The Portland daily press., 1895-01-05
EUROPE'S SPY SYSTEM.
How Secrets Agents Operate in Work
of Espionage.

Inside View by General Staff Officer of
| Russia.-IsismaIck Regarded 1t as a
| Necessary Evil-system Used by the
Turks.
| Paris, Dec. 1.-Several weeks ago, when
| the first rumors of the Dreyfus espionage
scandal were canvassed in high political
circles, l met here Count Herbert Bismarck,
who was on his way from England to Berlin
and thence to yarzin. where he found his
| venerable mother dying. He told me a
charact eristic anecdote how his father, the
Iron Chancellor, used to guard against spies
whom, Count Her ert says, he regarded as
necessary evil.
while Prussian PIenipotentiary at the
| Federal Council in Frankfurt" so ran the
| Counts story, father became aware that
his Austrian colleagues was unusually well
informed about his tBismarck's )intentions
He opens my letters and reads my dis
patches he said to himself, the postofice
authorities are undoubtedly aiding him in
| this by delivering up ofncial-looking mail
matter Then he set to thinking. The
| next dispatch, intended for his govern
ment, lie wrote out on ordinary letter paper
L
| an old overooat and pair of heavy gloves
! and walked to the oldest and poorest quar-
ter of the city where he entered a little
| grocery stole.
"'Do you sell soap?' he asked the clerk.
| Certainly was answered.
s'Give me cake of the strong SINE ling
Sort After this father turned as if to go,
then, recollecting himself, he asked for an
envelope, inclosed his dispatch in it, and
attempted to write the address, which, with
| the heavy gloves he wore, was of course
| impossible. So he begged the clerk or store
| keeper to help him out, debating the ad-
dress to him. The latter he placed in his
pocket. next to the soap, then wandered to
| another part of the city and mailed it. With
it's antedeluvian envelope, the comical ad-
dress, and the smelling OF soap, behring's,
cheese, and OIL said father. neither the
Frankfurt postofice thieves nor the Austri-
an spy succeeded in getting at my secrets
thereafter
Bismarck regarded the spy system as
necessary evil. In y timely book, just pub
lished in French, Lieute Colonel W. n.
KLEIN bowsky, of the imperial Russian gen.
eral staff, goes even further. He admits
that espionage is a recognized profession
in the military and political world, ana that
its executors ara thought none the less of
on account Of it. In the following lines
give you the gist of the interesting volume
in Klembowsky's own language.
"Secret agents." says the Russian officer
.tserect spiea, are as necessary in times OF
peace as in those of war. Without them we
would know very little about the mobil1za-
ton of the enemy, the onward movement to
the frontiers, the spirit Of the troops. and
the initial intentions of the commanding
| General. The only legitimate means to get
al these facts are: The newspapers. re-
ports of the patent Office, scientific Jour-
mails. and Official maps. These tell the story
| but half and their reliability is an open
| question. 1t being conceded that. without
| the knowledge of the enemy's movements
! intfmated, the general staff of any of the
| great powers would be sadly at sea regard
| ing it's own preparations for war. the urgen-
| CIV of proc uring the information by fair or
| foul means becomes imperative.
ssThe Minister of War distinguishes be-
| tween voluntary and compulsory. temper
| ary and reg ular. local and travelling spies;
spies who work sing demanded or in double
capacity. The voluntary spies demand cash
| for their services and a-good deal of cash
at that. They are. therefore, not as trusty
and deserving of confidence as patriots
| undertaking the difficult Job for the love
they bear to their native land.
"The person employing spies always
| trias 10 get at the following facts before
| making a seleo ton:
| ssHe will try to find out whether the per
son offering his services is in financial,
| straits or wants to become spy to satisfy
| envy. hatred, or political ambition. The
first named are liable to go with the highest
bidder; those in the other category may
alter their mind sooner or later to the de-
triment of their superior.
l 1.-The compulsory spy is figure of war
| a hostage taken from the midst of his fami-
| " in the enemy's country and ordered to
| ascertain facts. If you do not return by
| that and that hour he is told. your wife,
| or baby. or all your loved ones will be shot.
IL is barberous system which the Turks
| in the late war with Russia utilized to great
| advantage.
-"Single-handed spies work only for one
| marty. or country. Those in double harness
accept money from both sides. 1t is dan
ger Gus to employ these latter individuals.
but all governments enlist them. neverthe-
less. in the hope of smuggling through them
| incorrect information into the enemy's
| camp.
Temporary spies are such who accept
but one particular mission; the regulars
are or the pay roll year in and year out.
| and are treated with great distinction. The
| local spies live in special locality, often
! following some business to forestall suspic-
1 ion. but utilizing all their time to ascertain
| certain facts. The business of travelling
| spies is indicated by their title: in time OF
| war they are expected to be the drst to
cross the fl ontier.
| "a spy, to be useful, must be good actor,
must be courageous, a linguist. well versed
in technical science, always on the alert,
true to his master. The Ministers of War OF
the great powers are constantly on the
lookout for such persons. They must be en-
gagged III times of peace. even If intended
1 for use in war only.
women make excellent spies. honest
| women as we'll as those of the lewd classes
"The ideal spy is the military person in
| 1ctive SERVICE If were Minister of War
| would not hesitate to pay a million of rubles
| n foreign general staff officer who con-