Part 17 (2/2)
Whether the unlimited ambitions of this wild speculator followed usual precedent and tumbled from the height of success to the abysmal depth of failure by reason of too oft-repeated temptations of Providence; whether, and if so, how the a.s.surances given and the guarantee obtained were carried out, the ultimate turn of events, and how all these things developed, progressed and fructified, remain, as Rudyard Kipling says, another story.
CHAPTER XII
SHADOWED BY POLICE
POSING AS A JOURNALIST--CREDENTIALS--SUBTLE SUGGESTIONS--SUSPICIONS--A FALLEN STAR--SOLD TO THE POLICE--INSTINCTIVE WARNINGS--TEMPTATIONS--INTERCEPTED ADULATIONS--A SERIOUS BLOW--TESTS--DANGER SIGNALS--FLIGHT--HERR SCHMIDT--DOUBLE TRACKING--ARREST WARRANT POSTPONED.
Most people who interest themselves in the detailed working of Secret Service show greatest curiosity regarding the actual characters a.s.sumed by its members when in foreign countries.
A Secret Service agent should never a.s.sume a character he is not absolutely familiar with, both inside and out. It is possible to act up to a certain pitch, which will carry a certain distance, but artificiality is never safe. The stunt that is most in favour with the Intelligence Departments of all nations is journalism; thus it has been worked threadbare. Every foreign newspaper man on the Continent in recent years has been suspected, marked, and watched from the start, simply because he is what he is and for no other reason. I was never warned of this, but it did not take me long to find it out. I fell into the _role_ on my second trip out and adopted it naturally. I had been a free-lance journalist for upwards of twenty years, and I concluded that I could a.s.sume the character of special correspondent without any anxiety, and that I would be received for what I was. I had previously posed in many characters which were not so aptly fitted, and I believed I had carried them through successfully. This would be child's play to an old hand; besides, it had been part of my livelihood and was no a.s.sumed _role_, it was merely acting as one's self. One of the best, most influential and respected newspapers in London was therefore approached. I was no stranger to its editor, who received me with cordiality and gave me the necessary credentials.
In order to supplement my London references I sought for and easily obtained a further commission from the head editor of a series of country daily and weekly issues. A pa.s.sport carried the announcement that I was a journalist, and everything appeared to be in order.
On arrival abroad, in the first country to which my work was allotted, as a special journalist I made application to the head Transmission Department to bespeak a legitimation card, which added an additional official stamp to my papers.
No one could have been more helpful or sympathetic than the Transmission Department officials, but in this particular instance it subsequently transpired they took copies of my credentials, which they handed over to the Chief of the Criminal Investigation Department. Of course, I knew nothing of this at the time, although it would not in any way have disturbed my equanimity or peace of mind if I had.
A chief superintendent, whom I had to interview, was exceptionally kind.
He strictly adhered to his duty to his country, but the leaning of his sympathies he appeared absolutely unable to restrain. ”Your paper,” he said, ”is a power in Europe. It is always fair, impartial, and reliable.
Many of my countrymen read it, and we know that it does not exaggerate the true facts. I respect it, my colleagues respect it, although they might not say so, and you may rely upon all the help I can give you. You must remember, however, the position we are placed in. You must be careful not to offend against our recently pa.s.sed laws or you will not get your messages through. Also, you may be misunderstood.” I thanked him and sought further enlightenment. I guessed what he was hinting at, but I wished to draw out of the man all he was willing to disclose.
”You know,” the superintendent continued, ”that you must not use our wires, either telephone or telegraph, to report movement of any s.h.i.+ps of foreign nations which are at war. Our instructions are very strict upon this point. We must carry out our duties to the utmost. But these Germans! They are not men, they are mad dogs. Their idea of war seems to be extermination without regard to the law of nations. They murder women and children; they seem to have no feelings. They would overrun our small country to-morrow if they thought any advantage could be gained thereby. Alas, poor innocent, unoffending Belgium, whom they undertook by honourable treaty to protect and uphold! How they have ruined her, burned her towns, ravaged her entire country, raped her daughters, robbed her churches and treasures; and, on top of all, fined her inhabitants for not returning to be made slaves to oppressors and brutal taskmasters. 'Vengeance is mine,' saith the Lord. If they do not suffer for all this, then there is no justice on earth or in heaven above.” We were alone in his private office. Before speaking he had carefully closed the door, having first looked anxiously into the outer office.
