Western Kansas world., 1886-10-30

plans and the announcement
low comes that the two are to be forced
apart.
MILITARY SPIES.
People Who have Exercised
influence In France.
Lendon Truth.
As France is q large country and
military forts are rarely picturesque OBJ
jects, do not see that English or other
artists should deem it q grievance to be
forbidden to sketch near them. "Sketch-
ing passports" from the ministry of war,
such as Mr.. Hamerton proposes, will not
be issued because it would be impossible
to refuse them to any one without sx-
posing him to the odium attached to
spy. I cannot myself conceive the use
of forbidding artists or any other class of
persons to draw forts or their environs,
but military men think otherwise, end I
suppose they know better than I do.
The Germans are far more severe than
the French in Withholding from civilians
opportunities to do plans Of their strong
holds, and the rigor of the Austrians and
PiedmOntess in such matters Is almost
proverbiaL But Italians and Germans
can put guard on their lips, whereas
nothing that Frenchman knows can
long remain secret. There IL no coun-
try in which tho task Of military or
other sort of spy is 80 easy as in France;
and I suspect that the weak sides of the
military defense of France are better un-
derstood in all their details at Berlin
than here. A fair secret service agent of
Prince Bismarck was the Mary Ann CLARK
of the French war Office, when General
de Cissey was at its head She advanced
and delayed the promotion of officers,
and judged what commissariat and am
munltion contracts were to be signed or
rejected During the Empire there was a
Berlin doctor who. under the pretext of
having discovered remedy for the mala-
dy of which the late Emperor eventually
died, used to see him every morning, and
got so completely round him that I
believe he knew from him how unpre-
pared France was to go to war. Just
before the beginning Of tho end he was
arrested on charge of swindling and
was clapped into Mazas; but, as he was
a connection of the Able Bauer (the
Empress spiritual director until he re-
lapeed to Judaism) }, Cremieux On the
morrow Of September 4 let him out of
prison. What since happened to him I
know not, but I had personal opportuni-
ties Of seeing to what extent he was initi-
ated by the head of the state himself into
state secrets.
I remember once having bsan both
cred by lady calling herself Lorrain-
or, but of Oriental race, and married to q
colonel. whose surname was borrowed from
the old testement, to speak to Gambetta
on his behalf. I asked her what should
say if natural opportunity arose for
saying it.; She told me in confidential
tone that her husband, who was then in
the etat major, had rendered great ser
vice in the military espionage depart
ment for six years before the war and at
its opening. He spoke German like a
Teuton, and had gone. under an infinity
of disguises, through the garrisons of
Germany. He had been drayman, a
dealer in hops, dealer in old clothes, a
peddler, Snowman, horse dealer and
the violincellist in an ltinerant band.
One day turned, in talking to Gambet-
ta, the conversation on this subject, and
gave him the lady's message. He an
swered: II am aware that he was soy.
But his espionage was, as it turned
out, more useful tc the Germans than to
us. However, am about to tell you
something which will take your breath
away. The fort of Frouard, as you
knoH, is one of the most important
along the eastern frontier. Well, when
it was being built, it was found that the
contractor was a German and an agent
for the Germanization of Lorraine
Who do you think obtained the contract
for him under the shelter of French
dummy? The colonel about whom We
have been speaking" The best of the
story is that at subsequent trial Of
some German officials who were accused
of selling to the French government
military documents belonging to the
Berlin etat major, to which they had
access, one of the most severe charges
made against them was that they corre-
sponded with the colonel bearing the
patriarchal name.
Discarded Wedding Presents.
VI.