Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1911-06-07

eO'ernnent repudiates his activity
ana IL he Is sentenced TO a term of
imprisonment he receives NO support
or aid from his government.
WITHIN the last few months two
British officers. Captain Brandon and
captain Trench. have been arrested
ana tried and imprisoned in Germany
Tor gathering military information in
that country which might be valuable
10 Great Britain in case of hostilities
German officer. Lieutenant Helm
was arrested in England for sketching
and photographing British fortified.
uons. In the Philippines two Japan
csc officers We're arrested while at.
tempting to bride a private to furnish
them with photographs OF the FORTH
cations OF Corregidor, Manila bay.
these incidents are only indications
Oh general system OF secret military
espionage which is in progress in all
parts OF the world. Although they Will
not ohicially admit it, practically
every government has a secret service
OF army and navy officers whose duty
is TO travel in foreign countries to
gather Information which might be
useful in time of war. Because of the
shortage of officers the United States
mas only engaged in this practice in
time of actual hostilities.
Military espionage is. OF course a
delicate subject and it would he u
gross violation OF international pro
prlety Tor any government to admit
'hat IL had secret agents spying on its
nelghbors. However, IL is we'll
known fact that this system exists.
Not long ago officers OF the war de
partment had an experience which is
sui mystery. One of the most i'm
portant secrets of the army in recent
years has been the details of the forti-
hcations OF the Island of Corregidor.
which is situated at the mouth of Ma
Mia bay. A British subject in the
city of Calcutta found on the streets
OF that city a small packet of blue
prints containing information of the
defenses of Corregidor. Recognizing
the character of the documents he
turned them over to the American
consul general there, who in turn for
warded them TO the state department
at Washington Finally they found
their way to the war department,
where the blueprints were critically
examined. The officers of the depart
ment We're amazed when they found
that the blueprints contained all the
important details OF the defences OF
Corregidor They were duplicates of
the original plans. the whereabouts OF
which have never been ascertained.
They were on a small scale. evidently
made it'll the idea of carrying them
In pocket. and were very finely and
accurately drawn. On some of the
blueprints were fluctuations giving the
heights OF the guns ,.bove the sea
level, the location of searchlights. fire
control stations and other highly con-
fidential information. The blueprints
were not copied from any drawings
or charts prepared by the United
States. but were evidently made from
careful and painstaking research from
the official and confidential records of
the government.
The maker OF the bIueprints was
never identified Officers of the war
department are confident that the blue.
prints were based upon information
which had been distracted and de.
liberately sold 10 a foreign govern
ment. But the most careful and com.
prehensive investigation which was
made by the department failed TO dis.
close the identity Of the supposed
traitor.
About a year ago two Japanese Off.
IN
OF the Corregidor Notifications by
bribing an enlisted man Of the Ameri-
can army. To the private. who was
In the engineer corps, was offered s25..
600 II he would agree to SUNNY the
officers with the photographs they de.
sired. He agreed to do this and az he
was the official photographer Of the
corps no suspicion was aroused when
he made the photographs. He revealed
his knowledge to the military autbori.
ties in Manila, however. who instruct.
ed him to proceed with the deal. A
trap was laid and the two Japanese
officers were captured when they were
about to receive the photographs from
the private There was no law under
which they could be prosecuted and
they we're released from custody
Since then. however. congress has
passed a law covering such cases.
Early in 1908 the police department
OF New York reported to the war de-
partment that maps and military infor.
nation of confidential character had
been found in trunk belonging to an
American who. the police believed.
had been employed by a foreign gov.
eminent. His arrest had been made
in connection with another offence
and the discovery Of these papers was
accidental