Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-11-01
THE BRITISH SPY SYSTEM
ENGLAND HAS EYES AND EARS AT
EVERY EUROPEAN COURT.

EVERY EUROPEAN COURT.
No Orc Person Knows All the Govern
lnent's Secret Ageuts-M M ost Important
fost Ia That of the Mnn Who Watches
the Court of the Ameer at Afshanistan.
1t is a matter of fact that, while the
British secret service system as a
whole is hopelessly inefficient, having
been brought to that state by parsimo-
NOUS Parliaments, in the matter Of
spies at foreign courts it is more sue
cessful than the system Of any other
nation in the world.
Probably not one person on earth is
aware of the identity of all Great Brit
aims spies in foreign courts, as they
do not all come under the control of
any one government office. The for
eign office is in touch with the major
ity of these valuable servants of the
crown; others are sent out by the In
dian government, independently of the
India office. OF these latter the most
important is the spy whose duty it is
to keep the Indian government in
formed of the doings in the court of the
Ameer of Afghanistan, who requires
careful watching; not so much because
he is inclined to be crafty, as because
it is eminently desirable that he should
not be drawn into any trucking to
Russia; for Afghanistan is India's gar
den fence, and the safety of our East
ern empire depends more upon this
fence being unyielding than upon any
thing else.
1t is possible that the post of spy to
the Ameer's court has now become Il
sinecure, or that parsonage appears to
realize on which side his bread is but
tered, to use a colloquialism. But it
was not always so indeed, at one time
the Ameer was ''wobbling" dreadfully,
and it was mainly because the Indian
government always knew what cards
he played with Russia that he fell on
the east side of the fence.
On one occasion the Indian govern
ment heard rumor that the Ameer
was secretly buying arms, and it be-
came the difficult duty of the spy at
Cabul to discover what truth there was
in the rumor, and, if it were true,
whence the arms We're being bought.
Shortly afterward Russian officer
arrived at Cabul, presented his creden-
tals, and was given an audience by the
Ameer, from whom he obtained a large
order for arms, on the understanding
that they should be supplied at less
than cost price, the balance being paid
by Russia. The officer departed, laden
with valuable presents, delighted with
the success of his mission. He took
the nrst opportunity of forwarding the
Ameer's order to the Indian govern
ment and returning to his post at the
Ameer's court. The genuine Russian
envoy did not arrive until some weeks
later, when, in consequence of sharp
reprmand from Calcutta. the Ameer
refused to receive him. The spy hav-
ing discovered enough to show him
how to act had forged his credentials,
with coolness characteristic of Mo-
hammedan, and thus obtained for his
employers not only proof that the
Ameer was trucking to Russia, but
complete details of the nature of the
Russian bribe, which gave the author
tiles at Calcutta the whip hand.
Just as Russia has to be watched by
spy at Cabul, France has to be
watched at Gondar. for the Negus of
Absynnia is q thorn In the side of the
British government. The probability
is that more than one British spy is put
on duty at the court of the Negus;
but if only one, he must truly be IL
wonderful man at his trade. for scarce
ly secret within his province escapes
his knowl dge. Strange as it may seem,
we have it on excellent authority that
the earliest intelligence that France in
tended to occupy Fashoda came to the
British government through a spy at
Gondar. for Fracce's original intention
was not merely to send Major March
and to Fashoda, but to set the Negus
to assist the Khalifa against the Brit
ish and Egyptian troops. which it was
doubtless thought would prevent Great
Britain Offering solid opposition before
France was firmly Established upon the
Upper Nile. The Negus, however, was
warned that anything of the kind
would result i'll Abyssnia being wiped
out of the map of Africa, SO France
had to operate alone. Thus, the spy
saved Great Britain an inconceivable
amount of trouble and quite possibly
prevented Il great European war.
1t may be safely said that Great Brit
ain has eyes and ears in every court
i'll Europe. and it is significant that
these spies are but seldom British sub
jects.-Tit Bits.
DunneI Him by Telephone.