SOLD BY SPIES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8061, 13 July 1904, Page 2

SOLD BY SPIES.

_ — — * TRANCE TfiE VICTIM OF EXTRAORDINARY TREACHERY \ A long and- very sensational account of an alleged spy case which came to the knowledge of the London, correspondent of the Paris " Matin " some little time ago appeals in that journal. The secret, he says, hact been carefully kept, but now . France will learn that she has been a victim of treason. Upwards of eighty-five plans of forts and batteries at Toulon have been restored by the " Matin " to the French But even more have been disposed of, and if France had been engaged in a. naval war a few months ago the consequences might have baen irreparable. Whether tlie leakage o6qurred three, or even- ten. year* ago, the writer Cannot say, but the two general staffs will soon know. It was on April 21 th&t M. Hedeman, the London, correspondent of the " Matin," received a letter from' a. person who described himself as & native of Dal- v roatia., and an hotel employee. He related that two gentlemen had; been in London for the sale of a voluminous pareel of plans which were of the utmost importance to the naval defence of France, that he had acted as their guide, and knew all About their doings. They were in Brussels for a few days, out Were soon to return to London, where they had left a. trunk in hi3 room. What, he asked, would the French say if they learnt that complete' plans of Toulon and Cherbourg had been sold, together "With an official work on the tactics and exercises of the fleet, and thai the same couple had promised the speedy delivery of the plans of Brest, as well as of the signal-book? The newspaper -which, was the first to inform the public of this would do ' France a great service, and the writer concluded by explaining that, as be was poor arid wished to return to Daliha,"tia, he would for a small sum prove his statement. Tha "Matin's" correspondent sent a reply poete restants, asking the man to call, and he turned up punctually. He said, always according to the " Matin's" account, that he was practically starving, that he had been an employee in the Italian. War 'Office when he was mixed up with, a. spy case, that he had been sentenced! to -six .months' imprisonment, but 'had contrived to escape, and that he had drifted to London. There he had, Acted as guide and secretary to two men who were working for foreign Governments, and who had sold 1 documents, for which they were well remunerated, to a German agent. One yirna an Italian, the other a naturalised Frenchman who had long resided at Toulon. They had gone tor Brussels five days before, leaving him without money, so ha had collected some of the papers, and now offered them for sate. A large parcel was produced, and shown to M. Hedeman. Besides the eighty-five relating to Toulon, there were a, bordereau headed "List of the Plans of Cherbourg-, Brest and Toulon," and a paper containing questions, and said by the informant to have emanated from THE GENERAL STAF.F AT BERLIN. Full particulars of the Brest batteries were asked, and the note added, "Give the eame 'information as about Brest oh the following points: —lsland of Ushant, He de Groix, Qujberon Peninsula, He de Re, He d'Olerpn, and the other fortified points on the west coa.st of France. There were various other papers, such as sketches, German maps, and 86 forth, and tlie " Matin's" correspondent, after explaining that he was no judge of the authentic character of. the plans and documents, suggested that they might be crttru«?fc£d to him for a brief time, in order that 1;? might show them to experts. The man demurred, as he wanted to leava London ininiediately, and'he held out, after a few shillings had been presented to him ; but as ho was moving towards the door With lite parcel he stopped and consented to confide it> to M. Hedeman for twenty-fotir hours. The "Matin's" correspondent at once put the documents into a huge envelope, sealed it, and at half-past eight on the following morning he was at the {French Embassy, handing the parcel Rnd A letter to a Servant for the naval attache. When he returned at noon he found Captain Mercior de Lostende rather pale* and apparently a prey to deep emotion. " These plans," he Paid, " are authentic arid genuine. They are of the greatest importance. Where did you get them?' 1 Such is the fitory", aa related by M. Stephane Lauzaime, the editor of the " Matin," sent to London by the <; Telegraph's " Paris correspondent. The " Matin " gives the names ,of ; the three men, as well ao the portrait/of the informant. Respecting this alleged case, the " Temps " leiirns from its Toulon correspondent that one of the men alluded to by the informant worked for some time in the | fortifications in its neighbourhood, and j that the other was for ten years in the employ of two local contractors, who constructed forts, but he left Toulon in 1902 for Italy. The " Lib»f be " Bays that incredulity is the prevailing note anaong M. daftiillo Pelleton'S staff at the Ministry of Marine, andHhat att official there, after exclaim ing. "C'e!*t de la. blague," pointed out' that thei'e were no secrets about land d#fehce& at Toulon, and that anyone c6uld easily procure plans of its forts and photograph the eXact positions of. its coast batteries. "We attach rio importance to thes© stories," he concluded. M. Cavard, the liead of tbe Criminal Detective Depaf tflient, told a representative of the same journal that most of the. foreign Governments possessed plans of the French forts, ju6t a§ tHe French had plans of theirs. Too marly people Were employed oft their construction for secTecy to be lonj| maintained; It was, however, true that fiopies of documents had been in the hands Of thi§ inferinartt who, M. Cavard said, had lived tuidef. various assumed flames. The " Temps " say§ that the rrian lias been known for some time to the Criminal Detective Department in Paris, afid that, vihdtf different na>me§, he traded In docuMentgi The "Temps" believes that when the mari was in Switzerland he ttlade a fir'sfe attempt to get into communication With representatives of the Ministries of War §fld Marine. He had contffred'to get hqld of documents or copes concerning the natioal defence, but the dfigiflals Were only partial plaits 6f Idft^; TheSe dociiments •seem merely to have related to Toulon, where they were probably procured. An investigation has been opened, dnd in the meantime it is thought that little hiischietf hart been done: So says the "Temjj&y" which warns its readers against a&aching ariv undue importance to the matter.