Los Angeles herald., 1891-05-03
ESPIONAGE IN FRANCE.
HOW ONE IS MADE AWARE OF THE
REIGN OF THE SPY SYSTEM,

Spies Found I'm Every Walk of Life I'm
Every Portion of the Big City of Paris.
How They Watch and Report the Mo-
tions and Words of Stranger.
The third republic is no freer than
were any previous French regimes from
this deep taint of what the French call
mouchardise. Never before at any pe-
riod of Frances history has the reign of
spydom been SO widespread and absolute
In Paris as now. There has been latter
ly much discussion in the worlds press
OF the extraordinary degree to which
official espionage obtains in Russia, and
very interesting details have been forth
coming on the subject. am now in a
position to affirm that in Paris-I do not
say throughout the whole of France-the
meshes of the detective net are woven
even more closely round the entire popu-
lation than has ever been the case in st.
Petersburg. Evidence of this fact might
easily be found in the secret history of
the Boulangist conspiracy. From first
to last every detail of this movement
was known to the police, more than
three-fourths of the Boulangists them
selves being informers.
The instant you arrive at Paris sta
ton you are in the midst of spies. You
are driven to a hotel in cab. In half
an hour the cabman will furnish the
police with any particulars he may have
been able to gather concerning your po-
sition, destination, business, etc.
CHARACTER OF THE SPIES.
Arrived at your hotel you become the
object of scrutiny, as close as it is secret
on the part of divers persons, who,
though attached to the place in the
capacity of manager or cashier, or even
porter or "boots, are in reality enrolled
soldiers of the great detective army.
And here l may mention special char
acteristic of the French detective sys-
tem-its faculty of recruiting adherents
In all classes of society. French spies
for the most part are not simple spies
and nothing more. They have trade
} Or occupation of their own, to which
they seem wholly and solely devoted,
while yet assiduously pursuing sub rosa
their spying.
The unsuspecting stranger in Paris has
dinner at his hotel served by waiter,
who, as matter of course, is in the pay
OF the police and will subsequently re-
port to them what conversation he over
hears during the meal. He then sallies
forth for an evenings amusement of the
true Partisan sort.
First he repairs to one of the brilliant
boulevard playhouses A few stalls
away from him sits gentlemanly look
ing man with steady, observant eyes,
who glances now and again at our friend
In such way as to make the latter
think, 81 wonder where have seen that
man before?" He never has seen him
before, but it doesn't enter his head for a
moment to suspect the man of being
what he really is-a police spy.
SPIES EVERYWHERE
The play over, there is just time for
half an hours stroll under the horse
chestnuts in the Jardin de Paris. Here
nine-tenths of the attendants are either
spies or scamps, or may, indeed, be both
at once, for French police authorities are
not very squeamish in choosing their in
struments, and seem to have sort of
preference for scoundrels over others.
Their theory runs that the greater villain
a man is the better spy he will make;
moreover, the most efficacious means of
keeping a man under spy surveillance is
to have him become spy himself, for
spies spy upon each other quite as much
as on the rest of mankind.
But our foreigner finishes ur the even
ing by turning into the Cafe Americana
for supper, where he has for next door
neighbor young woman, with whom
he enters into conversation. She has
sweet smile, which displays two rows of
glittering teeth, and puts many questions
to him concerning France and the
French. Naturally enough, our visitor
imagines this is all done out of that
bright, easy Gallo politeness he admires
SO much, for how is he to know that
every word he has said in reply will
come to the ear of the police not later
than the following afternoon?
Ii our friend be fond of sport he will
soon be finding his way to the race
courses near the capital, and into the
baccarat clubs, with which Paris
abounds, and here he will be hourly in
contact with police spies in greater num-
Der than there are racers on the course
or cards in the pack. And so the game
goes on in every sphere of Paris life and
sOciety.-Pliladelphi Times.