GOT HUN SECRETS.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 250, 21 October 1919, Page 7

GOT HUN SECRETS.

[ « a HERMAN" TRAITORS (REACH UNITED ]| STATES. n (From Our Special Correspondent.) H ii SAN FRANCISCO. August 1. o A story of the betrayal of the (icrman " high command through tlie efforts of tlie M American military secret servi'V, and of - N the organisation among German officers n of a vendetta aimed at the lives of lhe " traitors, was brought to light with the arrival in New York of "two < Icrman j' prisoners of war consigned to the Diree- l tor of Military Intelligence, Washington. DvC'.," and the narrative throws some light on the astuteness of the I.X military ""eleuthe." 1 According to information sent out from c Washington, the mysterious prisoners h who landed fro.ru the Agamemnon under R heavy guard formerly were German 'I officers of high rank, occupying positions of great responsibility under yon Hindeii- ! burg. Before the inauguration of the American offensive* in 1 j>lß operatives of the American military intelligence corps prevailed upon them through inducements which have not been divulged to deliver plans of the German general staff covering! h< , proposed movements on :, the Western front, 1 he probable lines of ' retreat, point- at which stands would ' be made and other information of ' m\b!c value. ' With these plana before 'him, General ' Pershing was able to lay i)»t hdfl cam- ' paign with great freedom, and it is be- ' lieved that as a result the cost of tho ' American advance was cut practically in ' half. 1 Th» (icrman officers !at»r surrendered ' tWmsclve* to the American forces. Cer- ■ tain of their associate* had be-ome • suspicious, however, and arc believed to ' have banded together to mete out stern ■punishment. I'tmoet precautions were s taken, even wiihin the Allied lines, t<l protect the informers, but as officials " believed that as '""" a * they were kept •in France their live-; would be in danger, orders were g-iven for their 1 transfer to the I'nited States. ' Preparations for the moving of the " prisoners were kept a close secret. nn<l ' it wius only tiiiroiu'h the careleiwnese of •' clerk that they were included in 1 the roster of the Agamemnon when she 1 left. Frame. n The plan was to :-end tihe prisoners to " some isolate! army .post, w'hert- they v ' might be given military protection for a '' time. Eientnally. it is supposed, they c -would have been permitted to "escape" h to Mime otllier country, there to begin '• their live* anew. OflUtUuta in Washing- ° ton would not fiay wherher thin plan s could be -afely followed now. SPEAK ENGLISH FLUENTLY. ' The two German prisoners of war travelled as first ohi.ss passengers on the Agamemnon transport, and although jguarded night and day, the voyage uyj fifteen soldiers under the command of Lieut. Owen, of 'the Fifth Ammunition Train. Fifth Division, tlie two prisonern ■were aillowed considerable .liberty. They were given the. run of tihe first-cla-sn quarters on boitrd ship and were allowed to converse with anyone they chose. The two men were dressed in blue civilian '" clothes and straw hat.-;. They speak ,c English fluently and alnioft without aclt cent. Lieut. Owen K-.iid the men 'had been ■' put in his charge shortly before the eihip left Brest but 'he had not been told their names or rank and simply 'had been: '" ordered to turn them over to agent,s cf : IR the intelligence office, in Washington Who j )f wore to meet the Irani-port in New York I on its arrivnil there. No one repreaent-' '" ing the intelligence ollice was ai t'lie '" dock, so the prisoners 'Were detained, f 1 on rfiip while instructions were I ■" askcvl from Washington. It was by this i lS meani- that the weird story leaked out.!