GERMANY ON BELGIAN SPIES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11479, 30 August 1915, Page 4

GERMANY ON BELGIAN SPIES.

.* . The following statement concerning the arrest of spies in Belgium has appeared in tho. German newspapers:— Since the beginning of the war our opponents have employed a large number of spies, who collect news in this country and in the territory occupied by our troops, and hand it on to specified centres. The organisation is an extremely complicated one, and is worked with extraordinary cleverness in all its brandies. It has been for a long time known to the Gorman authorities that espionage centres were established in different Dutch towns, and that traces of their activity were mainly to be found in Belgium. A short time ago a large organisation, with its headqnarterfi "in Maastricht, was discovered and frustrated. No less than seven teen indiviluals were Hrreisted and tried. It was ascertained that they had given information as to the transportation of troops on Belgian railways, and that their communications were contained in special lists which could only be read by means of a key. With this arrest of seventeen agents hostile espionage had received a sensible check, and it is to He hoped that Gorman martial justice, which is as swift as it is strict, will serve ss a | useful lesson to that section of the (Belgian population inclined to sedition.