Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-11-12
FRANCE 5 SECRET OUT
Agent Of United States War Depart.
ment Gets Important Knowl.
edge in France.
Secret Of the Construction Of the
New French Field Gun
Secured.
-------
May Develop Another Dreyfus
Affair, if the Report is
Authentic.

Washington. Dec. 12.-Has the French
republic another Dreyfus case? This is
the question which is being asked in
Washington as result of the publca-
tionof information that an agent OF the
United States war department has se-
cured such exact and detailed knowl-
edge of the construction of the new
French field gun as to enable him to un-
dertake to build a reproduction of that
gun for the government of the United
States.
French field artillery is admittedly
ahead of that of any other government
lin the world. For several years there
have been important features about the
French field guns and their carriages
Which have peen successfully kept from
the other powers. II Was on charge of
having revealed to Germany some of the
features of an earlier type of this gun
that Capt. Dreyfus was found guilty
and sentenced to imprisonment on Dew
Ills island
1t was with genuine surprise that the
Representatives of foreign governments
and the Washington public generally
learned this morning that the board,of
Ecrdnarce and Qualifications in the war
|departmsnt believed that they had ss-
Ieured enough information to enable
them 10 build practically the same gun
as that used by the French field arttl-
lls.N. 1t was equally surprising that the
war department had allowed this in
formation TO become public. but no one
was more surprised at the publication
than Mere the high officials of the de-
Ipartment
What course the French government
Will adopt in the matter no one here
knows. No fault can be found With the
government of the United States for ac-
cepting the Information that has been
offered. The several CIVILIZED govern
ments maintain military and naval at
taches at the capitals of other powers
for the express purpose of learning all
that is possible about the ornaments
of the countries to which they are ac-
credited. The French government learns,
lin this way all that is made public in
the war and navy departments in Wash
ington, and it is quite probable that the
French attaches have from time to time
learned details that the authorities of
this country have wished to keep secret.
II the secret of the French field gun
has actually been revealed to the United
States it sauite certain that the French
government will endeaEor to find out
the leak in their own country, just as
the war department. may endeavor to
| find out how the story of yesterday $
action of the board of ordnance and for
| tifications became public here. but it is
possible that France will never make
any Inquiries of this government in the
matter. NJ. Thiebaut, charge d,affaires
of the French embassy. it is understood.
is disposed TO doubt whether much in
formation Of value has been obtained.
He has not made any inquiries of the
state department in the matter. and 1t
is safe to assume that he will not do so
unless he receives instructions from his
government
| The French gun is of the same caliber
as the American weapon; a good point
with the ordnance experts. Who must
lconsider the question of ammunition,
but its velocity is higher and lis rate
of fire is considerably greater.