CIRCUMVENTING THE HUNS

Waikato Times, Volume 89, Issue 13750, 25 April 1918, Page 7

CIRCUMVENTING THE HUNS

A DARING EXPEDIENT. Mr Rathom, editor of the Providence Journal, who was in circumventing German intrigue in America by exposing von Papen, Bernstorfl, the activities in Mexico, etc., has written an account of his methods, which is most interesting, and tends to show that all the slimness is not located in Germany instance, Mr Rathom disco verd that the offices of a great German steamship company in New York were in reality a branch of the German Government and a hothed ot German intrigue, and he determined to get access to their records. One of his reporters was little more than a hoy, a son of German parents They were good Americans though, and the boy himself a patriot. Under instructions he went back from Providence to his birthplace at Jama, Ohio, and there he wrote a letter to the general manager of the steamship line in New York. He bad a brother, so he wrote, who was a telegraph operator in Providence, and acquainted with ole of the telegraph operators in the Providence Journal. Through, this channel he learned that the Providence Journal planned to instal one of its men in the office of this German steamship company in the guise of a janitor so that he might, in the course of his duties, become familiar, with the location of their secret files and take from then such of their contents as were of'interest to the Journal.

About a month later a man did apply to the officers of the comapny in New York for a job as janitor. The Prussian officials were ready for him. They had detailed the chief of their secret service to apply "the third degree." This he did and under the machine-gun fire of his questions the applicant stammered, hesitated, trembled and finally confessed. For two days thereafter the officers of the steamship company were jubilant and they wrote an elaborate report of the triumph over the hated Providence Journal to the Embassy in Washington, a copy of which is now in Mr Rathom's possession.

Some weeks later came another letter from the young man with a Get man name at Lima, Ohio. He wrote rather plaintively that he had not heard from the steamship company, and so felt, of course, that the information he had sent had heen valueless. Nevertheless, so he wrote, lie had done his heat. He was coming on to New York to seek his fortune, and, while finding nis way about, might he not have a clerical position, that would support him for a few months! He was assured Shut he could have the jol)—by telegraph. 'The young man from Lima'' went through the files in the office- in New York at his leisure, and supplied the Providence Journal with t"he material which fastened on the officers of ibis line and its secret service agents the guilt of the plot to blow up the Welland Canal, gave to the Journal ;".i immense mass of valuable ■ informrtioa concerning the methods of securing fraudulent passports for German and Austrian reservists, and also secured for his newspaper proofs of the criminal activities of Captain Hans Tauseher, the agent of Krupps in America, and tiie husband of .Madame Gadski