Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1892-02-25
THE FATE OF SPIES.
CAUGHT IN TIMES OF PEACE,
THEY ARE JAILED.
Attempts to Secure Plans Of Fort.
resses and Patterns Of Guns
Foreign Spies in This Country.

ne recent CONVICTION aS St. Etlenn6,
France, of John Cooper and Walter Run
del, two English spies, who were caught
while trying to obtain samples of the new
French and Russian, carbines for British
Government contractors, and condemned
to fifteen and two months imprison-
ment, respectively, is of international
interest. Toa free-born American the
word "spy" has an especially odious
meaning. 1t is an undeniable fact that
what little espionage is done in the
United States is exclusively done by
foreigners Abroad, matters are differ
ent, and though spy is considered a
debased creature, espionage itself is in
full blast and well organized in Russia,
Germany, France and Great Britain.
All European Governments, more or less,
have so-called secret funds available to
keep well-organized spy service going.
1tis generally divided into three distinct
branehes-na namely, political, social and
military espionage. shall deal with the
latter alone.
The armed peace which European ma
tions maintain and the constant fear
among them of being attacked by u
neighboring power at any moment natur-
ally make it desirable for one nation to
know what the other is doing in the way
of offensive and defensive preparations
Secret information of this kind can not,
for obvious reasons, be obtained through
the official channels of military OF naval
attaches, who on account of their posi-
tion in foreign country, have to be
satisfied with what they can observe
for themselves or are shown voluntarily.
1t is therefore evident that if Govern
ment desires to obtain possession of So
called state secrets, such as plans of
Notifications, war vessels, mines, fixed
torpedoes, samples of powder, cartridges
and arms, it has to employ secret agents
or spies for this purpose.
Germany has been credited with hav-
ing the most efficient spy service in
France, where it dates back to 1864. The
war of 1879 [ proved that the German
maps of France were more accurate than
those used by the French staff, and small
swamps, brooks, road and vantage points
for an army were found on the German
maps and did not appear on the French.
Furthermore, the equipment of the French
troops and fortresses were thoroughly
known to the German leaders. Within
her own borders Germany defends herself
efficiently against foreign espionage,
and how carefully she watches every
foreigner is shown by the numerous ar
rests which have been made there within
the last five years. Unfortunately for
the over-zealous officials, most of the
poor victims proved to be harmless land
scape painters, who, on account of their
sketches, often experienced great diff
Guilty in convincing the German authori-
ties of their identity.
All the service powder, cartridges and
rifle factories in Germany, Russia,
France and some other European coun-
tries are Government property, and it is
to them. Walking on glacis of Eu-
ropean fortress is also prohibited, and if
an intruder out of curiosity once in a
while happens to put his foot inside even
the smallest fort, he is stopped by senti-
nels and is lucky if he is not locked up.
These measures are carried out vigorous
ly, and even an active officer of the Ger
man army, if he wishes to visit one of
these Government factories, has to ap-
ply for special permission to do so.
The revealing of the secrets of any of
these institutions is high treason, and
consequently only very trustworthy men
are employed. Moreover, that the en-
ployes may never forget the penalties
inflicted for breach of trust, extracts
from the Penal Code printed in black
letters are profusely placarded on the
walls inside the buildings.
Apart from this the men are divided
into classes, each class manufacturing
year after year the same part of a rifle ol
a cartridge. In this way no Government
mechanic or suhaltern can obtain exact
knowledge of the manufacture of u wholt
rifle or cartridge. So it comes to pas.
that the spy has hard work to obtain
what he wants. 1t goes without saying
that among such a large body of men as
Governments employ black sheep car
always be found.
With regard to France, matters are
just as bad as they are in Germany, ant
perhaps in some instances worse. The
German population, as a rule, leave the
catching trade to their stubborn Off
cials, while in France, where patriotism
third Republic thinks it his sacred duty
to look with suspicious eye on every
foreigner who enters the country. In
Vulnerable mistakes are the result, anC
innocent travellers are often placed il
extremely annoying positions. Yet i
must be admitted that German spies are
not only plentiful in France, but they
work very systematically.
In the United States the foreign spy
as a rule, is rara avis. The only nation
which ever has attempted to establish O
system of military espionage in Americr
is the English. In September, 1888, q
military looking Englishman arrived a
Washington. He carefully st9died the
Washington Navy Yard, then went tc
N,wport, Annapolis, New London ant
Fortress Monroe, but he learned little ol
nothing of value. AT Willet's Point he
attempted toobtain the charts of subma
rine mines and fixed torpedoes, but was
unsuccessful, documents of this kind be
ing pretty well guarded. Plans of yes
sells and torpedoes, however, are hardly
kept secret, and any one applying to thu
Patent Office can easily obtain very de
tailed description of any new weapon
manufactured in America for army o
navy purposes.
Itmay be stated here that all the de
tails of the new plans for American
coast and harbor defense are in tn,
hands of few superior officers. n
subaltern official has access to them ant
no contractor receives copies of them, 81
that the secret is thoroughly guarded
The plans, for instance, of the new for
tifcations at Sandy Hook, Boston Har
Dor, San Francisco and many othe