The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-04-14
S25, 100000 FOR SECRETS.
Facts About Corruption Funds Spent
by All European States.
From the London Mail.

Facts About Corruption Funds Spent
by All European States.
From the London Mail
One of the most unpleasant duties of
parliament is the voting every year of
sum of money for secret service.
Every one knows that it is to be used
to bribe traitors and reward spies, and
there is nothing an Englishman 50
much detests as a traitor or spy, even
when he is working for our own gov
ernment.
Consequently our secret service fund
is probably the smallest in the world.
Last year it amounted to only G13.0OO.
and not very much bribery can be ee-
fected with that. But some years ago
it was three or four times that sum
and some authorities appear to hold the
opinion that the interests of the state
would be better served if it amounted
to G1O0,OOO instead Of G13OOO.
The spending of this money is one Of
those few secrets which are really kept.
Parliament votes the money. 1t is pail
into the treasury. Then permission is
given to the secretary for foreign af-
fairs, the secretary for the colonies, the
nome secretary, and the Irish secre-
tary to draw on it as they require It,
each being allowed a certain fixed frac-
tion Of the whole amount.
Suppose our ambassador in Russia
suspects that certain preparations are
being made to seize a Persian or Chi
nese port, and he wants to get some
secret information, he draws whatever
sum is necessary to pay to a spy, bu,
no one except himself knows to whom
he pays il.
Many M. P.'s have objected to the
public money being spent in this way,
and year after year they try to obtain
information as to whom il is paid. But
of course to make the names public
would render the fund perfectly use
less
But the most suspicious taxpayer
may be assured that the money is
properly spent. AS a matter of fact,
not much more than half of the money
is ever expended, the balance being re-
turned to the eXchequer. Moreover, the
secretaries of state are under oath to
spend the money honestly. When a sec
retary of state is allotted his share he
has to take the following oath before
a commissioner:
Il swear that the money paid to me
for foreign secret service, or for de-
tecting, preventing and defeating con-
spiracies against the state, has been
bona fide applied to the said purpose
and no other"
The reason this oath has to be taken
is that at one time it was suspected
that the secret service money was be-
ing used for electioneering purposes,
and for pensioning government favor
ties.
AT present most of the money is
spent by our ambassadors in foreign
countries. In order to know what kind
of a foe she may have to meet, Great
Britain must be made acquainted with
the details of foreign armies, the power
and range of their guns, their new in
ventions in powder, shells, tropedoes,
submarine boats, and the like The
country must also know what are the
intentions of other countries toward
her, and if antagonistic endeavor to
thwart them.
Very valuable information of this
kind can only be obtained by bribing
amount which one country will spend
to get such information may be gath
cred from the fact that Great Britain
paid $4,000 for copy of the treaty of
Tilsit between France and Russia.
Foreign countries spend enormous
sums on secret service. France, Ger
many and Russia have their agents
everywhere, and there are very few
secrets of any nation which they do
not know, for 1t is, unfortunately, the
case that in the employment of all
governments there are men willing to
betray their country-for a considera-
ton.
The sum spent by Russia on secret
service does not fall far short of three
quarters Of a million annually. Ger
many and France each spends close on
half a million, Italy nearly a quarter
of a million, and Austria about the
same.
The expenditure under this head of
smaller states, such as Belgium, HoI-
land, Denmark, Norway and Sweden,
Switzerland, Spain and Portugal is
greater than that of England, the
average sum for each being about
100000. Lord Salisbury the other day
said that the Transvaal spends eS00-
900 year on secret service. This esti-
mate is about one-siXth of the total
revenue of that country.
The whole amount spent in Europe,
Asia, Africa and America on secret SER
vice cannot fall very far short of 95,-
100000 annually, and it is not a pleas
ant reflection for the honest taxpayer
that SO much of his earnings is ex-
pended in trying to make traitors OF
men.