THE SPY MENACE

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 49, Issue 2888, 31 January 1940, Page 7

THE SPY MENACE

ACTIVITIES IN POLAND WARNING EVERYWHERE "Beware of spies!” “German spy listening!” “There is a spy everywhere!”: warnings such as these were seen everywhere in Poland in the period immediately preceding the war and, of course, during the war itself. In Polish cities and in villages, in trains and buses, in tram-cars, on walls, the cry warning people against the enemy spies was visible. And it was everywhere justified for the number of German spies in Poland ran into thousands and the damage they caused was tremendous. Unfortunately the warning came too late. When I reached England, writes a correspondent, I was greatly surprised- to see that there were no such warnings against enemy spies. A Pole who was with me and who could not read English mistook the numerous “ Air-raid shelter” signs in London for anti-spy warnings. When I explained to him what the English, signs were he was doubly surprised, for in Poland there were very few shelters. Two Examples On September 8 the Polish Premier and some members of the Polish Cabinet, unable to work in Lublin as originally intended, arrived instead at Luck, a town in Eastern Poland. Within a few hours of their arrival the 'German wireless . stations announced the news to German listeners. Soon afterwards German bombers arrived and bombed the town. On Sunday, September 9, Colonel Beck, then Polish Foreign Minister, reached Krzemieniec, a town in Eastern Poland, where the foreign diplomats and members of the foreign press had sought refuge, hoping to have a day’s peace after a long and

dangerous journey. But hardly had he arrived and received a few Ambassadors when the German wireless gave out the news. Early next day German bombers came and killed 31 people, compelling the Minister and diplomats to depart and seek refuge somewhere else.

How was this information conveyed so swiftly? Only by employing a large number of spies placed in every district, in every town and village throughout Poland. The millionodd members of the German minority in Poland came in handy in that respect and were used to the utmost by the Nazis. Here, as in many other ways, the five years of illusionary friendship with Germany caused great injury to Poland. During that period, beginning from the Polish-Ger-man Non-Aggression Pact of. 1934, thousands of Germans used to visit Germany to become acquainted with Nazi teaching or just “on a trip to Berlin.” It appears that many of them, chiefly young Germans, were taken there and trained in the art of spying, and especially in the art of gathering and supplying information about the Polish Army, defences, and armament factories.