Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-08-01
MODERN SPIES IN PEACE.
How Powers Discover Each Others
Military Secrets.

know. In order to discover what they
must know, but are not allowed to,
civilized states employ military spies.
They may be military or naval at
taches, duly accredited to an embassy
or secret agents, who are sent TO re-
side or travel in those districts from
which information Is required by the
intelligence department. The work OF
the first class is not unimportant, but
it is not risky. The officer may not
overstep the bounds of common hon.
esty and rarely, If ever, attempts 10
achieve anything secretly.
He is closely watched and knows 1t.
If he becomes a strong centre or at
traction he may divert the attention or
watchers from some secret agent who
is possessing himself of the particu-
lars the attache is ostensibly anxious
to acquire, but is successfully pre-
vented from securing. The attache Is
useful as a clearing agent. Spies be-
come possessed of facts which are
of no real value to those who employ
them, but are assumed to be worth
much by the agents Of other countries,
and an exchange Of places" Is efec-
ted. Sometimes apparently useless
information Is sought simply for Its
exchange value. For instance some
years ago two British officers created
considerable annoyance in Russia by
their persistence in hanging about the
district in which the autumn man
oeuvres were to take place. They were
invited to join the staff-the British
attache was there-but this honor they
declined.
Then representations were made at
the British embassy, where the officers
were unknown, and subsequently they
disappeared for a time, only to be dis
covered at the end Of the manoeuvres
in one Of the five great fortresses
which protect the west frontier of Rus
sia, and the one that had been the
centre Of the military operations.
| Had these men been Prussian officers
their position would have been danger
Gus and an unpleasant international
incident might have occurred. The
Russo German frontier Is nothing to
Great Britain, neither Is the Franco
German. We exchange the first
piece" with the German for the sec
ond, and the second with France for
little bit of news about Russia In Asia
which India believes to be important.
And thus we get home.
| Each country has its own peculiar
sphere Of interest to which 1t devotes
it's greatest attention. Great Britain
has so many that properly speaking 1t
has none. But India Is always alarmed
as to Russia, and agents-British and
native-of the India department are
very busy seeking particulars likely to
be of service when we have to defend
an empire which already in the mill
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-
ell as such. Some affect to be tourists
of an innocent but inquiring turn of
mind; some go as commercial travel
ers; some lean to religious propagan-
da; while others collect curiosities.
These agents have been so energetic
and so prolific in their disguise that In
the south Of Russia the bona-flde COM
mercial traveller excites suspicion. The
Russians now insist upon all COM
| mercials" being licensed and taxed;
moreover, the intelligence department
has found the orders for goods obtain
ed by it's travellers somewhat embar-
RAISING.
AS a buying agent the spy has also
worked we'll. No Briton can now go
across the Caspian to purchase skins
any more than to sell hardware or
even Just to amuse himself, without
his letters being opened and the COM
pany he keeps carefully noted.
Elsewhere than in Central Asia the
inquisitive foreigner is likely to be de-
tanned as a suspect If found near a
dock yard, arsenal fortress, masked
battery or military undertaking Of any
kind. The real tourist may excite sus-
picion and, no doubt many Of the peo-
pie arrested are innocent, but OCCASION
ally 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
/ q I'M
the parties held is so apparent that 1t
needs no proof. In ordinary circum-
stances when the spy is known he
thereby becomes innocuous, and he
knows It. If discovered the impolite
Russian way is to forbid him to enter
the country, or to declare 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 repor-
ted, the various military dispositions
are changed so that the information
he obtains is worse than useless being
actually misleading.
The polite British way Is to take the
recognized spy around the golf links
or give him pegs Of whisky or tell him
soft stories as he sits on stool enjoy
ing co interminable regimental crick-
ct, then to send or take him home
happy, talkative man, with nothing to
tell. That is what happens when a
Russian vessel calls at Perrin for
water" or Russian officers show them
selves curious as to the forts at Alden.