SECRET SERVICE.

• SNAPPI^G.S^MARINESj FREMANTLE, June 14.— Captain, J: J. Qullen,4iiaßtei ; of;; the' barque Bellas; at present 'm port,- served /cUmng tlie war a; British destroyer hi' the North Bea,; and also at' Gribraltar, where be gained an - insight into the remarkable workings of the British Secret Service. On one occasion, he states, information ; cam^ through that on the nights of May 17, 18 and 19,', 1918, 'three German submarines would be coming -through the Straits. Preparation was imadfr to intercept the visitors, and mosquito .boats, or chasers, were sent •.out (to . patrol fan fashion, and everything was so arranged ■:. that the submari?ie would -thave' very -litttle chance of getting^ through/" / The U-boats were nqt up to schedule time; and, arrived /a .flay late. ■The 'first one [sighted by a mosquito boat was cruising along unconcernedly on the sur- - face,? and- fell an easy pi'ey. Q-boat - Chi-j^santhemum accounted for • one 'the iiiext; night with a depth charge, and the | frillowing night Q-boat Rule so damaged the final member of the trip that it had to put into Catagena (Spain), ruined beyond hope of further -service. •" As navigating officer sloop Laburnum he served under Captain Hall-wright, ' who i was m Australia m the Psyche. The flatter, Captain CulleiT stated, was killed m action, with a submarine on ' February 25, 1917. At the • time the sloop was about -30 miles, west of Fast, net . and just before luncheon - : '•hour.' the look-out gave fin alarm that \ there; was a submarine on the. starboard : \ bow. ; Bhpts were -exchanged j and the submarine retired, but not before the ' captain had been fatally wounded with ' shratinel. After the tragic incident Lieutenant ' Cullen was placed m charge of the sloop, and some time later was given charge of a seamanship school at'Dev'otiport Barracks, and later again appointed to the staff at Gibraltar, where ' he concluded his war service. •Captain Cullen was -born m South Australia. ) ' • ,