The Savannah morning news., 1904-02-28
BY WILLIAM THORP.

In all probability no two countries
ever went to war knowing more about
the details of each others strength
and weakness than Russia and Japan
do at the present time.
Both nations have had an army of
spies at work for several years, and
the adventures Of these men, if they
cared to make them known, would
form the material for scores of thrill
ing romances.
Russia employs more secret agents
than any other country in the world
perhaps it would not be going far be-
yond the mark to say more than all
the other countries put together. She
has several of them in every impor-
tant city in the United States; a re-
cent debate in the German Parliament
showed that Prussia is honey-combed
with them; there are scores in Lon
don, under the command of that Won
derful woman, Madame Olga Novi-
koff, better known to the literary
world as 90. K.;;" and the bazaars of
India are never free from the presence
of the Russian agent, usually an
Asiatic subject of the Car. The re-
cent arrest and execution of the Jap
anese interpreter at the Russian lega-
ton in Toxic is believed to have de-
stroyed the foundation stone of an
elaborate fabric of Russian espionage
in Japan, but no doubt the Car still
has plenty of other secret service
agents there.
Field of Russian Spies.
Central Asia has been the greatest
field for the exploits of Russian spies
in the past. Many of them have per-
formed deeds of bravery unsurpassed
by any of the heroes who have fought
openly for the Car on the field of bat
tie. To be a successful spy, a man
needs to have splendid equipment of
cool courage, answering devotion, in
telligence and resource. There is no
limelight for him, no encouragement
for battalions of ardent comrades. He
is a lone hero, who takes his life in his
own hand with little hope of glory if
he wins, no hope of sympathy if he
loses, and pays the penalty of failure.
Many of the best Russian secret SER
vice agents are officers who, for one
cause or another have been reduced
to ranks. They are willing to dare
any peril in order to win back their
former commission.
I'm America and England" said an
English traveller who has closely stud
led the Russian military system in
Central Asia, the authorities dismiss
from the army an officer who has made
a false step, and however good a man
he may be professionally, he is prac-
tically lost to the country. In Russia,
on the other hand, he is simply
reduced to the ranks, stripped of his
titles, and sent to some frontier dis
trict of Asia to serve as a private
soldier.
Such a man naturally becomes a
desperado. He forms splendid mate
rial for a dashing leader in time of
war, and as a secret service agent he
is most valuable, for he is ready to
dare anything"
Famous Secret Service Agent.
Alikhanoff, the most famous secret
service agent in Central Asia, was one
of these men. He is an Asiatic, by
birth a Daghestani. He was given
commission in the Russian army and
rose rapidly under Skobeleff. During
the Russo Turkish War he served in
the Caucasus as aide de camp to the
Grand Duke Michael, who command
ed the forces in that region.
But towards the close of the war
Alikhanoff suddenly fell into disgrace
through quarreling with a superior
officer and challenged him to fight
duel. He was tried by court-martial,
NSpllNeu VI Ills RANK anu uCCOIdIlOtlS.
and reduced to the ranks.
Some years afterward Private Alik-
hanoff turned up again in Central Asia
and won a commission as cornet of
dragons by his valor in the Turcor
man campaign. But that did not sat-
isfy him.
The Turcomans, routed at Cock
Iepe, fled across tn desert to the
Merry oasis, where they gathered their
forces together for a desperate re-
slstance. The Russians decided that
1t was necessary to make military
survey of the oasis and the routes by
Which it could be reached. Alikhanoff
was chosen for the task.
He Travelled to the oasis disguised
as an Armenian trader, taking with
him a caravan consisting of few
camels. A cornet of Cossacks, named
Sokoloff, accompanied him, disguised
as native caravan clerk.
They reached Merv safely after six
days journey across the desert, and
encamped at night in the midst of the
Turcomans, without anybody knowing
VINO they were except two or three of
the chiefs, who were in Russian pay.
Alikhanoff might simply have spied
out the land and departed, but he flew
AT higher game. Next day he boldly