Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-25
WOMEN IN ROLE OF SPIES.
How the japanese Employed Them
Against the Russians.
From the New York Times

From the New York Times
While the Japanese have not been regard
| ed as having an especially efficient secret
| service. the events of the war have shown
that the persons who are watching day and
| night for them have been of the greatest
| value. 1t is known that just about the
| time the war broke out there were in Port
Arthur several French dancers who had
! c; red every Russian official heart Thoy
were not only attractive dancers but beau
| tiful women. who dressed well and had
nest engaging manners. The Russian
| officers were charmed with them. They
soon became better acquainted and proved
to be very agreeable companions They
took great interest in things military,
but always made amazing blunders in at
tempting to repeat what had been told
them. The womanly ignorance of such
matters charmed the young officers all the
i.tore, ana at the same time put them OFT
their guard But, a matter of fact,
they We're very clever women, and their
information was forwarded speedily to the
Japanese legation at Picking, which, In turn
forwarded valuable reports to Tokyo. by
the time their true character was known
the French actresses. who were spies Tor
the japanese, had left Port Arthur far be-
hind.
One of the most valuable assistants the
Japanese had at Port Arthur was a lttlo
servant who was not in the pay OF the
government. and who was not in any sense
attached to their secret service. In fact,
she was one of those poor little unknown
patriots who feel when their country Is at
war that they should give their own littlo
Insignificant aid.
A short time after the first lombard
ment the trains leaving Port Arthur wero
filled with refugees. The Japanese, of
course, thought 1t polite to make a change
of base, and the Russians were of the same
opinion. Many left Immediately, but the
little japanese servant remained. One
evening there was council and the sery-
ant, who was looked upon as an ignorant
little child, waited on the officers as usual
Plans and documents were spread upon the
table, the officers smoked, drank and dis
cussed the situation. The council lasted
late and then broke up. Finally there were
only a few remaining in the room. and
these, overtaken by lack of rest, fell asleep
The little waitress came into the room
again. saw the few officers remaining wero
asleep, quickly picked up bundle Of the
papers she saw lying on the table and
thrust them into the folds of her kimono
She had not the slightest idea of their i'm
portance what they were but the off,
GERS had been in such earnest discussion
that she gained the impression that they
would be useful to her government. Tho
first train out of Port Arthur that morning
had among its passengers the little serv-
ant who had disguised herself as n coolie
Before the-train started the papers had
been missed. and a file of soldiers was
drawn up alongside of the waiting cars.
while an inspector made a hasty search
among tHe passengers. he uld not, now
ever, detect the coolie, who never WINGED
during the search. The girl had been fa-
vorite with the officers, and had been
pected only when 1t was learned she had
left. The search proving unavailing the
train moved off toward Peking.
Arriving at Picking, the strengthening
little figure presented herself before the
door of the Japanese legation. function
airy tried politely to send her OFF, but she
persisted She must see the minister
But his excellency is engaged. Could
not the honorable gentleman call again?"
The matter was very important. How
important his excellepcy might know.
Finally the little spy was admitted. She
told the whole story. Matters of great i'm
portance indeed, were learned, and the
"coolie, replacing the strange mannish at
tire by the graceful kimono. received
sum of money and was sent to Japan.
There her achievement was loudly herald
ed and in her native town she soon became
the center of curiosity and admiration.