Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-12-28
SECRETS or THE NAVY.
Treatment Of Foreign Spies Who Try
tc. Obtain Plans of War Vessels.

England has rather curious way
of dealing with foreigners who are
found prying into her naval and mil
itary concerns. These inquisitive gen.
tlemen are not warned directly that
their object in the country is known,
says the st. Louis Post-Dispatch, but
hint is dropped to the powers en-
ploying them that the authorities are
well acquainted with the operations of
the spies, the result being that the
latter are usually quietly withdrawn.
At the same time, Of course, the
spies are afforded very little oppor-
tunity Of gaining really valuable In :
formation. although at time when
naval manoeuvres are being conduct
ed on large scale the task Of guard
ing secrets from them is much more
difficult than on ordinary occasions.
When a new battleship Is about to be
launched, however, no little anxiety Is
felt by the admiralty officials in their
desire to prevent the betrayal Of the
secrets of her armament. 1t Is abso-
lutely necessary, II Great Britain is
to hold her own on the seas. that no
opportunity should be offered other
powers Of outclassing her guns; and
1t was on this account that so much
sensation was caused at the recent
launching Of the Dreadnaught when 1t
became known that all the details of
the new quick-firing guns intended
for this and other men-of-war were In
the possession Of a certain European
power.
There are two ways Of gaining such
information, namely, from the dock
yard or the admiralty headquarters In
Whitehall. In the case Of the Dread
naught 1t was clearly proved that the
workmen were above suspicion and
that those on whom the slightest sus-
picion of foreign interest had fallen
had been promptly discharged. Be-
sides, the nature of the work was such
that there was little any one man
could have betrayed. AS q matter Of
fact, the leakage was traced to Lon
don. A duplicate design Of the gun
was found missing for a few hours
and then suddenly found in the strong
box where 1t had originally been plac-
ed. Apparently 1t had been stolen for
time, another copy had been made
and the duplicate design returned to
prevent further inquiry and investiga-
| ton. ..
The modern naval spy who seeks
information at headquarters Is usu-
ally a man who moves in the best cir
cles. Some striking romances have
been written around the doings Of for
eign spies who have the entree of
good society. But truth Is stranger
than fiction in this as In other cases,
and during the last half dozen years
/ nearly a score Of men and women who
have arrived In England with the
highest credentials and letters Of In
PRODUCTION have been obliged to make
a sudden return to the Continent be-
cause the admiralty has gained
knowledge Of their real mission.
That country is fully alive to the
necessity of setting a spy to catch a
spy, and it is very rare indeed that a
foreigner who apparently has no 9TH
er object than to participate In society
pleasures is allowed to escape the OBJ
seryation of secret service detectives,
no matter who or what he may De.
French authorities are just now at
their wits end to prevent the betrayai
of naval secrets, owing to the cunning
manner in which the spies work.
The latest sensation has been caus-
ed by the news that many French Of
ficers are slaves to opium, and II mas
been shown how spies take advantage
of the officers drowsy and befuddled
condition to gain from them valuable
secrets. such as plans for defence, or
the construction Of submarines. IL Is
estimated that Toulon contains some
thirty opium dens used by naval men.
They are to all appearances private
houses where the officers go as II
they were paying friendly visits. The
fact that they are really opium dens'
however, frequented and in some
cases managed by spies was recently
revealed by a naval mechanic, who
was offered a large sum Of money by
woman who managed one OF them,
to let her have plans Of certain sub
marines.