Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-09-19
THE REPTILE FUND"
SECRET SERVICE FUNDS AT PRINCE
BlSMARCK'S DISPOSAL.

OEShC OCnSiOG FOlNDO ~ FhhNSh
BlSMARCk'S DISPOSAL.
Methods by Which the Iron Chancellor
Controls the German Press-Collection
of Personal Information-woes Which |
Betide an Unfortunate journal.
The reptile fund-so called because of |
Prince Bismarck's own phrase-consists of |
the confscated fortune of the king of Han |
over, together with an unkno-yn grant from
the war indemnity. Speaking of the at
tacks made upon the government by
the press, the chancellor exclaimed on
memorable occasion that as his ad-
ministration was so exposed to malig-
nant Misrepresentation at the hands of its
adversaries, he did not think it tolerable that
he should be left unarmed against so power
ful and so unscrupulous a foe. Il must have
means, he said, with which to hunt those
reptiles to their holes and destroy them
there" Hence the so called reptile fund,
which is simply an indefinite amount Of
secret service money at the disposal of
Prince Bismarck for controlling the press.
With its aid he is said to have organized a
news service for the benefit of the German
government, the like of which exists no
where outside of the pages of the French
novels which describe the spy system of
Fouche At its head stands Herr Holstein,
the alne damnee of Prince Bismarck, who
has at his command a disciplined host Of con-
fiden,ial reporters, who enable him to follow
unseen the movements of all his adversaries-
The great chancellor never neglects any foe
no matter how Insignificant.
At the chancelery of the secret intelh-
gence bureau at Berlin, under Herr Holstein,
are kept the dossiers of every man or woman
whom from time to time it thinks necessary
To Prince Bismarck to watch with a view to
Interior Developments The minuteness of
the information thus stored up for future
use is very extraordinary, and suggests
many uncomfortable reflections. A friend
OF mine resident in Germany once had an
opportunity of seeing his own dossier. There
in he found set down all particulars of him
self and his family and his relations. A list
was given of all the people whom he was in
the habit of receiving, and detailed report
| of all the correspondents to whom he was in
| habit of writing To this man. it was written,
| he sends letters every week, to the other
every day, TO a third he writes sometimes
| twice a week, and then ceases TO write for
week or a month
But the possession of an indefinite amount
of secret service money for purposes of cor
ruption and the accumulation from all the
unseen channels of ubiquitous secret police Of
a vast reservoir of Information for use if re-
| quired, are by no means the only instruments
| by which Prince Bismarck keeps his press in
good order 'How is it donel" exclaimed a
witty victim of the chancellor's surveillance.
| 1T is very simple. Some fine day all the
| editors of Berlin are summoned to the office
of the oracle They are told that the govern
ment is in possession of such and such an
| important piece of information which is com
mnnicated to them, not for publication, but
in confidence in order that when the oppor-
tune moment arrives they may be well in
formed A nod is as good as wink to a
blind horse and before very long one or other
of the editors discovers in some mysterious
way that the time has arrived when the cat
must be let out of the bag He lets 1t out &C
cordlngiy, and all his brethern follow SUIT
and the news, true or false, In launched IL
due form"
But what" asked, IF an editor refuses
to take the hint and obstinately abstain:
from circulating the official communIqueF
Then" was the reply, lit does not go vel
with that exceptional newspaper Misfort
unes always attend the journal whicn is fool
hardly enough to ignore hint from above.
What KIND OF mlsfortunesF "Oh, all kinds
of misfortune. Dormant lawsuits mysteri
ously reappear; Official advertisements ar'
withdrawn; privileges of sale or OF display
which depend upon the good Will OF the ad
ministration, are suspended. But perhaps
the most efficient allies OF the chancellor ant
his myrmidons are the vendors of quacl
medicines for the cure of unmentionable dis
eases "HOw, in the name of wonder, cal
that beF at is very simple. In the father
land the government charges itself witt
watchful solicitude for the morals of its sub
jects But as even Homer sometimes mods