The Hawaiian gazette., 1900-11-27
THE FRENCH GUNS
PLANS WERE SOLD
Growing Scandal Over Some
American Spy Work
in France.

WAsu>ON. Nov d. -Tbc uubH.a.
upl OF "a story that au American olicor
brad secured tine secret of The new French
noid-pi,ao hos caused mo end of trouble
between officers at Army headquarters
ANA 90 tHe Bureau Jf Ordnance
Do IH believed that some ordnance officer
authorized the publication, 900 order TO
ombarrass a friend Of General Mics, who
had been detailed to get information ia
Europe about ncld-guua The new phase
of the case now is that the affair was re-
ported TO Secretary Root, with u recon-
mcudutiou for "a court of inquiry to de-
torminc whether cOurts-martial should
follow
Meanwhile private inquiry is going on
20 md ont who made the original allega-
tiurs. The inquiry has developed the
startling TACT that foreign governments
are pretty well represented In Washing
ton by secret agents. There is reason to
suspect that the French Government has
agents In both the War ana Navy De-
partmcnts, and number Of clerks who
occupy positions Of responsibility are un-
der suspicion as being in the employ Of
European nations.
The two governments which are sup
posed to have the best representation in
this respect in Washington are the
French and Russian. There are indica-
abroad regularly as soon as 1t comes from
inside sources 1t also developed today
that the Army Ordnance Department
some time ago made an effort to get pos
session Of the French secret. They wrote
She United States Military Attache at
Paris, 1t is said, who informed him that
IT could not be procured for less than
$4,000, but 1t was intimated that the Sc
crct was purchasahle. 1t is said, on the
other hand, that If anything has been sold
it is not the real secret, but something
palmed off on would-be purchasers who
visit Paris for the purpose Of buying val
liable military information.
The entire matter, ii is declared, has
grown out of the fight over the disappear
ing gun, which was ended a month ago
by the decision of the Army Notifications
Board against the gun-carriage. The
original fight was between Lieutenant
General Miles and Brigader General Buff
hngton, the chief OF the Ordnance Bureau.
General Burlington was the inventor of
the disappearing gun-carriage. General
Miles charged that the gun was useless
aud there was "A long fight, which ended
in a decision in favor of General Miles
contention.
on Sunday last it was made known that
IAN agent of the War Department had
secured plans of the new French field
gun, that he had offered to construct such
a gun, and that the Fortifcations Board
had accepted his proposition. d
No one would admit having made these
but the next day it was init
mated that the agent" who had secured
the plans was not the American Military
at Paris but was Captain Lewis,
the Secretary of the Fortifcations Board
General Miles chief supporter in the
fight over the disappearing guns.
AMBASSADOR PORTER INVOLVED. !
NEW YORK, Nov. ia dispatch to
the Herald from Paris says:
The following extraordinary statement
is given prominence in La Presse:
"A parsonage who claims to be thor
oughly acquainted with what is going on
behind the scenes in the matter of the
divulgence of the secrets of the latest
French field gun to the United States,
makes the following statement:
This affair is connected with the sud-
den departure for Gibraltar of an officer
of the United States Navy, who was en-
ployed in the foreign section of the eXhi-
bition, after having fulfilled his functions
as Naval Attache at the Embassy. The
held-gun incident was also the cause of
the sudden handing over of the affairs of
the Embassy to the first secretary by Cen
eral Horace Porter and his departure for
Spain.
The former Naval Attache in qucs-
lion, who was born of British parents
and devoted above all to the Embassy on
he Faubourg Saint Honore acted almost ,
openly as spy for several powers. 5
"The departure of General Horace Por- 5
or, which Is given out as temporary, is l
'eally final and he will be replaced in I
Paris by Mr.. John Leshman, United
states Minister to Berne, a diplomatist n
If the highest character, whose independ- d
nee vis-a-vis the English Embassy can +
Dc counted upon for maintenance Of good $
Citations between the French republic and /.
he United States" I,