The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-04-24
The Cost of Spy Systems Of
European Governments
Is Enormous.
SCIENTIFIC GERMAN WAY
Much More Complete Than English
Governments Watch Each Other
Closely, Especially Germany,
Russia and England.

scale of cost and efficiency undreamed
of in the United States.
In Russia the secret police employ a
considerable number OF agents, both
male and female, Who are resident in
England. Some of these paid agents,
or spies, are people well known in So
ciety.
Their duties vary from diplomatic
work of the highest delicacy to the col
lection OF newspaper cuttings.
One of the points attended to by the
Russian secret service is the record of
every English puDnc man who speaks
or writes about Russia.
On one occasion the present writer
a the opportunity of seeing the sys-
tenn followed by the Russian police. 2
Every speech AID every writing Of
Mr.. ShaW-Lefevre-an innocent and not
very formidable personage-with par
ticlars of his birth, ~parentage. means,
residence, habits, tastes and position,
were all entered up in a great portfolio.
Mr.. Shaw-Lefevre was, l believe, at
one time associated with the Friends Of
Russian Freedom, n IS therefore, like
all h other members Of that body,
carefully watched by the agents Of
Russia.
Considerable sums are spent by Rus
STA or secret service agents in Central
Asia, Baluchistan, Persia and in India
itself. The object of these agents is to
belittle Great Britain and belaud Rus
STA.
Constant diplomatic duels take place
between British consular agents n
h avowed representatives of Russia.
This subterranean war of secret agents
is going on all owe the world. .
Germany's Special Police.
The German system of secret service
Is conducted on much more scientific
lines. German knowledge of the Unit
ed Kingdom is more complete than hat
of most Englishlnen.
/ was lately informed by a British
diplomatist of the highest rank hat
the German general staff possesses a
schedule of the contents Of all the chief
residences in the kingdom.
Every picture and work Of art of any
considerable value is known to the
German general staff, while the study
of British topography, the mastery OF
our maps, the knowledge of
the fords, smithies, obstacles. popula-
ton and high roads form the subject of
examination from German officers who
are told.off to h duty of acquiring full
knowledge Of the counties OF the United
Kingdom.
The German agents in England, who
are occupied in surveying this coun-
try with a view to contingencies, are
generally to be foundi in couples In the
guise Of tourists.
They know to a head how many
horses the Irish farmers can supply
within a given time. They have made
a careful study of the idiosyncrasies of
our leading men. Their tastes, habits,
health. friends and means are careful
iy noted by the astute Teutons, who
d1still the honey Of information from
English fields for the German hive.
The principal feature in which Ger
ms n Eancaf cafN-inn 1tffarc fr~-o %N1% ~
England is that the Germans co-ordi-
nate the whole of their knowledge, and
nave 1T ready to and in a concentrat-
ed form whenever it Is required.
Useless English Methods.
The English system is different.
Ihere is a secret service fund con-
trolled by the foreign Office.
SO many foreign Office agents are
hostile to England, and are unpaid,
that The foreign office service is often
found to be useless for naval or mill
tary purposes.
during the last two years the ad-
mlraltE. has succeeded in wrestling from
The foreign office the control of the Sc
cret service, SO far as it affects the
navy. During the trouble with France
over ~tashoda, agents Of the admiralty
We're busily watching French opinion
IN the great centers. The English mil
!tary Intelligence department Is again
a separate service.
What is required is to in
one spot the whole knowledge obtain
able. The foreign office should be the
praln, the eyes and the antennae'o of the
nation. The German Russian for
eign offices fulfill these functions. The
British foreign Office not only does not
kno" what is going to happen; it does
not want to know, while the military
and foreign office intelligence depart
ments are separated enthusiastically.
What Is Wanted.
After the heavy experience of the
Boer war, it is inconceivable that the
government will not take steps forth
with to reorganize the Who'll of our in
telligence system-naval, military and
diplomatic. The English ignorance Of
foreign countries contrasts unpleasant
~ with their knowledge about Great
Britain.
France is rapidly becoming a peace
sul power, and is losing that passion
for military glory which has oppressed
her Tor hundreds of years. Germany
and Russia, however, require careful
watching, n the pacific tendencies of
the french republic may be dissipated
oy the temptations of an alliance that
germany may yet have to offer.
What does the admiralty know about
the German fleet? Very little. How
'"o IiS oil dlldCIle III
Berlin visited Emden, or even Kiel? For
what purpose are the miles of quays
erected at Emden, a little village with
a tenth-rate museum in it?
II the Boer war taught the English
anything 1t was to enforce the lesson
that knowledge is power.
There is nothing SO conducive to
peace as a full knowledge of the in
tentions n tendencies of other ma
tons.
An enormous outlay may be saved by
the reorganization and establishment
of an efficient and up-to-date system of
secret service.
Killed by Its Friends.
Baltimore American: The experi-
fnent Of having women inspectors at