New-York tribune., 1896-11-15
SECRETS BETRAYED.
NOTABLE INSTANCES IN WHICH
THE DIPLOMACY OF EUROPE HAS
urEN RUDELY UNVEILED.

poss -, 60 reveal them but also an act of
OF o" "a the Nation punishable as such with
W." Mains and penalties. For some strange
se'e'' o, uho have the highest regard for the
rsA'o =, their word in private life lose all
ins- :. honesty in politics. and We find even Mr..
sens than whom there is no man more
.,,,h- minded or possessed Of lofter princ-
lu' -or,nr that 1t is permissible for Cabinet
pcs 20 ,nopart State secrets to his wife and
N" % secretary Yet both Ministers and
On" ~ the Privv Council are sworn not to
mo- ~ q living soul what goes on behind the
IT, doors Of the meetings Of the Cabinet or
c'' ord private secretaries are strictly ex-
- 80 from the deliberations. although the
e'"' =, the contents Of the dispatch boxes OF
pe'" ~osrac.ive chiefs must furnish them with an
Wv, ',,,,r q, the subject under discussion.
'n~, ..,,,. raeard to the evils Of communicating
..-ots TO ones wife no stronger illustra-
''"- .ould be cited than the case OF Mme
..-.rs w.. wife Of the French statesman. VINO.
20. he was Premier and Minister OF foreish
...,rs contributed so much to the 1ounda,ioh
..s nresent alliance between France ana rus
y. General Bouanger was at the time Mih's-
- y, War. and NJ. Flourens. having oisco'eieu
.S-.u.h a chance remark or captain Moui'h'
n,.orv attache Of the French Embassy at s''
--...shure that Boulanger was carrying Oh
'~~.rondence with the Muscovite Government
",.,own TO his colleagues. and had even gone
o.. os 10 write long autograph letter 10 'he
49,, summoned Cabinet Council al the Eiysee
800 where he bitterly upbralded the "ene'ai
- ,,s resumption 1t was only Win the utr''os'
.a,u,.y that President Grevy was aole 10 paci-
~ ~. Indignant Prime Minister and 10 persuaoe
continue TO act with General Bouianger
hold No
W s,..t,on with the Russian authorities except
,h,oueh the Foreign ONCE
AN OVERHEARD CONVERSATION.
Unfortunately. just before NJ. flourens ""u
...,,sd for the Cabinet Council ne had INFORMED
81, charming and amiable wife OF the cause Oh
81. anger against Boulanger. ana hao ae tie
~. ,,ua announced his determination 10 tender
~, -os;gnat,on to the President. as we'll as tnat
:. ~. en,,re Cabinet unless he received proper
.,,,ort from the Executive and an apology from
uho was at the time at the height or
~. ,onu,aritv and power. Nine. Flourens Is
r,rch attached 10 her husband ard. calling an
hour later at the German Embassy on the Coun-
,.ss Marie Minister whose birthday II was she
could not help speaking Of the subject that was
rssra.t her heart. Count Hoyos. the Austrian
Ambassador. who for 30 many years represented
his country at Washington, happened to be
calling on the Countess Marie at the same time
and on hearing what Nine. Flourens was saying
,urnrooned his German colleague from the library
with the words: Come into the oraWlhS-rooi'''
Nine. Flourens Is telling very curious s'o'!
which interests us all" The TWO Anlpassduoi'
,,o-sunon repaired 10 the drawing room. where
the wife OF the French Premier was sun speaking
.. Rou,anger's letter 10 the Car. Of her hus-
81
had been summoned She added excitedly: AT
,h,. moment nv husband has probably rendered
his resignation and is addressing the Chamber of
10 explain the motives which have
nro+,nted him to withdraw from office"
Count Minister Immediately telegraphed TO
Berlin. while Count Hoyos. with Herr Won Ley
den. Chief Secretary Of the German Embassy,
hastened 10 the Chamber Of Deputies. expect
ing to be In time to hear the Prime Minister'S
Of his resignation 1t is need
less TO saw that they were disappointed, and
nothing would have been known of the quar-
rel either at Berlin or Vienna. at that moment
at any rate had II not been for the indiscretion
of Nine Flourens. AS II was. both the Ger
man and the Austrian Governments secured for
the FIRST time positive knowledge through her
Of what they had for some time suspected. name
w. that negotiations were in progress between
France and Russia with view TO military
Many other instances OF the
same kind could be cited in every one OF the
countries In Europe and particularly In Lon
don, where the leakage Of State secrets is
constant source Of amusement and interest
But It Is not only through wives and private
secretaries that State secrets are divulged Ihese
are often laid bare either inadvertently or IN
tentionally by the statesmen themselves. some
times when they are in office. but for the most
part when they have retired and desire 10 JUS
tify their past actions. Stories are told In Lon
don Of one of the principal members OF the
present administration who on one occasion
went so far as to communicate to great metro
politan daily newspaper piece Of foreign IN
telligence known only to the Cabinet OF whch
he at that time formed part, and who on the
following day. in response TO a question In the
House of Commons. declared with every ap-
pearance OF virtuous Indignation in behalf OF
the Government that no effort should be want
ing to trace this violatOr of official conn.,
dence" and bring him to "condign punishment
CASE FAMOUS IN FICTION.
Then there is the case Of the Right Hon. sgd
ney Herbert. father Of the present Earl of Penn
broke. who In a moment OF effusion dvulged
to the lovely and poetic Mrs. Norton, afterward
Lady Stirling Maxwell. the determination OF
the Cabinet OF which he was member 10 re-
peal the corn laws. AS soon as the Hon. Mrs
Norton had wormed this important piece OF
news out Of the susceptible statesman. after
dinner. she asked him to remain In her drawing
room while she went to visit sick friend
few doors off. Instead Of going TO the mythical
invalid she got into a cab. drove down to THE
Tines Office told Mr. Deane. the Editor, what
she knew. received from him check for 900
guineas and returned to poor Sydney Herbert
with the money in her pocket. permitting him to
depart shortly afterward in happy ignorance Of
her treachery. On the following morning, TO
the dismay OF every member OF the Government
and to that Of Sydney Herbert In particular
The Times" came out with what was to all
intents and purposes a record Of the delbera-