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Show SPIES DISCLOSE ! NAVJUECREFS Movement o Ships Sent . to England Known by Berlin in Advance. WASHINGTON, May 25. Pour days before the American destroyer flotilla arrived abroad, Berlin knew it was on the way and to what port It was going, and the day before the vessels steamed steam-ed Into Queenstown, German submarines subma-rines had strewn mines about the harbor har-bor entrance. This startling information, revealing reveal-ing that German Bpies not only still are at work In this country but that they have a swift and sure means of communicating America's war secrets to the fatherland, came to the navy department In a cablegram from Rear Admiral Sims at London. The admiral said his information was positive. His dispatch was not made public, and for obvious reasons nnthlnp- -will ho (Hven nut rnnoprnlnc how the news came Into his possession posses-sion nor about the precautions which defeated the German plans and enabled en-abled the flotilla to speed safely through me mine fields. Emphasizes Secrecy. Immediate publicity was given the salient fact, however, the department making clear that its purpose was to let the people know of the activity and success of Teutonic spies and to emphasize the necessity for absolute secrecy in connection with naval operations op-erations or shipping movements. The destroyers, now aiding In the hunt for submarines In European waters, under the direction of Admiral Ad-miral Sims, put Into port at Queenn-town Queenn-town on May 16. How long they were in crossing the Atlantic or from what port they sailed never has been announced, and until word of their arrival came by cable only a few persons per-sons in the United States even knew ot the government's decision to send warships to Europe. No official would comment tonight on the possible means by which the news was conveyed to Germany. If It did not go from a secret wireless plant, it must have been carried in some dispatch that the .allied cable censors passed as innocent. Redouble Vigilance. The result will be to redouble the vigilance of the censors and of every agency of tho government engaged in rooting out the spy system. Every German known to have been connected connect-ed with the espionage work of his government already is under arrest or under surveillance. Other arrests may follow at any time, and now that the country' is at war and the revelation revela-tion of its secrets may mean death to its sailors and soldiers, swift punishment punish-ment undoubtedly will bo dealt out to any convicted spy. Men now in custody operated when the United States was a neutral. Spying Spy-ing now is a very different thing and is likely to lead to the gallows instead of to comfortable detention quarters. In announcing Admiral Sims' dispatch, dis-patch, the navy department, throu0h the committee on public information, said: "The department calls attention to this fact as proof that the German spy system is still at work in this country, making imperative the neul of secrecy in connection with our naval operations. The premature publication of ship movements in particularly par-ticularly a source of danger." oo |