The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-10-10
UNCLE SAM WAKING Up.
Finds Foreign Military Officers Are
Given Too Many Privileges.
VIII No Longer Permit Other Nations q
Profit by American Invention and In
SestigatiOn In Things Pertain
lag to Warfare.

A Washington paper says: A good
deal OF quiet talk has been oecasioned
about the army and navy headquarters
because the United States has finally
decided that military and naval officers,
attaches to the legations at Washing
ton, shall not be permitted to see every
new thing the genius and skill of our
own officers have evolved, which for
eign nations might want, unless the
business can be made reciprocal and the
American officers at Paris, Berlin and
London be allowed to exploit similar
secrets of the engineer and ordnance
bureaus of these countries.
An American naval officer was not
permitted to be present at the late naval
maneuvers of Germany fortnight ago,
though he had been personally invited
by the commander of enc Of the vessels
taking part to be his guest 1t came to
the knowledge of Prince Henry, that
this invitation had been issued. He at
once directed the officer to counter
mand it, giving as n reason that certain
naval experiments and tests were to be
made that no foreigner must be per
mitted to witness and the American did
not witness them. Heretofore the ex-
periments at Indian Head, where oil
our heavy guns are tested, have been Of
the deepest interest to military for
eigners. They were able TO report, for
instance. that the Americans were max
ing high class Of ordnance; that our
six-inch rifle, or 1o0-pounder was Is per
cent. higher powered than any similar
gun built in Europe, and much other
valuab information was sent home. 1t
has come to the knowledge of the navy
department that an important secret
discovery relating to the torpedo de
stroyers was in possession of one of the
great continental powers. This same
power, when asked to permit the officer
representing one OF our services at his
court. to be present at an important ex-
pertinent with high explosives, fatty |
and rather dIscourteously refused. This
matter came to the presidents notice.
He at once directed that nations should
not receive American courtesies that |
would not extend them and to this rule |
CLcIC uluSU Dc no exception. hereafter, i
foreign officers will not be permitted to |
witness delicate experimental tests in |,
ordnance, or at the torpedo station, or
in fact, see or know any thing belonging |
10 the United States solely in ordnance,
gunnery, torpedoes and their destroy |
ers and submarine mines. Particular
ly viii the gentlemen not be permitted
10 know where the new rified mortars
to be used in defending New York har-
Dor will be placed, nor anything OF the
just completed and very
important, relating to the use of dyna-
mite in shells for heavy guns. These
are the main exceptions to the usual
rule OF allowing foreign officers to see
everything, but there are others. In
some instances, the matter of exchang-
ing secrets will depend upon military
reciprocity; in others, and specially as
'egards the experimental tests relating
o the use of high explosives in pro-
ectiles, no exception can be made.
Even Russia, with whom we are upon
he most friendly relations, cannot be
permitted to know what our experts
nave discovered relative to the power.
Use and capacity of certain explosives
n some instances discovered and per-
ected by American experts alone.