New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-12-03
MILITARY ESPIONAGE.
WHEN 1T is HONORABLE.
WHAT AN ENGHsHMAN THINKS ABDUL


"spy" now that Nathan Hale has IN the CITY
.au Park Of New-York a statue betokenng
,ha regard in which his memory is held by his
country,nen and forming an American counter
art 10 the beautiful monument which the Eng
~, cation has erected to Major Andre in
westminster Abbey pantheon. constituting the
.,ohest form of honor that England comedies
=. ber illustrious dead. And by a curious
coincidence. the very same newspapers that
contain the account Of the elaborate ceremonies
attending the dedication Of the memorial to the
revolutionary hero whom they justly designate
az the patriot spy publish cable dispatches
from Berlin announcing that the two officers
NJ the French general staff who disguised as
English yachtsmen, had been arrested at kiel
on a charge of making use Of the Cowes yacht
Insect which they had charted. to obtain
data concerning the coast defences of Germany,
had made a complete confession of their guilt.
1s I, ei,ilt? That Is a question which must
ALWAYS command certain degree of popular
interest more particularly. perhaps. at the pres
ent moment, when each European government
IS enacting severe penalties, either direct or in
direct: when every nerve is being strained to
secure at any cost military secrets. especially
with regard to the invention of scientific in
str,,ments of warfare, and when the project to
abolish the system of military attaches to the
various diplomatic missions is occupying the
attention of several of the great powers of
Europe.
"All deaths are honorable when one dies for
such a cause as that of my bleeding country,
Is the reply which Nathan Hale is reported to
have made under the gallows, to an English
captain who had expressed regret and sorrow
that an officer should end his life in such
manner And in Nathan Hale's dying remark
To-,
as to whether espionage entails infamy
not Provided the spy is working for his coun-
try. and is imbued with motives of patriotism
and of obedience to military or naval superiors.
there can be no imputation of dishonor: and
deem gulf separates spies such these from
those degraded beings who willing to sell
the information which they may have secured
10 the highest bidder. and who arc prompted
alone by mercenary motives. This view was
set forth by the famous French Marshal. Bu-
geaud. whose writings are to this day standard
works Of military education. not only in the
army Of France but in those of several other
European nations In his volume entitled.
"Apercus sur Fart de la Guerre," he expresses
himself in the following categorical manner:
English American and Russian officers do not
hesitate to assume DISCUSSES as regards name,
nationality, profession and appearance. in order
10 secure information concerning the ueSibHs VI
the enemy In acting thus. they are no more
guilty of dishonorable conduct or crime than
is the soldier Of murder with regard to the foe
whom he kills in battle. They risk not only
imprisonment felons. but also disgraceful
death solely with the object of serving their
country: and the motive BY which they are
actuated removes any faint of ignominy from
their action. Our French officers should be
encouraged to follow their example"
That patriotism and courage of high order
are needed for the profession of spy of the
character described by Marshal Bugeaud Is
sufficiently shown by the fact that missions
involving espionage are almost invariably con-
fded, not to ordinary soldiers. but to officers.
and to those. it may be added, of the general
staff--that is to say. those who may be re-
earded as the pick of the entire army both by
reason Of their intelligence and their erudition.
Both Hale and Andre gentlemen by birth
and breeding, as well commissioned officers.
So too was CoquhOn Grant. the famous spy OF
the great Duke of Wellington during the PENN
suar campaign. The same may be said of the
majority of the spies who shot or hanged
as such by the French and the Germans during
the war of $780, and it is notorious fact that
nearly all the espionage that is being
carried on by the Russians. the Germans. the
French and, indeed, by every military power
of the Old World. is in the hands of commissioned
officers who may or may not make use OF
traitors in effecting their aim, which latter. 1t
cannot be sufficiently emphasized. is solely to
serve their country. Even the late Marshal
Moltke did not hesitate to adopt a disguise
when he visited, in 1868. the dstric. in which
Germany fought her first battles in France two
years later. French detective kept at his
heels and his report among the papers
General de Miribel, who. up to the time OF his
DEATH was chief of the general staff Of the
French Army was expelled from Germany for
having displayed too much curiosity concerning
military matters. At the present moment there
are a considerable number OF German officers
IN French prisons and of French officers in
German prisons, serving terms of penal serv.
tude for infracton of the laws agans. espon-
age Quite a number Of them have been In
Jail since 1880.
While there Is no doubt that espionage Of
this character Is free from the stigma Of nfamy
1t must be confessed that the general feeling. not
only among the public, but even among the Off
GERS themselves, is one of antipathy to those who
engage in this branch Of military service re-
call in particular the case OF a cavalry captain.
the Baron de X. hearing one OF the most ancient
and illustrious names Of Hungary. Like many
Oh his countrymen ne nad q reHdrkdoie tdieht
for languages and aware OF this. his command
ing officers ordered him to assume the disguise
either Of Servian householder or of a wood mer-
chant-I forget which-and TO cross over into
Russia for the purpose of securing certain in
formation needed by the War Office. The Baron
accomplished his mission with much success,
earning thereby the good will of his superiors
and decoration. But so constrained was the
behavior toward him Of his messmates and com
rades when he returned to his corps to resume
regimental duty that not only did he abstain
from wearing his cross. save when specially
obliged to do so. but he finally, in sheer despair.
obtained an exchange to another regiment.
There too however the character Of the services