Mexico Missouri message., 1908-01-30
DIFFICULTY TO KEEP
GREAT PAINS TAKEN TO GUARD
WAR eEcRETs.
OF All the Great Powers, Germany 10
Said to Have the Fewest MIL
tary Leakases-spIes
Always at Work.

fernaps the most dimcult secret 10
keep is one relating to any new gun
or other weapon Of war, says Pear.
sons Weekly. There is practically
no such thing M secrecy In such mat.
tiers. Almost before government has
settled upon new weapon It's details
are known in every war once in Eu-
rope. Our new naval quickEhrer. for
instance. Spies stole the documents
relating TO II and every particular has
been for year past In the hands OF
our chief rival
When Louis Brennan Of gyroscope-
railway fame FIRST invented the tor
pedo which bears his name our gov
eminent paid 100000 for his inven-
ton. The most extraordinary precau-
tons were taken to prevent the de-
tails Of the new torpedo from becom-
ing public property. Each portion OF
the machine was made In q separate
shop and the workmen were searched
both on entering and leaving.
The various parts OF each torpedo
were assembled by Mr.. Brennan and
his partner. Yet, even 30. II il fairly
certain that foreign powers were not
very long in ignorance Of the special
secret Of the torpedo.
There Is one thing which has TO be
successfully guarded. That Is the pro-
visions Of a secret treaty. Such q
treaty Is usually In print before the
most alert reporter has nosed out its.
existence. The precautions observed
are mainly those Of employing very
large number OF printers, who each
set up a few lines only. Aver 200
men we're employed in printing our
original secret treaty with Japan.
Undoubtedly Germany takes more
pains TO preserve her military secrets
than does any other great power and
Is more successful In doing so. About
three years ago an American manu-
facturer OF gun cartridges was re-
Quested to give an expert opinion
upon a certain cartridge.making ma
chine which the German government
thought of purchasing. Accustomed
to the comparatively free and easy
methods Of British and American navy
yards and arsenals, he was much
amazed at being met at the gate by a
strong guard.
He was then blindfolded and led
through various passages TO a little
room where the machine stood. The
guard never left him. and before he
went away he was again blindfolded
and let out by hand.
Such precautions are almost I'm.
known In other countries.
We have all heard Of the great Lord
Dundonalds famous secret war plan,
which, at the time OF the Crimean
war, would. It was said. annihilate
Kronstadt and Sevastopol in four
hours, but which was condemned by
a committee as ''inhuman though In.
iallible."
Quite recently an Australian has
made q remarkable invention, evident
ly of a similar nature to that Of Lord
Dundonald's. for a competent expert
has said that Il would turn.the balance
/ In a war between two powers OF edual
strength Seldom, II ever, have such
precautions been used TO preserve se
crecy.
Only four persons--the inventor: the
NaN 1ARDANt oAa wv SsANae
know the details Of the appliance. and
every plan or model was destroyed be
fore the inventor left for London. Be
fore he sailed the most Stringent con
ditions were imposed upon him. HI
was not 10 smoke cigars, drink alec
hol, venture on deck after dark, o
speak TO a stranger, especially lady
That these precautions were not I'm
warranted Is proved by the fact tina
!. no fewer than Ave secret agents o
foreign powers were Swallowed by tn
Sydney police. and that decoy plan
aud sketches placed in private SAT-
were mysteriousiy stolen.
The Australian inventor was met a
Plymouth and taken straight TO Lon
; don and Lord Roberts. We expect q
: hear more Of his invention wheneve
, the next war breaks out