The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-08-26

as to Russia, and agents-British and natiye-of the India deparement are ever busy seeking particulars likely to be oS service when we have to defend an empire which already. in the miii- tary sense, extends from Alden to Hong Kong. Most of the Indian agents in Russia are officers of the Indian army, but, needless to state, they do not trav- el as such. Some affect to be tourists of an innocent but inquiring turn of mind: some go as commercial travellers; some lean to religious propaganda, and others collect curiosities.
 These agents have been so ener- getic and so prolific in their disguise that in the south of Russia the bona f1de commercial traveller excites sus- picion. The Russians now insist upon all ''commercials being licensed and taxed; moreover, the intelligence de- partment has found the orders for goods obtained by its travellers somewhat eTn- barrassing.
 As buying agent the spy has also worked well. No Briton can now go across the Caspian to purchase skins
 
 just to amuse himself without his let ters being opened and the company he keeps carefully noted.
 Elsewhere than in central Asia the in- quisitive foreigner is likely to be de- tained as suspect if found near a dock yard, arsenal, fortress, masked battery or military undertaking of any kind. The real tourist may excite suspicion, and no doubt many of the people ar rested are innocent, but occasionally a spy is captured and usually, of course, is liberated after inquiries.
 Foreign consuls are apt to be much more energetic, emphatic and positive when a government agent is taken than they are when the innocence of the par ties held is so apparent that it needs no proof. In ordinary circumstances, when the spy is known, he thereby becomes innocuous. and he knows it. If discov- cred the impolite Russian way is to for bid him to enter the country. or to de- clare he comes from a plague-infested port, or that he is a Roman Catholic or Jew.
 The polite way Is to offer him guard or helpmate or companion. The spy is then shown what he must see, and as soon as he has seen and reported the various military dispositions are chang ed so that the information he obtains is worse than useless, being actually mis- leading.
 The polite British way is to take the recognized spy round the golf links or give him pegs of whiskey and tell him soft stories as he sits on stoll enjoy ing CD interminable regimental cricket, then to send or take him home a happy, talkative man, with nothing to tell; that is what happens when a Russian vessel calls at Perim "for water" or Russian officers show themselves curious as to the forts at Alden.
 Many are the lodges resorted to by British agents in order to avoid being "spoofed" by their Russian hosts. Their common way is to hunt in couples, each independent of the other, so that If one is taken the other may still succeed in getting through with the work. This plan has other advantages.
 The eastern races make adept spies. Russia's agents, when out of uniform, betray their calling by being so well in- formed, which is unusual In Russia, but it takes a clever, educated man to de- feat them and there are few such among the class of people the agents frequent in the east, for they pretend to be mer- chants. veterinary surgeons, peddlers land even vagrants.
 In the far east in the matter of espi- onage Japan has the game almost en- Itirely to itself. A Japanese can readily become so good an imitation of the Chi naman, Manchu or Mongol that the Russian cannot identify him, and tine Chinaman who does will certainly not denounce him.-London Express.