The Portland daily press., 1899-04-15
European Police and Their Records
Of the People.
The Spy System in Old
World Politics.
In Connection With the Case Of
Capt. Dreyfus.

In the Uuitsd States and In Great
Britain no man figures in what is popu-
| arly known as the "Rogues Gallery"
unless he has been duly convicted of some
felony or misdemeanor. In continental
Europe, especially in France, Belgium,
Italy, Germany, or Russia, there is no
person of any degree OF social eminence
and of political and professional or ad-
ministrative prominence whose record is
not on file at the police quarters either of
at those of the chief city Of the province
In which his residence is situated, writes
"Ex.Attache" in the Chicago Tribune.
There Is hardly any one who is regard
ed 10 be of too small Importance to thus
figure In this species OF colossal "Rogues'
Gallery" In fact. it is only the laboring
classes. and the quite small fry, who are
fortunate enough to escape this disagree.
able form of attention on the part of the
police unless they happen to have bee n
| convicted OF some ohense, no matter how
trifiing. against the. laws Of the land.
These police records are known by the
name of "dossiers"-a word for which
there is no adequate equivalent in the
English language, but which has become
exceedingly familiar to TO every on3 in
this country in connection with the Drey-
fus case. For the entire controversy on
the subject of the prisoner of DEVILS Is
land-a controversy which has divided
ba Erop oh nation in m txUo y.iyal eayY
imbued with the most bitter hostility one
against another-may be said to depend
upon the my strious contents OF the Orey-
fus dossier, which alone can determine
the question Of his guilt or innocence
SOURCE OF MENACE.
The word "dossier'' in a general sense
means bundle of documents relating
either to one particular subject or in
dividuaL But it is more especially used
to describe the documentary evidence,
good and bad, in connection with O per.
sons record, and on the continent of Eur
ope a considerable portion of the detective
police are employed exclusively in secur-
ing material for dossiers, the mention of
which Is sufficient to cause a cold shudder
to pass down ones back.
For there are comparatively few In this
world whose lives have been SO entirely
blameless that there is not some episode
or other in their existence which they
would prefer to keep secret, and the pub
LEGATION of which might subject them to
CRITICISM, ridicule, or disgrace. Even
taking it for granted that there are peo-
pl who are themselves entirely beyond re-
proach of any kind, they have usually
some near relative or intimate friend who
has been less circumspect, and, to pre-
serve whom from exposure, they are ready
to make concessions.
The possessions of such secrets as those
affecting the honor and the prestige of
both msn and women Of position consti-
tutes source of power and of influence.
The continental governments of Europe
take the ground that it Is to the interest
of the commonwealth that they should
enjoy the power. and accordingly they
devote, rs stated above, much trouble
and money to secure the secrets of promi-
nent people-seorets that go to constitute
u dossier. The resources of the detective
police are at the disposal of the govern
ment for the purpose. and it will. there
for, surprise but few to learn that we'll
nigh every public man ana woman of
any social or political eminencs is
Swallowed by police spies, who not only
take note Of everything that hs or she
may do or say, but likewise put the worst
int tot tnv
tirely innocent of all harm, frequently
inventing incidents iend episodes which
are entirely devoid of foundation. For 1t
must be borne in mind that the individu-
ais employed for this species of detective
work are as a general rule men and
women utterly devoid of scruple, and the
value of whose services Is gauged and
remunerated by the seeming Importance
of the information which they furnish
concerning their victims
sHADOWING THE DIPLOMATS.
The reports which they make all go to
make up dossiers, and from this it will
be seen that there are literally none who
can hope TO have dossier that Is entirely
and wholly clean, since a clean dossier
would imply not only that the person to
whom 1t related had never said or done
"a questionable or ridiculous thing In his
life, and that his intimate friends and
near relatives had been equally discreet,
but also that he had RETAINED from do
ing anything that could have furnished
even the smallest pretext for injurious
misinterpretation.
As have said above. every one Of any
position has both his dossier, and, to q