A MYSTERY WOMAN

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12201, 28 July 1925, Page 4

A MYSTERY WOMAN

5 QUEEN OF sTHE SPIES ■ PUZZLED ALLIES’ SECRET SERVICE SCHOOLED IN MILITARY AFFAIRS Of the members of the “gentler sex” who played any part in the World War, by !ar the l ost remarkable, not excepting even the Amazons of the Russian armies. Was a'German woman, who filled a high and responsible post “ *4® army of the Fatherland. She was charged by ihe Military Secret Service of the General Staff with the personal direction of all the spies and agents sentjjut to work against EnS Her real identity is believed in Germany still to be a m ??*fry. Of., the .personality -and activities of tins amazing woman, much is revealed , xor the first time in fpnowmg despatch.. t . ' T“e ,Secret Forces,” a hook written .by Capta 1 n Nicholai, the Chief of the German Military Intelligence Service, contains the following passage: H i* remarkable that a cavalry offiSTIV+!,i an + 1 5 nt <Je3oent a »d anunusugy talented woman were the two who best understood how to deal 'with the spies, even the most difficult and dangerous elements among them.” Up to the' present this, is the only Geman reference .that has ever been made to one of she most mysterious personalities of the World War.'Even to-day a thick , veil of secrecy shrouds it ,S xi. re ff ar^ a ' ,le '' woman - In spite of rac ?r the French' and Enehsh . Secret Services have never been able to lift the mask and establish her identity. To.'_ the/ French she was known as “Mademoiselle Doctor” ana “The Queou of' the Spies.” The English * j e T ™r ''‘Frau- Doctor Elizabeth,” and behoved that her name was Heirinohsen, .Without, however, being ablo to'ohtain 'any indisputable proof. MANY NICKNAMES

At the same time, the Entente Se-oret-Service knew some of the nicknames which the agents gave her, and some of which, such as “The Black 9®*’! and “The Red Tiger,” were of a decidedly roniantic, “cinema" -film” character.' ‘ , t *- i i? 1 !? °t “any agents whom this tall blonde, with nerves of steel, coolly sent to his death was the Greek, Consfantm. Ooudoyanis, who was shot in the'Bois do Vincennes in May, IQI6, for spying on behalf of Germany# Coudoyanis . thus described / his ruthless .female fchief: “She is an unusually beautiful woman. She is extraordinarily intelligent, possessed of incredible energy and exercises «n irresistible influence upon all with whom she deals. Not' even officers •of.the highest rank', who were tinder her authority, ever dared to oppose her commands. She has keen known to ‘give orders, at the . revolver’s point. Spying, is fo. her. blood:.She *et#-, not from. ueaf-ihtejejst, put, from inclination and passion.”,-. ..The tits. Spies*’ were in Antwerp;- the cen--tj-e-point pf the German W ar espionage, ■ijh^/shei.lived in a luxurious hotel.. -...r-r/SHERr ARMED GUARD ;;

She ■•frequently made motor-car j OurneyS, * herself at -'the" Wh&jl;‘ : 1 "thfbvteh: Holland,"' frour whence German - agents' were sent i , England. ‘ In the streets of . Aihsterdiinf v this -elegant womim ‘ wawa well-known figure. _ Never, -however, . was she seen alone. ; She was always'accompanied by two ; Hereubsan.cme!n', --'Who, as was well-known-tb-the English; and (French counter espionage service, weTe armed to the,.teeth, so that it was regarded as.-impossible , to, render, harmless, onoe and for. all,. this dangerous spy director, ■■How well she: understood her role is;shown by the instructions -she gave to one'of her most successful agent 3, a man who worked for-a long time in France jmder her command, and whom _shq afterwards sent on .a special mission to London, : . After gazing closely at him for some time, she. said: “You are educated, and know several languages. That is not .enough. You mtist bo- adaptable, obedient, courageous and. supple. Visit resorts of pleasure, if you wish, but' never let,yourself be drawn into anintrigue, (for every country has its,, spies and counter-spies. ’ .“Be very 'careful, when you. want to draw someone, into your net. Make as few written notes as possible. When you do put anything on paper, write it\ when circumstances - -demand. Now, then, repeat all I have Baid to you!’’, - THE “BLACK CAT’S” CLAWS , Everybody realised that “The Rod Tiger” knew her business thoroughly andwasperfectly schooled in military affairs., . Her correspondence with her agents in France was dispatched through Geneva, in a . secret code, the key to which was changed every fortnight. ' . “The Black Cat’s” claws stretched far over the frontiers, and no agent was ever really out of her sight. Frequently she sent One, agent to overlook 'another, unknown tp .hipiself. In this manner. she learned that the Greek already mentioned, had .an “affaire”, with a Frepch dancer. She warned him to break it off unless he could enlist the dancer in the German Secret Servioe. , Amenable. ,to love, but not to spying, ihe dancer betrayed her Greek lover to the French policy, and he was shot. ' , When this women believed she had. grodnils for ‘mistrusting any of her own agents, Bhe did not shrink from delivering them up to the enemy. . With francs-or English pound notes in one hand and a revolver in the other, this amazing woman—oat and tiger in 'oner-held her . dangerous army v of spies in check under the spells of both hope and fear. , .' '