KAISER’S SON AS FRENCH PRISONER.

Gisborne Times, Volume LX, Issue 9723, 5 June 1924, Page 3

KAISER’S SON AS FRENCH PRISONER.

USED TO GET GERMAN PLANS

How Prince Joachim, one of the sons of the ex-Kaiser, was captured by the French during the war, while trying to fire the docks «.t La Rochelle, forms an exciting and almost incredible chapter, headed “The Greatest Secret Service Ever Told,” in ‘'True Adventures of the Secret Service,” by Major C. E. Russell, published recently in London.

Tho author, a member o! the Tutelliirenee Service of the American Army in Frnnc-e, took part in most of tho adventures bo describes. ii all are trim, as lie claim :be •• ••% must rank as one of the most fascinating; chapters in the secret liistorj of the war.

CONDEMNED TO DEATH. AY lion the Piince was captured, Major .Russell says, lie maintained silence as to liis idcntiiy, but was recognised and condemned to death. Thereupon great efforts began to be made by the German Secret •,service, operating from San Sebastian, in Spain, to save him. The last great German offensive was then in full swing, and it was vital 'to the Allied High Command to discover more ‘of % the encun plans than they already knew. Iji order to worm him self into the confidence of the German espionage chiefs in Spain, an American officer, who is called Major Anderson, rescued the Prince from liis prison at Fort Modoc in the teeth of his French guards, and took him safely over the frontier into Spain. In view of this feat (and another, in which he nrctended to steal valuable American airplane plans) ' Major Anderson was regarded by the Germans as trustworthy, .and was sent with Prince Joachim and another “renegade” American officer to Kiel by submarine.

PLANS THAT FOCH USED. In Germany he had the honor of hein" “pumped” by Hindenbuig himself “and finally, after extraordinary adventures, escaped to France with his colleague through the help of two German women spies who had been set to watch the Americans, hut had eventually, it is hinted, fallen in love with them. With them on the return journey they took two German colonels, who carried nlans which were of the utmost use to Foch in his victorious counter-offensive. Prince Joachim, it will ho remembered, committed suicide _ soon niter the war. According to Major Russell, it was remorse for the part he had unwittingly played in Germain s downfall which prompted him. The hook thrills from first to last, and leaves the reader wondering very hard how much of it is indeed colu, solid fact 1