The Washington herald., 1908-04-06
By FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

Chinese. The fact that this man had
been a spy long enough 70 grow a queue
indicates that the Japanese secret service
is not q new branch Of government work.
Innumerable incidents have occurred
watch show that high-elass japanese
willingly do the most mental work in
order to secure information their govern
ment desires. The foreigners have a fine
club in Yokohama TO which no native can
belong. During the war with Russia this
place was the rendezvous for business
men Of various nati0nallties. many Of
whom had important transactions with
one or both Of the belligerent powers.
There was naturally a good deal OF inter-
esting gossip exchanged there and later
it was found that none OF this had been
lost on the ears Of the japanese authori-
ties. The manager Of the club had a
number Of Japanese boys about the place
as servants. and during the progress OF
the war several OF these were drafted for
service at the front
AS they left for ManchUria, where the
climate is cold, the manager presented
N@s- "a A+4NAAA tlAA AlEeAk va Al SWAT
er. Toward the end OF the campaign. a
servant to whom ne was particularly at
tached on account OF his aptness and re-
liability, served notice that he had been
summoned to the front. WhereupOn the
manager purchased a particularly fine
sweater as a present for his favorite
Imagine the CONSERVATION around the
club next morning when the servant ap-
peared in the uniform OF a japanese
naval officer. IN order TO hear what was
being said around the place he had work
ed there for months in the capacity Of a
menial lie thanked the manager for his
kindness in presenting the nice sweater,
left his compliments for various club
members who had been generous with
tips. and went down to sea in his ship.
A similar incident happened in Homo
lulu. A prominent native lady employed
a good looking young japanese as a ser
want lie claimed TO be a cook. but Il
was soon apparent that he had little or
no experience IN that line Of work. Al
though he was a failure as a cook, he
seemed so agreeable and anxious to
please that the lady determined TO keep
him IL her employ, and give him some
thing to do. One day while the lady was
in Honolulu she had occasion to go into
a large japanese bank. AS she entered
one door her servant, who did not know
she was there, came In from another en-
trance. He was instantly surrounded by
the bank officials, who treated him with
such fulsOme respect and Difference that
It did not take the surprised woman long
TO understand why her servant could not
cook She was harboring a hlgh-eIass
SPY under her roof As soon as the make
believe servant saw his mistress. he curt
" dismissed those who surrounded him
and left the bank. Being curious to know
what the fellows mission was, the lady
die not dismiss hin, Immediately. He
seemed TO cultivate The good Kraces of
the natives, and 1t was suspected that he
might have been commissioned TO sound
local feeling on the prospect Of Japanese
rule in Hawaii. The rdct that he turned
the conversation to this sheet many
times gave ground for this opinion.
An American hemp buyer In the Philip
pines began to get reports from his as
sistants in various parts OF the islands,
first in one locality and then in another
of two japanese candy peddlers who
acted IN a suspicious manner. One was
a man OF advanced years and the other
a youth. Upon entering a town they
opened a shop and attracted
many customers by offering good candy
at a lower price than It could be sold at
a profit. Only one Of them stayed IN the
store at a time. the other mixing with the
people on the outside. Finally they came
TO the place where the hemp buyer had
his headquarters. He watched them
closely and found that they could each
speak several languages, and that they
Systematically followed the windings of
all the roads leading to the town, Their
caused him to conclude that
they were map makers.
About the same time two japanese men
who were fishing in the bay at Manila
attracted attention. There was nothing
about their appearance to indicate that
they were other than what they pretend
ed TO be. They lived in poor quarters and
sold their catch regularly in the market,
but the manner in which they shifted
about from one place to another finally
caused them TO be brought under surveil-
lance. It was then discovered that when
no one was near they were engaged IN
making soundings, evidently for the pur-
for the war Office in Tokyo.
A newspaper correspondent IN Yoko-
hama had an experience which illustrat-
ed the perfect system OF keeping a check
on the whereabouts Of foreigners in the
country He was invited 20 the police
station to see an expert instructing the
raw recruits for the police force in the
science of jiu jitsu. The chief Of police
told the correspondent that he would
have some facts typewriter in English
and would send them around TO the hotel
next day. The correspondent had moved
that morning from one hotel to another,
and as he was leaving the police station
he happened TO think OF this and returned
to leave his new address. The chief smil-
ed and turned to the register, showing
the foreigner the corrected address after
his name, The system was so complete
that the removal had been entered at
headquarters almost before the luggage
had arrived at the new place.
A recent exposure revealed the clever
manner In witch the japanese war Office
had been keeping in touch with military
matters in Germany. One of the trusted
agents of the Mikado's bureau of secret
learned the harherss trade