Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-26
THE SPY IN TINE OF PEACE.
How the British Government Deals
With Him.
From the London Telegraph

From the London Telegraph.
The spy in romance is common enough.
but in real life he would seem to be
rare. If all who spy are discovered. 1t
Is popular belief-and to certain eX-
tent 1t is. true, for the expenditure or
secret service of all nations is one of
those items of national finance as to
which there are no details-that every
state has its spies scattered broadcast.
sometimes the spy is a subject of the
| state under whose protection he lives.
and is engaged in supplying information
to foreigner: more often, happily, he
is foreigner risking his liberty for good
pay In order to send home to his gov
eminent sketches and plans and copies
OF official documents. and of plans of
Notifications. secured in some round
about way. Doubtless he mas his uses
in the supply of information which can
not easily be obtained straightforwardly,
and most countries. while seeking to
obliterate him on the one hand, per-
petuate his existence by employing him
on the other.
England has her secret service fund.-
and occasionally questions are asked in
parliament and answered in the best
ministerial manner of reticence. Eng
land also, doubtless. suffers sometimes
from the presence of spies. and it is in
teresting to draw attention to the law
under which they can be dealt with in
the event Of their being discovered.
In 1878 the matter of the punishment
of spies was brought prominently to pub
lie notice by a copyist in the foreign
office supplying to a newspaper the con-
tents Of a diplomatic document of the
greatest Importance at the time He
could not be punished. 1t is true that
he was taken to Bow street police court,
but the sitting magistrate. Mr.. Vaughan
discharged him because he had commit
ted no offense known to the law. Such
was the law Of the land until 1889. when
an act to prevent the disclosure OF official
documents information, known as the
official secrets act, was passed. Under
this act q person commits misdemeanor
and on conviction is liable to imprison-
ment, with or without hard labor. for a
term not exceeding one year, or to a fine,
or to both Imprisonment and a fine, II
he does any of the following things:
1. Enters government fortress. arsenal,
factory. dockyard, camp, ship or office
to obtain information wrongfully.
2. Obtains any document, sketch, pho
tograph, plan model or knowledge OF
tain, or takes without authority any
3. Takes or attempts to take any
sketch or plan or photograph of fort
ress. arsenal. factory. dockyard or camp
4. Communicates the contents of doc
uments or plans to any person to whom
the same ought not, in the interest Of
the state, to be communicated.
The punishment is increased in severity
where the intention to communicate the
forbidden Information or plan or sketch
to a foreign state Is proved. In that
case the sentence may be as high as
penal servitude for life. Breaches of
official trust by persons holding appoint
ments are similarly punished. the severe
sentence being administered if there is
an intention to supply information to a
foreign state, and the milder punishment
If that intention is not proved.
The consent of the attorney general
has to be given for prosecution for
an offense under this act. 1t follows.
therefore, that in peace time ample
means exist to deal with a foreigner
caught at the work of spying. and the
intention to supply this information to
g. foreign state would scarcely be diff
cult of proof In war time the spy is
more vigorously dealt with. His punish
ment If caught is death. Suspicion Is
often considered ample proof. A sus-
pected man may consider himself fortu-
nate If he is not hanged first and tried
afterWard.