1941-04-10 — Page 25

THE CHAIL MAIL, APRIL 10, 1941.

NOBODY NOW LISTENS TO A

MERE SPY

Espionage isn't what it used to be. The changing character of this war-time "profession" is discussed-by an "Associated Press" war correspondent,

THE DISCOURAGING thing about being a spy is that nobody listens to spies any more. At least that's what the spies say. They also say that its extremely unpleasant work and easy to get and you can have it.

In Switzerland and elsewhere in Europe I have met quite a few spies socially. Some have been introduced as spies, which may have meant that they really were spies and were just trying to dis- arm me. I wouldn't know.

་

Conservative estimates by mili-icularly fond of landing in French tary attaches and other indivi- Burgundy or the western slopes Cuals whose activities throw of the French Jura just west of them into contact with spies the Swiss frontier. place the number of spies in Europe at something around 120,000. That includes sples in the business for pay, patriotism, and play whose nuggets of know ledge are sometimes worth hearing.

General 'Coverage'

Preferred

Al

Cons

tell them what they're now mak- ing, nor does it say what troops are in Rolm.

Directory A Fumble

The German industrial direc- tory was somebody's fumble in Berlin and a boon to the RA.F. It comes out every year and the 1940 edition appeared as usual, giving, with typical German thoroughness, even the new lorn- tions to which certain key fac. torica had been transferred, Bombs followed. The industrial directory was not published this year.

On with the example. London sends word to all commercial agents, businessmen and British official representatives abroad that they want to know what is going on in Rolm where there's a glass company, a steel mill, a Arm making frantes for racing bicycles and a soap factory.

A British commercial agent in Madrid may be a resident Englishman selling business in- surance to Spanish companies. He has a wide acquaintance and he has means of meeting the Spanish distributing agents for the Rolm Glass Company's hotel table glasses,

Last April three German non- were forced down by en- gine trouble after their spy had baled out of the bomber at dawn near Dijon. France. The trio burned their 'plane and escaped

Perhaps he meets them him- before the blaze drew troops in self. perhaps he delegates the job the neighbourhood. All three to a Spanish hotel owner who managed to reach the Swiss fron- may be viewed by the distribu- tler, but their

passenger wastors as a customer. Perhaps the located by French agents.

distributors have visited Rolm

Officials of several Embassies The French counter-espionage, recently and if not, then certainly and Legations say modern intelll-agents, following the usual pro- a Rolm salesman has been call- gence services have sacrificed de-cedure, let the newcomer leading. Germany needs foreign ex- tail for general coverage and have them to his comrades and em-change.

cut salaries for fairly good agents ployees for three weeks before The salesman, while explaining in order to get large numbers of they finally swooped down on the delay in filling orders, may just average agents. They

whole Say the

ring. Three were happen to mention that the fac- intelligence services now have executed, but three others were tory's warehouses have been used only a few agents whose word in prison awaiting trial when the by the military to store milliary they count on as sufficient in German victory liberated them. equipment or to house troops. itself, but many paid agents whose information is pooled to be checked and double-checked.

Mata Haris Out

Danube barge makers in Yugo- slavia pet their steel from Ger- many. The heads of the firm visit Germany on buying cxpeditions behind and talk to the owners of the lit- ace tle Rolm plant where plate steel

is made.

Britain, in the opinion of The Mata Haris of this war most espionage experts includ- have taken a

back seat ing come Axis representatives || plain John Businessman, have met, has an enormous ad- espionage agent of 1941. vantage in the war of military For it takes more than good Swiss chemists from Idle Swiss and economic intelligence on looks and intelligence to cross factories are sent to Germany by the Continent-but it's an ad- frontiers in Europe to-day. One their firms to study German vantage gained mainly by de businessman with no charm at methods of making soap out of feat and by Axis conquest. all, but with business abroad, is coal or other materials in order The story goes, and I have worth far more to European in- to keep the Swiss factory busy never heard it denied, that

telligence services than a the

bevy fling German orders. British Secret Service and Mili- of beauties.

Information In Invoices tary Intelligence Divisions

Which is why counter espion. pre pared for the invasion of the

age officials of neutral govern. Portuguese bicycle dealers-buy Low Countries and the French

ments say they believe Britain, most of their bicycle frames where defeat, even though few of them

now has a big edge on Ger- they can, for there's little iron in dreamed it would come to pass,

many in military information.

Portugal and the shipments from by scattering civilian

Britain's trade empire is pay- the United States and Britain are agents throughout these territories.

ing dividends with perhaps the rare these days: They may go to world's most active, and under- Rolm, too.

tions.

"I can tell