Messersmith, G.S.
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University of Delaware Library, Museums and Press
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Relates experiences with Secret Service; Curaçao being crossroads of trade, it became favorite rendezvous for secret agents of allied as well as enemy intelligence service; most U.S. intelligence agents had little direct contact with diplomatic or consular officers, but on occasions the contact was close and sometimes interesting; recalls one individual who arrived in Curaçao; saw him frequently, but he seemed to want to avoid any contact with consulate or other Americans in the place; began to get inquiries about him, and then reports that an American secret service agent was asking all sorts of questions, but wanted his identity kept secret; he eventually appeared at consulate and said he was a U.S. intelligence officer who had been sent to Curaçao for purpose of reporting on enemy firms and enemy trade; he showed long list of firms concerning which he had cabled adverse reports to Washington; knew his information was not correct, but would have the effect of placing most of leading firms of Curaçao on blacklist; immediately dispatched cablegram to Government suggesting his recall; following day he was ordered to return to U.S.; took weeks to undo mischief he had caused; another member of U.S. Secret Service coming to Curacao was the brother of a famous opera singer, apparently his sole recommendation; in time was able to convince Washington the man was a lunatic and it was a relief to get him on boat leaving for U.S.; U.S. not the only country to have strange characters among her intelligence agents; a man calling himself Duca de Montefiore arrived in Curaçao and settled at the American Hotel; he apparently had unlimited funds; he called at Consulate one day and introduced himself; his English was fluent, but with an Italian accent; when he occasionally groped for a word, however, he used a German rather than an Italian word; he stated he was on special mission for his Government; became convinced he was not what he appeared to be and managed to evade his questions; confided suspicions to Washington and learned immediately the Italian Mission there had no information regarding him; inquiries in Rome brought information several weeks later that passport had been issued to Duca de Montefiori but that he had died shortly after passport was issued; no doubt about his being German agent and receiving funds through German legation in Caracas; when he was discredited and no longer useful to Germans, funds stopped coming and he was shortly in want; thought he would be less dangerous if kept bottled up in Curaçao, and using consular influence was able to insure that no ship would give him passage.