The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-05-09
the MILITARY spy
He Is an important Factor In the
Modern Game OF War.
WATCHES FOREIGN NATIONS.

Once In awhile an army or navy Off.
Ger is arrested for spying or attempt
ing to obtain military secrets from
foreign government Practically every
government, including the United
States, has law which makes this a
crime. Usually there Is more or less
secrecy about the officers arrest and
trial. His government repudiates his
activity. and IL he Is sentenced to a
term of Imprisonment he receives no
support or aid from his government.
Although they will not officially ad.
NIT It, practically every government
has q secret service of army and navy
officers whose only duty is to travel
in foreign countries to gather informa.
ton which might be useful in time Of
war Because of the shortage of of.
ficers the United States has only en-
gagged in this practice in time Of &C.
tual hostlities.
Military espionage Is, OF course, q
delicate subject and It would be
gross violation of international pro.
priety for any government to admit
that it had secret agents spying on Its
neighbors. However, 1t is a well known
fact that this system exists.
In 1907 an American ambassador at
foreign capital reported TO the state
department that an army officer of the
country to which he was accredited
had been detailed to visit the American
countries secretly to ascertain the
strength of their forces. His mission
was tbwarted. however. by the infor-
nation furnished by the ambassador.
The military authorities of every
first class power are constantly pre-
pairing for war. Naturally they are
anxious TO know what their neighbors
are accomplishing in military science.
Here develops the function of the mod.
ern military spy. Fiction writer's clothe
the spy with veil of mystery and
a supernatural cleverness which en-.
ables him to get out of all dangerous
pitfalls into which he falls. But the
real flesh and blood spy is different
person. In these days of modern and
scientific warfare the spy has become
technical expert who must be thor
oughly versed in every branch of his
art He must be tactful and above all
close mouthed.
The procedure in sending out spy
is something like this If the German
government wishes information which
1t cannot get In the regular channels
of Information some officer is sent for.
/ He is summoned to the war office to
rooa;ya b;c r,,ctions In tho caSa nf
confidential work abroad he receives
oral orders. so that he will not have
any documentary evidence on his per
son to disclose his identity in case he
gets into trouble. Having received his
instructions he starts out, sometimes
$ so secretly that even his family do not
/ know where he is going. Usually he
S speaks the language Of the country to
$ which he is bound. His real identity
for the time being is forgotten, and he
travels under an assumed name. II
necessary he uses a disguise to cover
l. bis movements If he is a good spy he
/ returns with the desired information,
d and no questions in regard to the
t methods he employed are asked. II he
t is captured while engaged in his work
j. he is punished for attempting to OBJ
!. tain the military secrets of a foreign
government, and his own country leti
him severely alone.
The cipher code books by means Of
which diplomatic correspondence Is
carried on are often sought after by
these secret agents. Several years agt
the code book of the American lega
ton at Bucharest disappeared" Its
loss was reported to Secretary of State
Eihu Root by telegraph. Mr.. Roo
sent for the chief clerk of the depart
y ment.
"Mr. Smith," said the secretary, 9Th
code book at Bucharest has been lost
! believe II is about time for us t.
have a new code for our diplomat
correspondence"
e Some months later the missing boo
|. was offered for sale to the JapaIes
ambassador at St Petersburg, VIII
purchased it for a small sum and a
;. an act of comfy turned it over to tn
American ambassador there,
d A young man several years ago ar
s. peared at the American embassy Il
n Berlin and offered to sell to the am
d bassador copy of the state depar,
ment's code book which he said he ha
In his possession. He left severa
specimen pages to prove that his boo
was genuine. A comparison with tn
embassy's code book proved that b
had the real code, but where he ha
!. obtained 1t was mystery. The an
;. bassador knew that new code was |
course of preparation and woul
y shortly be distributed by the depar
" ment The offer was politely decline
y. on the ground that the embassy had
rode book of its own and did not nee
hnother.-New York Sun.