GERMAN OCTOPUS IN HOLLAND

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 76, 22 December 1917, Page 9

GERMAN OCTOPUS IN HOLLAND

TENTACLES ROUND 1 DUTCH TRADERS. j The German espionage and pressure on Dutch shipbuilders is illustrated by information in the "Telegraaf,"' which learns that the Germans, not satisfied with the supervision they are exercising on shipyards using' German steel and iron, are extending their operations to shipyards working without German materials. The Gonnanq even send out exceliont mechanics, ivho quickly find employment, but are later unmasked as German agents. Their object is to cause strikes in the shipyards and lo induce the men to demand impossible wages. How thorough the German espionage is is evidenced by the fact that once, when a yard got at 2 o'clock one afternoon plates for an urgent repair, the man who supplied them telephoned at 4 o'clock imploring them to sen his plates back, otherwise he would be placed on the German blnck list, whereby ho would be ruined. Thus in ,two hours the German cspionase scrvico had learned of the transaction and had threatened the purveyor. The management knows that it surrounded by spies and that everything occurring in,its yard iB immediately "reported to German quarters. This firm lately received a lallic from England. 'file firm purposely passed over their Amsterdam agent in order not lo involve him in difficlties, ns he deals in both English and German machinery. The lathe dulv arrived and was installed Shortly afterwards the firm received'a. letter from nn aeent v 4* nothing about the lathe stating that the Germans threatened to black-list liim on suspicion that ha supplied it. The arrival of the lathe was thus immediately known to the German agents.