The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-29
s25, 900, 900 FOR SECRETS.
Facts About Corruption Funds Spent
by European States.
From the London Mail.


From the London Mail
One of the most unpleasant duties of
Parliament is the voting every year of a
sum of money for secret service. Every
one knows that it is to be used to bride
traitors. and reward spies, and there Is
nothing an Englishman so much detests as
a traitor or spy, even when he is working
for our own government.
Consequently our secret service fund is
probably the smallest ia the world List
year 1t amounted to only n3,O00 and not
very much bribery can be effected with
that. But some years ago 1t was three
or four times that sum, and some author
tiles appear to hold the opinion that the
interests of the state would be better
served If II amounted to 100000 instead of
Els, 900
The spending of this money Is one of
those few secrets which are really kept
Parliament votes the money II is paid in
to the treasury. Then permission is given
to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, the
Secretary for the Colonies, the Home Sec
rotary and the Irish Secretary to draw on
it as they require it, each being allowed n
certain fixed fraction of the whole amount
Suppose our ambassador In Russia sus-
poets that certain preparations are being
made to seize a Persian or Chinese port
and he wants to get some secret informa-
ton, he draws whatever sum is necessary
to pay spy, but no one except himself
knows to whom he pays It.
Many M. P.'s have objected to the pub
lie money being spent in this way, AMI
year after year they try to obtain ipfor-
nation as to whom it is paid. But. of
course, to make the names public would
render the fund perfectly useless.
But the most Suspicious taxpayer NAV
be assured that the money is properly
spent AS a matter of fact, not much
more than half the money is ever cxpend-
ed, the balance being returned to the ex-
chequer. Moreover. the secretaries of state
are under oath 10 spend the money honest
ly. When a secretary of state is alottei
his share he has 10 take the following cath
before q commissioner:
81 swear that the money paid to me for
foreign secret service. or for detecting.
preventing and defeating couspiraeies
against the state, has been bona fde APP
piled to the said purpose and no other"
The reason this oath has to be taken is
that at one time II was suspected that the
secret money was being used for election
eering purposes and for pensioning foyern-
ment favorites
Al present most OF the money Is spent by
our ambassadors in foreign countries. In
order to know what kind Of a foe she NAV
have to meet. Great Britain must be made
acquainted with the details OF foreign
armies. the power and range of their
guns, their new Inventions in powder
shells, torpedoes. submarine boats and the
like. The country must also know what
are the intentions OF other countries to-
ward her. and n antagonistic. endeavor to
thwart them.
Very valuable Information OF this kind
can only be Obtained by briblnR an official
OF a foreign nation, and the amount which
one country VIII spend 90 ret such infor-
nation may be gathered from tho faei
that Great Britain paid 10000 for a con
OF tho treaty OF Tilsit between France an
Russia.
Foreign countries spend enormous sums
on secret service. France, Germany AMI
Russia have their agents eyeryWhele, o 4
there are very few secrets 81 any ma Ion