The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-07-09
reg State Secrets Whose Revelation Would Cause War and Panic
rate Spy Systems Employed i'm Times of Peace-Intere,
BY JOHN ELFRETH WATKINS.
Washington. .. c.. July 5. 1911.

State secrets. Sh-h!
In Washington they are az thick as
the files that plagued old Pharaoh.
The State Departments secret fund
Us now In g spotlight as result OF
the Day portrait case, inherited from a
past administration. and the probe Of
Jealous House committee has laid
bare the fact that no one. save Presi,
dents themselves, have ever had 4he
right to ask how their premiers have
spent this 100000 annually appropriat-
ed 10 meet Unforeseen emergencies
ana to extend the commercial and
otner interests OF the United States
Upon the statute books has long re-
posed a little paragraph authorizins
the Secretary of State to keep hidden
such expenditures out of this fund las
he may think II advisable not to
specify
So how these thousands are spent.
year after year. is always a state Sc
cret. deep and umbrous. There have
been rumors, back in the past. that
they have been drawn upon to nav
diplomatic spies. for prying into the
plots and plans of our foreign rivals:
also that portions have been circulated
IN foreign ciimes to mold popular
opinion I'm favor OF certain American
policies But who really knows? Only
those several living men who in their
Time. have been intrusted with the
strings Of this mysterious privy purse.
and they will never unseal their lips.
BY so doing they might involve US in
bloody wars with foreign powers
But the employment OF this secret
fund for which the head of the
Cabinet need not account as suggest.
ca is but one OF many state secrets
deeply hidden in the expansive bcsom
of Uncle Sam Every hranch and
department possesses them. and more
or less depends for its success upon
the security with which their seal is
guarded
1t was state secret how our foun-
cations OF government were laid. Like
the British at work upon the Dread
nought. with which they amazed their
foreign rivals, the builders OF our shin
OF state worked behind an unpenetrablc
fence of secrecy. To a man the dele
gates OF the Constitutional Convention
carried It's secrets to their graves.
Cabinet Secrets.
The same screen of secrecy has al
ways hidden the Presidents meetings
with his Official councillors
The proceedings of the Cabinet arc
not onl? secret, but are CONFIDENTIAL"
said former member of that body
sometimes the President announces
them; sometimes he authorizes an.
nouncement By the head OF the depart.
tains But with these exceptions the
seal Of confidence rests or the DELHI
erst'ons OF the Cabinet"
Not even the Presidents secretary
is admitted TO the Cabinet board. and
no record OF Its proceedings liz ever
kept member who will divulge any
OF its secrets. even In memoirs. writ
ten generations later. would be dis
Graced IN the eyes of his fellowmcn
And the veil IS as closely drawn
over the recommendations which the
President is about 10 make in his
nessnEes upon which the stock mar
ket rises or falls, especially in these
days Of trust busting and tariff tink-
ering. Vast are the riches which could
often he earned b. wall street spec
ulator trading upon advance 'ntorma-
ton obtained through 'mesEage
leak"
So message secrets are safeguarded
In this way: one OF the Presidents
trusted messengers bears the manu-
script under seal TO the public printer
who Immediately distributes Il among
the compositors in fragments so small
that no single linotypist could possibly
gain bend or tail Of any paragraphs
Iist Then comes the final assembling
Of type under the eye OF trusted en-
ploye Of long-tried reliability, and the
pressmen who handle the assembled
type must. at the end OF the days
work, account for every sheet OF paper
issued-af;er a careful count--for tho
printing OF each page of the precious
document
The only important message leak of
recent times occurred in Hayes's admin