The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-05-31
rm aE.NEr sINNl.E MnNk

l|lI. Ni' NEl NlltNl' D. Mtl,N
Sew york May N world special
/ tnm Washington rayn
pur ut the most implrau, huu,h,- nI
2 thv government Wtr service about which
/ fur pnNluua traaoua. llt,lr cor mo- luormA.
. lun lr 600 hc obtained a ih, bureau ol
rrrr, .r,i,r Tho ordinary capacity of
'hr .r,Irv hao h.vu doubled uucr ih,
declaration ut WU against Spain and
So un branch nt 200, government, ls ru,
JWrtDi such lmpuJuu, tuI u,.ylt, uH.
I |d,rthkura The number ,f mon actually
employed iu securing Incarnation for th.
u.y u, ,hr government both LOO this vouu.
| o.. and abroad cannot he accurately
stated bul there are enough ot them ,o
q Ike up a tull regiment ot the most In
/ &. ag"ni ANA hghy trained servants or
tho nation thvlr movements are natur.
lady guarded with thr ulmos, caution. hul
b. can hc stated that ju addition Co the
,uijInHty functions ~ the ayriyr. such
uF N, detection ut r"ntcttritlug N"
AGENTS or the srrr,, service are at work
ai every place In the world where infor-
may iulurr the government are TO hr
watched In Havana, In Madrid, In fact
where % is not safe for an American O.
Disclose his nationally pr to give cvldcn.,
oI his patriotism.
II ~ through tnis mysterious source
that the government gains much or tn
Information which tnsurcs It's plans for
a .,H IA. Ip
but which Is Ecncr1Hy supposed as having
come through other sources, The reports
at operatives of the secret service are
transmitted To- the chief OF the bureau
through many of the devious channels
ana In a cipher moro intricate and aim
cult than that cmploycd Ivy the most
skilled OF diplomatic agents,
only one man In Inc whole country can
really toll how many OF the secret agents
of tho country are at work and the nature
Of their undertakings, lie is John r.
Wilde. chief of the bureau, A quest for
information clIclls u skcpucnl smile from
him and the emphatic assurance that the
work of his department II the business OF
nobody except the officials that supervise
1t, About all the information that Mr
Wllklc can he induced to lmpart Is that
the service In about us complete and satls-
factory us could be desired. Tho ordinary
Offenders with which the service has
to deal In times Of peace aro being care
fully looked after and II any entcrprislny
tountcrfollcr or moonshnor thinks the
government has It's hands too full of war
business to look after him, he Is mistaken
and win undoubtedly lind 1t out,
The war with spain has Just about
doubled the work Of the secret service,
The war service has been made legitI-
mate part OF the functions of the hu-
rcau It's efforts to keep the government
posted as to tho movements of agents
and spies of the enemies are OF material
assistance to the war ana navy depart
monts. Assistant Secretary Meikcljohn
Of the war department has been entrusted
with the duty Of lmpartIng to Chief VII
Slc all the tips that reach the war de
partmcnt and Of receiving the reports OF
the officers to Mr., WilkIe which may be
Of service to his department, But Mr.
Wllko himself directs the work and 1t Is
doubtful II the assistant secretary of
war IL any better acquainted with the de-
tails than any ordinary citizen,
The operations of the services agents