Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-05-31
WORK OF THE SECRET SERVICE
II Rendering Important Service In War
Mattcrs--uow Enemies of the Gov
ernment are Watched

the World from Washington says:
One of the most important branches
of the government war service about
which. for obvious reasons, little or nj
information is to be obtained, is this
bureau of the secret service. The ordi'
nary capacity of the service has beer
doubled since the declaration OF wal
against Spain and to no branch of tht
government Is entrusted such import
ant and delicate undertakings.
The number of men actually en-
ployed in securing information for tho
use of the government both in this
country and abroad cannot be acour-
ately stated, but there are enough OF
them to make up full regiment OF the
most intelligent and highly trained SER
wants of the nation. Their movements
are naturally guarded with the utmost
caution but 1t can be stated That IN
addition to the ordinary functions OF
the servic such as the detection OF
counterfeiting. the agents of the secret
service are at work at every place IN
the world where information Is TO be
secured or where persons who may m
1ure the government are to be watched.
in Havana in Madrid Itself, where II
Is not safe for an American to disclose
his nationality or to give evidence OF
his patriotism.
1t is through 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 come through other sources
The reports of the operations OF the
service are transmitted to the chief or
the bureau through many ana uiNeis
channels and in n cipher more Intricate
and difficult than that employed by the
most skilled of 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 Il. wilkie. chief of the bureau.
A quest for information elicits skep-
tlcal smile from him and the emphatic
assurance that the work of his depart
ment is the business of nobody except
the officials that supervise II.
About all the Information Mr.. Wilkle
can be induced to impnrt Is that the
service is about as complete and salts
factory as could be desired. The or
binary offenders with which the service
has to deal in times of peace are being
carefully looked after and III any en-
terprising counterfeiter or moonshiner
thinks the government has its hands
too full of war business to look after
him, he Is mistaken and will undoubt-
eddy find 1t out
The war with Spain has Just about
doubled the work of the secret service.
The war service has been made a
legitimate part of the functions OF the
bureau It's efforts to keep the govern
ment posted as to the movements OF
the agents and spies OF the enemy are
of vital assistance to the war and navy
department. Assistant Secretary
Meikeljohn OF the war department has
been intrusted with the duty of impart-
ing to Chief Wilkie all the tips" that
reach the war department and of re-
ceiving the report of the officers of the
service of Mr.. Wilkie which may be OF
service to his department.. But MI.
wilkie himself directs the work and IL
Is doubtful II the assistant secretary
of war is any better acquainted
with the details than any ordinary
citizen. =.
The operations OF the service agents
In promoting diplomatic, military and
naval Information that may OF value
to the government, covers wide range
OF territory, and there are no doubt
dozens of trained experts working In
Europe Asia, South America and Gu
ba. The service performed embraces
a wide range, from sporting the
movements of Spanish ambassadors, to
following persons suspected OF being IN
the employ of Spain.
Every movement, for Instance, or
Senior Polo, the former minister to this
country, has been most carefully noted
since he left Washington month ago,
and crossed the frontier into Canada,
and an American agent Will not be far
away from him until he has crossed
the boundary line that separates his
onw country from France. Every de
tail Of his movement, the name OF
every person he consulted in Canada
and those he will confer with In Eng
land and on the continent is, or Will be,
known to the chief of the service and
to such officers as may be concerned.
In this country the greatest part OF
the work of tho secret agents is In
watching persons suspected of plotting
against the United States. Probably
two or three hundred persons are I'M
der constant espionage and will be
watched so long as their conduct justi-
fies.
The most striking example of the eff
flciency of the secret service In con-
nection with the war was furnished by
the detection and arrest of Downing, n
former American sailor employed by
the Spanish minister to send informa-
ton about the defenses and equipment
OF the const Notifications and our war
ships. Downing was arrested within
two days from the date he entered tile
employ of Spain. Upon his person was
his guilt. He was arrested in wash
ington and confined In the military
prison at the marine barracks WHERE,
after an Imprisonment of three days,
he committed suicide by hanging.
Downing was watched from the mo
ment he reached Montreal to confer
with the Spanish minister, and n secret
service officer was near him until hr
was arrested here.
Several women are employed 10 sS-
cure information In quarters where II
would be impossible for man 10 do so
and they have rendered an excellent
service, the most important feature OF
which has been their ability to cor.
quer the weakness of their sex for COS
zip.
Chief Willie, who was n good news
paper reporter, before he was maj,
chief of the government scuths q
month ago. may write up some Of TIT
records of the secret service, which
will make interesting and romantic
reading.