Now he turned to me and, extending both hands, added: ”Reading these things, hearing of them from eye-witnesses, hearing even worse in detail which made my flesh creep, can you wonder that we, a peace-loving people, who never did like those overbearing Germans, pray for the day when they will find their level in the world and when they will be compelled to behave like decent-minded people?”
I cordially agreed, and inquired what my loquacious friend was leading up to.
”You have a Press Censor in your country, I presume?”--”Yes.” ”If he saw in the course of his duties anything which he thought might be of advantage to your Government, or to its naval administrators, to know, I suppose he would at once cause it to be sent along?” ”Really, my dear sir,” I interjected, ”I have no knowledge of what our Censor does. I know he's an awful nuisance to us newspaper men; he holds up our copy for indefinite periods. But I, like yourself, a.s.sume he is an Englishman.” And I looked him square in the face and wondered whether he would guess what I certainly had no intention of admitting. ”Good!” he exclaimed. ”Now, in this country our newspaper men get round our regulations by using simple little codes, which in their wording refer to things domestic, but in reality can be translated into something very, very different. For example, 'Mrs. Jones of ---- has just had twins; one is strong, the other very weak and not expected to live,'
might easily be arranged to convey the interpretation that a couple of German submarines had entered the port of ----, one of which was a damaged condition. I expect your paper would like to have such items of news? Even if it were not allowed to publish it, your Censor might like to have the news to hand along. Such a message, worded as I suggest, would not offend against our rules and regulations. We should accept it, not knowing or caring for any possible hidden meaning. Do you understand, my dear sir, what I want to convey?”
Wondering at the back of my mind whether he was just sounding me, or whether he was so truly sympathetic with the Allies that he was really anxious to help stop the war as soon as possible, I followed the wise course of terminating the interview. After thanking the superintendent for his kind a.s.sistance and sympathy I left.
It is an unwritten rule of the Secret Service never to give anything away unless it is imperative so to do, or a more than commensurate advantage is gained thereby.
It is an unwritten rule of the same Service to keep away from all Government officials, irrespective of nationality, in so far as one reasonably can.
In spite of the deadly earnestness of the gentleman I had just left, I felt puzzled. I did not understand his voluntary and unnecessary outburst of outraged sentiment. Instinct told me that somewhere there was something moving which I must guard against. What it was, or from which quarter I was to expect it, I had no idea.
In the Secret Service one must paddle one's own canoe, alone and una.s.sisted; always up-stream; always through dangerous rapids, wherein at every yard are hidden rocks and snags ready to tear the frail craft asunder; always through countries overrun with enemies armed with poisonous arrows which are fired singly and in volleys whenever the smallest opportunity is given; always hunted and stalked both day and night by the most persevering, cunning, and desperate huntsmen in the world; always on the move, with never a sure, safe, or secure resting-place for one's weary limbs; and always on the _qui vive_ against a thousand and one unseen, unknown, and unsuspected dangers. No wonder that members of this Service so soon become fatalists.
A few days later I was closeted with a local journalist out of collar.
He wanted a job. He spoke six languages, had had smooth and rough experiences in America, and was a man of great ability. His weak spot was alcohol. He had had chances innumerable. Friends had helped him until their patience had been exhausted. Now that his domestic s.h.i.+p was badly on the rocks, the whole family half-starved, and himself a total abstainer--by force of circ.u.mstances--another last chance seemed to his unfortunate wife to fall as the blessed manna from heaven in the wilderness. I treated him generously and trusted him--as far as I could have trusted any ordinary person--but he, an ordinary mortal of this proverbially ungrateful world, at once sold his benefactor to a higher bidder, in so far as it was possible for him so to do. It happened thus-wise.
Not satisfied with the liberal terms I had agreed to give him, which covered full travelling expenses, living expenses and remuneration separately a.s.sessed, he approached various carrying firms and tried to wheedle from them free pa.s.ses. Meeting with no sympathy--probably they knew him by former experience--he visited the police and sold me over to them as an alleged spy. Naturally the police wanted evidence. This the man undertook to get. He made excuse after excuse to delay his departure on my business. He visited me daily with a long list of questions; he suggested the obtaining of information concerning local naval and military intelligence which did not interest me in the least; he pressed for written instructions, special codes, and complicated arrangements regulating the sending and receiving of correspondence--anything, in fact, which would gain him time and which might prove my undoing--all of which, however, I suggested he should prepare himself if he wanted them.
The man's testimonials were excellent upon all points excepting the one weakness before referred to, and I treated him quite unsuspectingly.
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