The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-04-30
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woMEN sprEs IN EURopE.

The Cntca80 Tribune na1 the hoho"- ing article which proves that woman spies are among the best agents Of the secret service:
 woman's wit and love of intrigue find a fertile field in the secret service branches of many European Governments. If the heads of these departments in England and Continental Governments would taik--which they will not-they would bear testimony to the fact that women make excellent spies.
 Ministers and Government officials of Europe understand that there are no more valuable agents in the secret ser- vice employment than the women who are engaged in its work, and the num- Der of such women. of social import- ance many of them. is said to be sur prising.
 In Europe the secret service is more concerned with other countries secrets ard mere wrapped in mystery than the United States service. For that reason none knows the composition of the ser- vice in it's entirety, and no wise person seeks to know.
 The women who enter this work are of ali classes, and in many instances they work more effectively than the men. They succeed in many cases where q man could not. When they work against a man they are aided by that mans own weakness. The secret of their power lies in the fact that men are seldom adamantine when subjected to the wiles of a pretty woman.
 Tn the following instance. illustrating the work of these women secret service agents the woman succeeded by playing on the emotions of the wife of the man possessing the secret she desired to learn.
 A certain Ambassador accredited to England was married to a woman of his own nationality. With his political business she never concerned herself. and he never made her his confidante. A female friend of the lady whom the latter had not met for some years ar- rived m England one fine day. She was certain Russian Countess. They spent much tlmo together, and the convsrsa- private life of the Ambassadors wife, who candidly admitted she never inter. ested herself in his business affairs.
 '1 am naturally curious" said the Countess, 'and naturally jealous, and I should always be afraid he was deceiv- ing me-
 The wife scorned the idea, and the matter dropped. A few days later the Ministers wife sought the Countess in great distress.
 Tell me all you know" she pleaded, concerning my husband,'
 The Countess affected great surprise and inquired what her friend meant, whereupon the latter produced letter she had found in her husbands bed room addressed to him in endearing terms by another woman, and so worded as to leave no doubt that he had long been engaged in an intrigue.
 Search for further evidence was what the Countess advised, after sympathiz. ing with her friend, and back to the embassy they went together to ransack the Ambassadors private desks They searched without avail-that is, so far as the wife was concerned-but the Countess found what she required, in the shape of long .;ipher message. which she copied on the rretext that .t might be cipher love letter. In real ity. 1t gave the terms of a certain agree ment arrived at between two countries which was most valuable information to the Government the Countess was xaJor kfpc for