The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-05-31
SECRET SERVICE WORK
LITTLE KNOWN BUT Is VERY
IMPORTANT
HOME AND FOREIGN SERVICE
an Army Of Men Watching
People Plotting Against the
Government
Associated Pres. special wlrs

Associated Press Special wirs
NEW YORK, May 3o.-A special to the
World from Washington says'
One of the most important branches OF
the war service, about which, for obvious
reasons, little information 10 to be OBJ
tanned, is the bureau of the secret service.
The ordiary capacity Of the service has
been doubled since the declaration Of war
against Spain, and no branch Of the gov
eminent Is entrusted with such important
and delicate undertakings.
The number of men actually employed In
securing information for the use Of the
government, both In this country and
abroad, cannot be accurately stated. but
there are enough of them to make up
full regiment of the most intelligent and
highly trained servants Of the nation. Theie
movements are naturally guarded with the
utmost caution. but it can be stated that
in addition to the ordinary functions Of the
service, such as the detection Of counter
feiting. the agents of the secret service are
at work at every place in the world where
Information Is to be secured or where per-
sons who may injure the government are to
be watcbed-in Havana. in Madrid Itself
where it is not safe for an American to dis
close his nationality or to give evidence Of
his patriotism. 1t is though this mysterious
source that the government gains much Of
the information which insures its plans for
the prosecution of the war against Spain.
but which is generally regarded as having
he NJ
of the operations of the service are trans
mitted to the chief of the bureau through
many and divers channels and in cipher
more intricate and difficult than that en-
ployed by the most skilled and diplomatic
agents.
Only one man in the whole country can
really tell how many of the secret agents
Of the country are at work and the nature
of their undertakings. He Is John =.
Wilkie. chief of the bureau. A quest for in
formation elected a skeptical smile from
him and the emphatic assurance that the
work Of his department Is the business
of nobody except the officials who SUPER
wise 1t.
About the only information Mr.. Wilhis
can be induced to impart Is that the SER
vice is nearly as complete and as salts
factory as could be desired. The ordinary.
offenders with which the service has to deal
In time of peace are being carefully looked
after, and II any enterprising counter
feiter or ''moonshiner" thinks the govern
ment has its hands too full of war busi-
ness to look after him he is mistaken. and
will undoubtedly find 1t out.
The war with Spain has Just about dou-
bled the work of the secret service.
The war service has been made legiti-
mate part of the functions Of the bureau.
Its efforts to keep the government posted
as to the movements Of the agents and
spies of the enemy are Of vital assistance
to the war and navy departments. As
sistant Secretary Meiklejohn of the war
department has been intrusted with the
duty of imparting to General Wilkie all
the tips" that reach the war department
and OF receiving the reports of the ofh-
GERS of the service from Chief Wtlkte
which may be Of service to his department.:
but Mr.. wilkie himself directs the work.
and 1t is doubtful II the assistant secretary
of war is any better acquainted with tbs
details than the ordinary citizen.
The operations of the secret service
agents In promoting diplomatic, military
and naval information that may be or
value covers a wide range OF territory.
and there are no DOUBT dozens OF traineu
experts working N Europe, Asia. South
America. and in Cuba. The service per-
formed embraces wide range, from
"spotting'' the movements Of Spanish am-
bassadors, to following persons suspected
Of being in the employ of Spain.
Every movement, for instance, OF Senior
Polo Bernabe, former minister to this
country, has been most carefully watched
since he left Washington month ago and
crossed the frontier into Canada. ana an
American agent will not be far away from
him until he has crossed the boundary
line that separates his own country from
France. Every detail Of his movement
every person he consulted In Canada. ana
those he will confer with in England ana
on the continent is. or will be, known TO
the chief of the service and to such omciais
as may be concerned.
In this country the greater part Of ~
work of the secret agents y In Watching
persons suspected Of plotting against the
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