The Brunswick daily news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1903-1906, 1904-04-22
TALKS ABOUT THE SPIES.
What Ex-Army officer Has to say
on War Conditions.

on War Conditions.
Washington, April 21-"It is unques-
tionably fact. said retired army
officer in this city. 4" that plans of
every important fortress in this coun.
try are in the possession of the gener.
al staff of more than one foreign gov
ernment Our government, in turn,
has plans Of the fortifcations of every
nation with which we are likely ever
to go to war. This is a part of the
game. The military spy system is
now a recognized institution Of every
army. Government could not prevent
it if they would"
I'VE hear great deal of comment
because in this Russo.Japanese war
the spies caught and put to death
were officers high in rank III the army
disguised as common laborers. With
all nations the spies are The pick Of
the service. While the Russians were
building the Notifications in Manchu-
ria a British staff officer, in the guise
of Persian, worked on them for
months as day laborer, sketched
every detail Of the plans and got away
.undetected.
Since | was retired | have visited
various countries on the other side
and talked with important men in the
military service. was amazed at
their intimate knowledge Of our coast
defenses. They told ne many things
did not know and could not have
found out at home even il had tried
We old Loyal Legion fellows, who
have allowed our knowledge Of the
spy system to rust since the civil war
ended have no idea of the way in
which ii is carried ON today.
yet no precautions are rigid enough
TO prevent the secrets Of nations
fortidcations from becoming known to
a possible enemy When works of
this character are built by contract it
is virtually certain that among the
worllmen will be foreign agents in dis
guise So perfectly are these men
trained for every possible contingency
that detection is almost out Of the
question. Clever men are required
because they must make mental notes
.of the forts while they work and must
be able to reproduce them from mem
ory when they are in safe territory.
'The English and German govern
ments are, TO my knowledge. partie.
ularly We'll posted about everything
THAI pertains to the coast defenses,
mpbIizaeion of troops and similar
matters of every nation with which
they are likely to have a clash at
arms, This information is gathered
in scrals by diplomatic, consuls, sailors
railroad laborers, tourists with kodaks
and various other persons who may
be suspected, but whose free action
in any country could not be interferred
with without interrupting the relations
.of commerce and involving disagree
able complications.
"AIl these things are understood by
every government but they cannot be
stopped. The only thing TO do il to
reduce the danger to a minimum by
Furnishing the offenders when caught.
In time Of peace persons detected
I sketching fortidcations are sent to
prison. In war a spy knows that ar
rest means death. man who under
takes such work faces his doom just
as bravely as the sailors who went
down in The japanese gunboats that
were sacrificed to blockade Port Ar
thur
These spy maps, as they may be
called are under constant revision.
The work never stops"