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B>ritainir E>and of Noble Lady
tipy-Trappenr
How Beautiful, Fascinating
Englishwomen Have
Lured German Agents Into
Guilty Revelations and
Frustrated the Spy Menace
Which the British Gov
ernment Seemed
Powerless to Handle
Lady Glanusk, Who Is the
Head of the League of Eng
lishwomen of the Nobil
ity, Engaged in Ferreting
Out German Spies.
ft/»ra-av, JSiTA' Marti h- London
London, May 22.
E VERYBODY has heard of the
tremendous ramifications of
the German military spy
system, which had every move of
England's army and navy under
observation, every gun emplacement
mapped out and knew every order
given to the army before it reached
the subordinate officers.
Englishmen were powerless to
shake off this spy danger, which
penetrated into every branch of
national life, hut English women
took up the matter, brought the most
dangerous spies to trial, put the
others under armed guard and in
various other ways made the lives of
s;ies and suspected spies a burden
to them.
They have proved that women are
the only efficient “spy trappers ”
The leaders of the undertaking are
women of title, for they alone would
have the authority, means and pres
tige to carry out such a difficult and
far-reaching work.
The organiser and “chairman" of
the committee that has been round
ing up the spies is Lady Glanusk,
wife of a peer and officer, a woman
of keen mind and very determined,
yet tactful personality.
Other members are the Duchess of
Wellington, who is president; the
Duchess of Beaufort, the Duchess of
Sutherland, the Marchioness of
Sligo, Countess Bathurst, the Coun
tess of Lanesborough, Viscountess
Massereene and Ferrard, Viscountess
Combermere, Viscountess Cobham,
Lady Vincent, Lady Leith of Fyvie,
Mrs. Harold Baring and others.
Among them are some of the most
notably beautiful women in English
society and others who are distin
guished by their winning personality.
Perhaps the most striking beauty is
the Viscountess Massereene and
Ferrard. whose husband is the chief
of a celebrated Irish family.
Equally attractive in her way is
the young Duchess of Sutherland,
whose husband is the largest land-
owner in Scotland and the United
Kingdom.
Another member of the committee
noted for her beauty Is Mrs Harold
Baring, who was formerly Miss Marie
Churchill, of New York Her hus
band belongs to the famous English
banking family that possesses four
peerages. Lady Leith of Fyvie. is
mother American born member. She
was Mis* Marie January, of St.
Louis.
Womanly intuition and womanly
guile exercised by these attractive
“spy trappers,” on many social oc
casions, have led many Germans to
make admissions they would never
have mace to a man
Before the war thousands of Ger
mans were in positions of trust in
England, ranging from heads of
banks down to such positions as but
lers in prominent English families
and headwaiters in leading hotels
Many people believe that German
butlers in the employ of British Cabi
net ministers and British generals
have been the most important agents
for conveying military information to
the enemy. Standing silent
and discreet behind their
employers and their guests
at the table, they listened
to many military secrets
and they also had other
opportunities for gathering
information.
One of the fair members
of the committee dined one
evening at the house of an
English general with a
small party of persons
highly placed in military
and official life. When the
general joined the ladies in
the drawing room after din
ner the fascinating “spy
trapper” drew him aside
and said:
“General, before I go, I
want you to arrest your but
ler and search his belong
ings. He is a German spy,"
she said.
“But Lady ,” said the
general in amazement, “he
has been with me for ten
years. The man is an excel
lent butler.”
“No doubt,” said the lady,
“but he is also an excellent
spy. Never speak to me
again if I am wrong.”
The butler’s room was
searched and many notes of
an incriminating character
were found. The lack of
positive evidence that he
had sent information to the
German Government saved
his life, but he was sent to
prison with a host of other
German spies.
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Photo * S'*
LArAyeTTC-
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The Beautiful Viscountess Massereene, One of
Lady Glanusk’s First Lieutenants.
It is generally understood that
Carl Hans Lody, the German spy
executed in the Tower of London,
was brought to trial through the ef
forts of the women's committee, al
though the members disclaim the
achievement.
Lody was an officer of the Ger
man naval reserve who had resided
some years in the United States,
married and deserted his wife there
He was engaged for a time as an
agent of an English tourist agency
in America, work which gave him an
excellent opportunity for watching
military preparations.
Last August he obtained an Ameri
can passport from the German Em
bassy in Berlin, under the name of
Charles A. Tnglis, of New York,
American citizen. He went to Eng
land with instructions to obtain in
formation concerning the movements
of the English fleet for the German
Government.
In the disguise of an American
tourist, he visited the principal sea
ports of the United Kingdom. While
he was viewing the romantic scenery
in the vicinity of Edinburgh, an at
tractive member of the ladies' com
mittee made his acquaintance. Under
the influence of sympathetic society
Lody became more communicative
than discretion warranted.
