BOMBS ON SHIPS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume L, Issue 175, 26 October 1917, Page 7

BOMBS ON SHIPS

HOW THE -GERMANS WORK. NORWEGIAN REVELATIONS. In view of the recent mysterious fires and explosions on vessels in Australian waters, resulting in some instances in the destruction of ships, the following information from the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet is of special interest. It relates to German spying methods, and the placing of bombs in Norwegian ports : At the outbreak of the war a man of Finnish descent, and with a good education, had been tempted to join the socalled Finnish Brigade, which was trained in Germany with the original object of taking part in the regular war againsf Russia. However, it was not long before it was apparent that there were great difficulties in the way of employment of these forces in the manner intended. The authorities therefore decided to nick out the most intelligent members of the brigades, and train them for a suecial mission, which best suited Germany in the war against Russia. In a special school in Berlin, they were taught the art of spying, and* how to olan and execute attempts on life, which, according to German ideas, should be of use to the German cause. Just like Baron von Rap.tenfels. the Finn in question was in due course provided with an official passport as German courier, and got. the iob~ of superintending, for the German Foreign Office in Berlin, the shipping of passengers' luggage to -the Scandinavian countries*: According to his own admission, lie shipped infernal machines to Stockholm m the same manner as Rautenfels brought such ..to Christiania. . - "Later on the Finn became secretary to the German head office for org£»"i---incr attempts on life at Stockholm. But then the Finn fa". Ul, and had to remain some time in hospital, and here he came to the result that the best he could do was to follow the road to amendment and conversion.

CAUGHT IN A TRAP. "A number" of Norwegian vessels were wrecked in a mysterious manner, and a suspicion of planned began gradually to gain ground in Norway. Then the Norwegian Shipping Gazette published the informatiqn that considerable rewards wpuld be given to those who could offer information as to how these many mysterious war' Wrecks had taken place. ;. A copy of. the paper fell into-, the hands of: the sick .man wh.o possessed the knowledge of the cause/ of these marine accidents, and he then at once wrote to the editor of .the- . Gazette. Later he got-a, short note, informing him that the police intended to offer the prize, and* he then wrote to the Christiania police. As soon as he trot well he went to one of the Legations of the Entente in Stockholm, and, without asking for any special reward, he informed one of the higher officials as to the dangers which threatened the ships sailing from Norwegian ports. The official in auestion' thanked him for the information, and the/man was asked to call again. He at that.times as in his letter to the Christiania police, o-ave the address of the, bomb store, and ho gave information as to the names, of a number. of the agents workinw an Norway. The Legations conferred with each other, and one of them expressed the wish to get possession of a couple of the infernal machines. "It was decided to lav a trap tor the Germans. The Finn came back to the Legation and declared himself, willing-. to assist in this, and was given his instructions. Then he went to the Ger : man central office in Stockholm, andexoressed himself as follows *~ Tn a ■ Norwegian town—the name of which I cannot give—is lying the steamer V of the Wilson line'. On board this steamer I have a brother-in-law: It will.be an ea'sv matter for me to get on board to see'him, and then I can also, without any difficulty, place a couple of internal machines to blow up the ship. . I am ready to-do- this, if entrusted with the job.' The Germans fell into the trap.

£3OO FOR. THE DEADLY WORK. ' "The man was provided with travel, ling expenses and credentials to obtain, definite place in Ghnstiama, two bombs, in order to execute the attempt. Further, he was promised a' cash bonus of Kr. 5000.000 .(£300) if the steamer was.to sink or otherwise.be destroyed bv the attempt. ' . ' "The Finn left, and by the same .train travelled. a representative ' frpm one of the Entente legations. The man obtained his .two bombs at-the address in Christiania, but instead oi following his original instructions, he handed his two homß* to the-represen-tative from the' Legation, who then immediately Tot into commounication with the police." . . . This in con umction with the original vague information from the sick Finn, the paper adds, enabled the police, who had been working day and night, to solve the mystery. In the course of a couple of hours it was discovered how the bombs had been smuggled into Norway, and as the imp'erial German ■Courier, von Rautenfels. just-at that time happened to arrive at Christiania with a fresh shipment of goods from the German Foreign 'Office, the police lost no time in examining the trunks ot this courier a little more closely. I he result was the now well-known 'disclosures.

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