talked bombs and that sort of
thing until midnight. Herr B—— told Schultz: “You can depend on me—I am
the real stuff—I can get a thousand men back of me since I know I have
got a man from the German Government here.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account