The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-01-19
THE CRAFTY MILITARY SPY
A Dangerous Enemy to Every
Civilized State.
MUST BE OBSERVANT
While Exhibiting a Total Ignorance
OF the Language Of Foreign
Country He overhears Many I'M
portant Conversations Regarding
Military Secrets Of Priceless
Value.

There Is a common and highly dan
gerous foe which civilized states have
always to guard against-more so dur
ing times Of peace than when war may
be raging-and that is the military
spy. He Is danger which menaces
every nation, being largely employed
by the respective powers of the world
to discover the military secrets of
other nations.
1t Is necessary that the man who
travels about seeking other countries
secrets should be an excellent lin
guist, not so much so in order that he
may speak the various languages, as
to enable him to understand all con-
versation which he hears. AS mat
ter of fact. foreign spy often dis
arms suspicion by exhibiting an utter
ignorance Of the language OF the par
ticular country he may be visiting.
An English Government agent,
while In Germany about two years
ago managed to escape from a rather
dangerous position by acting in such q
manner. He had been sent there to
try and obtain some information about
a new war balloon which the German
Government was trying, and decided
to travel as an ignorant English tour
ist. He reached the neighborhood
where the experiments were being
carried out. but was not allowed to
obtain a close inspection of the bal
loon.
After the experiments had been
made, however, he followed the inven-
tor Of the balloon and some military
friends into a neighboring inn, and
sat himself down at table near them
in the hope OF e"ring some of their
conversation. He called for "ein glas
bier" in atrociously bad German. in
order to convey the impression that
he knew nothing of the language. But
the military gentlemen still seemed
to suspect him, and began talking
aloud among themselves. In their own
language, about the English dog"
and referring to him in other abusive
terms.
The agent, however, took no notice
whatever of the remarks, although he
well understood their meaning, and
sat smoking his pipe and drinking his
beer in a manner quite unconcerned.
This seemed to satisfy the inventor
and his friends, who forthwith began
to talk OF the balloon experiments. In
half an hour the agent had learned
rerh nf 10 lie ~ 70 wv
which was very important one
to send good report home, and thus
enabled his government to learn what
Germany was doing in the way Of
aerial warfare.
1t is on account OF the espionage
which exists in such countries as
Great Britain, Russia, Germany and
France that the military authorities
of these Powers take the greatest pre-
cautions to prevent strangers from
witnessing any special maneuvers
which take place. Perhaps our read
ers will remember the great fuss which
Russia made some time ago because
two British officers would persist in
hanging about the district in which
the autumn maneuvers were to take
place. The Russian authorities actu-
ally appealed to the British embassy
about the matter, with the result that
the officers were obliged to leave the
neighborhood.
These officers were not spies, but,
of course, their actions aroused the
suspicion that they were, and Russia
Is particularly keen in guarding her
military knowledge. In spite of the
precautions taken by the Powers, how
ever, there are very few maneuvers
and military experiments carried out
of which Secret Service agents do not
obtain some knowledge-New York
News.