Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-27

II Is popularity supposed That AntOr-
witch is spy; but the authori-
- ties say that no discriminating -
papers have been discovered" a
the most significant sentence in a " "a
cable despatch to news service not ~
long ago from Singapore, Straits
Settlements. But it typical Is
statement that seeing it in the des- Ii <YE3
patch seemed to brand the man YES
spy Perhaps he wasn't Russian, u ~
the name he gave-Vladimir Antor- /.
vitch-suggested; but that he was s Z
a spy the fact that discriminating 81
papers in his possession APP /.
parently proved.
That is always the with the ::
real spy,-no evidence him. y
usually no nationality, and, if he is
in a tight place, no Government to u
plead for him. Paris asking a -
couple of years ago. Who is Ellis?
But one answered, and Ellis has
not been heard of since, probably
having been sent across the frontier.
Edward Smythe Gordon ar
rested not long afterward charged
with making plans OF French
fortress for the British Intelligence
Office. He cool one. his pres
ence having been noted in the peri
meter of the Lorent Notifications and himself de-
fined suspicious person He went to Qulberon,
then to Belle Isle, where, thinking the detectives
had left his trail. he began making water color
sketch of the Gros-Rucher battery.
The French soldiers pounced on him from behind
Gordon in custody, they found water color sketch
of the fort in a cleft between two rocks
Il put it there that the wind wouldn't blow 1T
away" observed Gordon.
When the officers josted him, pencil sketch fell
to the ground which showed the exterior of the fort.
1t sketch to help his water color, he said. II
English tourist, he continued 8 like to do
water colors.
Water colors fortresses?' they accused him.
The fort picturesque he protested Being
a retired English army officer, thought it interest
ing to include the fort in my sketch, which, you see
is marine view
Audaciously he furnished London address,
toned his rank of Colonel his former command, and
all the personal questions the resourceful French
could think of were answered with superficial
frankness
The English authorities did nothing Gordon
manned in prison, explaining that there could have
been no harm in what he did, tor ne was arrested
before for similar offense-and let goi
month elapsed 1t had been found that Edward
Smythe Gordon had been arrested two years before
for making water color Sketches which, be it noted
are not plans. The French that England
would appear behind the should he be given
trial The British did not stir. The French held
him in secret so that what evidence they had
should not leak out. The British did not stir
Then from the Embassy of Great Britain it
asked when the man Gordon would up for
trial Only that; but it made the French show their
hand, which woefully lacking in good cards
The evidence was too shadowy to bring Edward
Smythe Gordon to trial, and SO he put &
Channel boat.
But how much information concerning French
military positions he who styled himself Edward
Smythe Gordon gained, only the British Intelligence
Office knows.
That little game going all the time, not only
in army and navy circles, but in the realms of dipo
matte politics. | assured that at Washington
the American State Department sometimes knows
the contents of dispatches to foreign Governments
by their representatives before the Foreign Score
taries abroad receive them
Few Governments acknowledge that their postal
service supports Black Cabinet. In France it is
abolished institution. but still the opening of
private mail is occasionally reSorted to. Neither
Germany. Italy. nor Austria admits the existence of