Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 258, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 October 1916 — GERMANY TAKING NO SPY CHANCES [ARTICLE]

GERMANY TAKING NO SPY CHANCES

Correspondent Tells How He Was Searched When About to Leave Country. MIHIffE EXAMIHATIOH Every Article of Clothing Gets Close Scrutiny and Ordeal Is Quite Humiliating for Women of Tender Senses. FRANZ HUGO KREBS, in New York . Times. New York. —The examination which one has to undergo when entering or leaving Germany is very stringent and trying, and as the war continues is gradually becoming more rigid. A friend of mine who had come into Germany a few days before told me that on reaching Warnemuende tickets were given out, and that passengers were examined in the order of the number on the ticket; so I arranged matters with the conductor of the train from Berlin. He told me where to stand just before we reached Warnemuende, pointed out to me, when we arrived, the man who gave out the tickets —and I received No. 1. Entering a building right by the _±ranu-I was told to go through a long

room, and was halted at the door of another room and asked to produce ray passport. Afterß had" "been carefully serutinized I was passed into another room. There I found a porter with my grips and hatbox, and I was asked to identify my trunk. All my luggage was then placed on a wood A bench, and an officer and suboffleer came over tor take charge of the examination. Search Was Thorough.

I’never pack my trunk; it had been packed by the chambermaid at the Hotel Bristol, on Unter den Linden, and when I left Warnemuende its appearance beggared description. All my handkerchiefs, collars, shirts, drawers and socks were examined, one by one, to see whether any concealed papers could be located or whether anything was written on or sewed into them. Handkerchiefs were entirely unfolded* shirts, drawers and socks were turned inside out, and always there was a careful and persistent search. Every crease was examined. My soap was cut in pieces and a stick of camphor ice that had been cut in two places when I came into Germany was cut In another place. First the grips were examined, and then the hatbox; then, tray by tray, everything in the trunk was gone over, my boots and slippers were examined with great care, and, fortunately, I had no boots that had been recently resoled or reheeled; otherwise they might have been ripped apart. This, I was told, is frequently done.

Coining into Germany the examining officer had torn out the stand in my hatbox, on which the hat rested. I had this fixed in Berlin, but I might bbtter have waited until I returned to New York, because, as it was impossible for him to get his hands between the stund on which the hat rested and the side of the box, the examiner simply tore the stand out. The band of my silk hat was pushed up, to see whether anything was concealed underneath, and the cushion-for brushing the hat was ripped open. Suspect Paris Hat.

My evening hat was opened. Although it was bought in the United States, it seems that it had been made in Paris, and, as Unit fact was stamped inside, I had a feeling that it did not lessen the care with which it was examined, In the bottom of my trunk there were about a dozen summer shirts; I had not worn them since the previous summery and each had a piece of cardboard placed in it when laundered in order to hold the shirt in shape. The cardboard was taken orit of each shirt and laid aside. This completed the examination of my luggage, and 1 was then told to go with another subollieer and submit to

a personal examination. I was directed to go into a compartment; and was" told to take off all my clothing except my undershirt. I was also told to take everything out of my pockets and put it on a shelf. Banknotes were unfolded, one by one, to see that there was no tissue between; my matchsafe was opened, so was q small mCtal case that I carry my subway tickets in. The outer and inner cases of my watch were opened. The pockets of my topcoat, coat, waistcoat and trousers were turned inside out, and fingers passed over every seam. My boots and socks, drawers and shirt received the -same careful attention previously accorded those in my trunk. The band around the hat I wore was pushed up and the sweatband was turned down. Next I was handed a paper to sign, stating ..that everything had been re* turned to me, and I was told that my examination was over. The examination of suspected women is, of course, conducted by woman inspectors, and I was told that cipher dispatches written on oil paper have sometimes been discovered, and that the examination is rigid in the extreme. In fact, American women who eonshleV going to Germany before the end of the war must make up their minds in advance that they may pos-' sibly be subjected to an examination tliat to many would be humiliating.'