The evening times., 1896-08-25
DEFENSE sECRETsGuARDED
Sketching and Photograph 6
Forbidden in Forts.
PRECAUTIONS ARE FUTILE
Plans of FOrtifications Become Known
In Spite of All Efforts-yaluable
Data Concerning Other Countries.
Attaches of Different Governments
Gather News like Reporters.

The Officials of the War Department are
taking extra precautions against unau-
tbor,zcd persons taking photographs and
making sketches iDsiGe American forts and
army posts.
On acveral occasions British and Spanish
Officers have been found at forts making
reconnaissance of the defenscs. Hence.
when the rebuilding of the coast defenses
was commenced. strict orders were issued
Ia prevent a recurrence of such a condition.
r. Ithas been proposed, as the only way TO
prevent effectuaiiy diagrams of our forts
from reaching the authorities of foreign
nations to keep thepublic off military res
ervations. is longuas the people are al
lowed TO wander ut VIII through the forts
foreign spies can wander with them and
not be known as such.
Forfearof its being unpopular measure,
however, the War Department has hesi-
;ated SO far TO exclude the public from the
forts. At Sandy Hook, it is true, civilians
are not allowed without a special pass, but
that is more because the proving grounds
for the big guns are there than because of
the batteries built there.
BATTERIES IN PLAIN SIGHT.
of New York is Fort wadsw orth, and of
the batteries built and building there it is
impossible 10 prevent any one from making
sketch. The highway over which runs
the trolley road to South Beach is directly
through the reservation.
From 1t all the new batteries will be in
plain sight. The five-gun battery on the
crest of the hill and the new battery being
built at Ravenna are within stones
throw OF the road anil in open sight. When
work was begun on the new defenses many
OF the artillery officers at the fort were
anxious to close up the road through the
reservation aud let the trolley cars get
to South Beach by another route. In any
other country this would have been done
without question, but the American army
dill not have Influence enough at Washing
ton to accomplish it.
In fact, no matter what precautions are
taken, every first class power has in it's
possession plans Of the Notifications of
other countries. and military maps of those
countries. The same thing holds true re-
garding foreign uavies. For this military
| and naval attaches are maintained at
embassies and legations, and for this mill
| tary and naval officers are every now
| and then sent abroad on special duty"
HOW FACTS ARE OBTAINED.
When the Germans entered France in the
Franco-Prussian war they had better mil
| itary maps of the country than the French
themselves The United States today has a
| complete set of plans of ali the British
and Spanish Qualifications, and a vast
amount of data concerning them. -
In the War Department. are excellent mil
itary maps of Cuba, plans of all the forts
there and a lot of information concerning
| the number, disposition and state of cf-
ficiency of the Spanish troops in the island
1t is also rumoEed that the department is
| better informed than the Spanish of the
number and disposition of the Insurgents
| In obtaiping Information for his govern
ment a military attache or officer on special
duty must be- wise as a serpent and harm
/ less as dove" Hemust do nothing under
handed, such asIbribing an enlisted mai
or sneakiag, ,into>forts i'm Disguise But he
must associate with the military men oi
the country, and his eyes, ears and brain
must be constantly at Work. g,4