The Hawaiian gazette., 1908-04-14
THE JAPANESE
SPY SYSTEM
advertiser Correspondence. Copyright
1908, by Frederic ]. Haskin.)


system which for thorough organization
and effectiveness is a marvel. Every
few days the newspaper dispatches
give accounts of some new exploit of
the members of this corps. Even if all
of these reports cannot be substantial
ed, their frequency and the wide terri
tory covered would make it seem that
the activities of these spies extend to
the furthermost ends of the earth. One
day they are heard from in some re-
mote province of China, and the next
in far off Chile. American army Of
fcers assert that the system of espion-
age in the Philippines has been so ex-
tensive that the officials in Toxic know
more about the islands than the War
Department in Washington. 1t has
even been stated that agents of the
japanese war office, in the guise of
railroad section laborers or servants in
families residing in the locality, are
stationed at every large railroad bridge
on the Pacific Coast. While this may
be mere rumor, the damage such an
organized force could do to transpor-
tation in the event of hostilities break
ing out, is easy to comprehend.
That the Japanese are not new at
this game was shown by an incident
which OCCURRED recently in China. An
Americana physician attached to one
Of the missionary hospitals located in
an inaccessible province was aroused
late one night by two Japanese men
who requested that he accompany them
to the bedside of a man who was
dangerously IN. The doctor rapidly
donned his clothes and hurried away
with them. The patient proved to be
a Japanese dressed in chinese clothing,
and at first glance the professional
man saw that the sufferer was beyond
recovery. The Japanese requested the
physician to revive the dying man IL
possible, and they Immediately set
about taking long statement from
him. The physician could not under
stand anything that was said, except
the names OF towns, rivers and OF
prominent chinese citizens. The retter-
alton Of these Chinese names, as well
as The anxiety OF the Japanese to sc.
cure a complete statement made lt
plain 10 The American that the doomed
man was spy The remarkable part
% The affair was that the dying Japas
hose had a f0O-grown queue and, when
speaking 20 the doctor or the SER
wants spoke perfect Chinese, The fact
that this man had been spy long
enough % grow a queue Indicates that
rae Japanese secret service Is not a
new branch Of government work,
lNNWmeraNle Incidents have occurred
which show that high-elaSs Japanese
do the most mental work in
order 10 secure Information their gov
cvOment desires, The foreigners have
A tine club in Yokohama to which no
native can belong, During the war
With Russia this place was the rendez- |
CouS Tor business men of various ma
ionalltieS, many Of whom had import |
mt transactions with one or both of |
he belllgerent powers. There was !
naturally a good deal of interesting |
gossip exchanged there, and later II |
was found that none of this had been !
ost on the ears of the japanese author
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 |
we're drafted for service at the front.
As they left for Manchuria, where |
he climate is cold, the manager pres
'nted each of them with a heavy, warm
sweater. Toward the end of the cam
,aign, a servant to whom he was par
icularly attached on account of his
.ptness and reliability served notice
hat he had been summoned to the
rOnt. Therupon the manager purchas-
d particularly fine sweater as a
PRESENT for his favorite. Imagine the
onsternation around the club next
morning when the servant appeared in
he uniform of a Japanese naval officer.
n order to hear what was being said
round the place ne. had worked there
or months in the capacity of a mental.
lie thanked the manager for his kind
less in presenting the nice sweater,
eft his compliments for various club
MEMBERS who had been generous with
Ups, and went down to sea in his ship.
A similar incident happened in Homo
llu. A prominent native lady employ
d good looking young japanese as
servant. He claimed to be a cook,
ut 1t was soon apparent that he had
tile or no experience in that line of
'ork. Although he was a failure as
cook, he seemed so agreeable and
nXious to please that the lady deter
lined to keep him in her employ, and
i've him something to do. One day
lille the lady was in Honolulu she
ad occasion to go into a large Japa-
csc bank. AS she entered one door ]
er servant who did not know she was I
lere, came in from another entrance. I
e was instantly surrounded by the c
lnk officials, who treated him with I
lch fulsome respect and Difference that L
did not take the surprised woman '
ng to understand why her servant E
uld not cook. She was harboring a f
gh class spy under her roof. AS soon i
the make believe servant saw his I
istress, he CURLY dismissed those who
rrounded him and left the bank. Be- :.
g curious to know what the fellows y
iSsion was, the lady did not dismiss -
m Immediately. He seemed anxious -
cultivate the good graces of the ma
res. and it was suspected that he
ght have been commissioned to sound e
al feeling on the prospect of Japa- Il
Sc rule in Hawaii. The fact that he j
rned the conversation to this subject C
my times gave ground for this opin- Sc
An American hemp buyer in the nt
lhppines began to get reports from m
: assistants in various parts of the al
ands, first in one locality and then pc
another. of two japanese candy of
1dlers who acted in a suspicious aC