Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-08-11
THE REPTILE FUND.-
SECRET SERVICE FUNDS AT PR'NCe
BlSMARcK'S DISPOSAL

.,..,,. hv which the iron Chancellor
c,,tro,s the German Press-Coilectioh
n, personn, Information Woes when
Betide an Unfortunate journal.
The REPTILE fund-so called because ..
Prince Bismarck's own phiase-consists Vi
the confscated fortune OF the King OF man
over. together with an unknown grant from
the war in,i, unity. Speaking OF the aS
tacks made upon the government ny
the nress. tie chancellor exclaimed on
n memorable occasion that as MS aur
ministration was so exposed to malS
nant MISREPRESENTATION at the hands OF its
adversaries. he did not think it tolerable thas
be should be left ,inarmed against SO power
FIJI, and so unscrupuous foe II must nave
me,ns ~ he said. with which to hunt those
rant;les 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
news service for the benefit of the German
government, the like Of which exists no
where outside of the pages OF the Frencn
novels which describe the spy system OF
Foucbe. At its head stands Herr Holsteln,
the anne damnee Of Prince Bismarck, VINO
has at his command disciplined host OF con-
fidential reporters, who enable him to follow
unseen the movements of all his adversarles.
The great chancellor never neglects any Toe
no matter how Insignificant.
At the chancellery of the secret intelli-
gence bureau at Berlin, under Herr Holstein,
- l-o,.% tha Jocciavc of ayarv man or woman
whom from time to time it thinks necessary
to Prince Bismarck to watch with view to
Interior developments The mnuteness OF
the information thus stored up for future
use is very extraordinary, and suggests
many uncomfortable reflections 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 third he writes sometimes
twice week. and then ceases to write for a
week or 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
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.
ut 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
municated 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 q
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 it cut &C
cordingly, and all his brethren 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 abstans
from circulating the official communiqueP
"Then," was the reply, lit does not go well
with that exceptional newspaper. Misfort-
hardly enough to ignore hint from above.
"What kind Of misfortunesf' "Oh, all kinds
of misfortune Dormant lawsuits mysteri
ously reappear; official advertisements arr
withdrawn; privileges of sale or of display
which depend upon the good will of the ad
ministration, are suspended. But perhap,
the most efficient allies of the chancellor ant
his myrmidons are the vendors of uuacl
medicines tor the cure of uncomfortable dis
| eases" "How, in the name of wonder, car
that beF' at is very simple. In the father
| land the government charges itself with
watchful solicitude for the morals of its sub
| jects But as even Homer sometimes mods
so the most vigiant administrations some
times fail to discover that the columns O
German newspapers are defiled by the inser
ton of advertisements of immoral pills or b,
the address of unclean doctors. When how
ever, any newspaper continuously Opposes
itself to the will of the authorities, the Gus
todian of public morals puts on his spectacles
and woe betide the unfortunate journal if il
the obscurest corner of his badly printed
page there should be discovered lurking al
allusion to the Objectionable pill or the dis
reputable physician. The administration i,
| down upon him at once, and punishment i.
heaped on punishment until the editor con
sents to dance to the piping of power Then
the custodian of public morals once more
slumbers and sleeps, and the quack adver
tises his pills in peace"
Add to this that press prosecutions for pres.
offenses are as plentiful as blackberries, that
editors are sent to Jail as felons for VIVA,
would be regarded in England as perfectly
unsuitable criticism upon the chance.lo r. that
half the cities in Germany are under a state
OF siege, and you can form some idea of the
facilities which Prince Bismarck possesses
for manipulating the journals of the father.
land.-Pall Mall Gazette