Behind the superficial American
accent the natural German accent re
vealed itself in the warmth of con
fidence. A few days later. Lody was
arrested and letters, which ha had
tnoro © ftv. iNTEtHA-rtoNA' L • Ataws • Co.
A_Jtemarkable Snapshot of the Trial of Carl
Hans Lody, the German Spy, Who Was
Executed in the Tower of
London. He Is Seen with Hand
to Face. Evidence Against
Lody Is Said to Have Been Se«
cured by Lady Glanusk’s
League.
.
star w
riiQTO <g) 6Y-, LALLir
The Duchess of Sutherland
l~0s/oo^4
Her Favorite Leopard Cub.
written to Germany, giving Informs^
tion concerning English naval move
ments and which had been seized in
the mails, were produced.
Lody admitted that he was acting
as a spy. After a short trial he was
condemned to be shot in the old
Tower of London. He met his fate
very bravely.
The “ladles’ committee” has
hunted down all German head-
waiters and waiters employed in the
principal English hotels and res
taurants and caused them to be re
moved to detention camps. These
men. owing to the peculiar char-
acter of their work, enjoyed an ex
cellent opportunity for meeting per
sons of all the Important classes of
society, and in the free expansion
that ordinarily takes place at the
table all kinds of confidences were
exchanged within their hearing.
Many Germans of high social posi
tion and great wealth, gome of them
naturalized Rritish subjects, have
been pursued by the relentless
"ladles’ committee.” Professor Ar
thur Schuster, a born German, but a
naturalized Englishman, was sur
prised at his luxurious country Beat,
when a band of detectives descended
on him and seized his private wire
less apparatus.
Lady Glanusk explained to the
correspondent of this newspaper
some of the aims and labors of the
committee.
She has turned the drawing and
reception rooms of her fine house, at
No. 30 Bruton street, Mayfair, into
offices for the committee.
“Owing to the fact,” said Lady
Glanusk, "that no serious effort has
been made by our mankind to round
up the 73,000 alien enemies in our
midst. I felt the call to start a pro
test by women, as it is women who
are the greatest sufferers by war.
My husband and two sons are fight
ing at the front and thousands of
women can say very much the same.
"Ten days after I issued my ap
peal to the women of England I had
formed my committee with the defi
nite object that all alien-born ene
mies, whether German, Austrian or
Turk, of military age, be forthwith
Interned, whether naturalized or
not. Other alien enemies above
military age or under should be re
moved at least twenty miles from
the coasts and kept under surveil
lance.
"I consider that women aa spies
and decoy ducks are more dangen
oue than men.
"To euoh an extent have the
women of England been roused th»>
In the first ceuple of weeks more
than 200,000 signatures to toe pett
tion to be presented to Parliament
were obtained.
"Alien enemies. Germane and
Austrians particularly, were spread
ail along the coast towns and It
was impossible to know whether or
not they were In constant communi
cation with the enemy. For my part,
I would like to see as many as pos
sible of these “useless non-eomba^
tants’ dumped right onto German
soil. It would be amuBing to think
of the embarrassment of the German
authorities having to find food and
shelter for something like 70,000
fresh mouths. Another trouble la
the shameful favoritism shown tr*
wealthy and highly placed Angle-
Germans while their humbler conu
patriots are interned without ado.
"Out of the petition of protest
has grown what we have named
‘the anti-German League,' by whkfli
it is resolved that no member will
employ or sanction the employment
of any German or alien enemy
Members will further refuse to deal
with any shops or establishments
selling any German or alien enemy
goods. As the members of our com
mittee are highly influential people
the movement should he effective
end will continue for several years
Further, no pains will be spared to
improve the usefulness of Britfsih
hotel waiters and other hotel and
restaurant employes.
"If every British woman will
realize that it is shameful and
treacherous to give financial help to
the Germans there will be no future
need to protect the public from this
alien peril, for the German Empire
will never be in a position to menace
us again, for war cannot be waged
except by a commercially flourishing
nation."
Lady Glanusk Is a typical English
woman, full of energy, go and spirit.
She is tall and stately, with a beau
tiful complexion. She received the
American correspondent cordially
and with a friendly grasp of the
hand.
During the Interview Mr Joynson-
Hieks, Member of Parliament, and
Just recently appointed Chairman o£
the Unionist Parliamentary Commit
tee lately formed to inquire into this
alien enemy question, was present, as
was also Lord Euston, heir to the
Dukedom of Grafton.
Copyright, 1815, ky the Star Company Great Britain Rights Reserved.
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