Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-01-03
GAINING INFORMATION IN War

w!th localities that Is useful. II often
happens That tho mere presence OF n
uu.t being In the HELD betrays th., fact
mat r"inio-cennnts have come III or
that raw formations are being raised.
inaccurate rs kuuwlclhe Of the enemy
may he, II ;s generally sufficient for
the original crg.H!Idtio Of his army
10 b. known.
AS is seen. a considerable part Of
Intelligence work Is synthetic in char
acte3 ana amounts TO the building I'D
hrst OF possible and then n probable
theory based on macs o. suspicious
tacts which merely amount to side
lights. and established evidence 1t
resembled that OF a detective or the
Trainer Of jig-saw puzzle. No small
clue or seemingly Irrelevant fact can
be neglected. II Is often an appar-
entity useless scrap OF Information that
nts In and forms the final link In q
chain of evidence. a.:
1t is obvious apart from discussion
as to causes and results, however, that
II all this trouble is actually taken TO
Identify individuals whether In con-
hection with places or not, Il must he
considered worth doing. And Il fol-
lows that Il must be worth while to
put every obstacle In the way of the
enemy doing the same. That this view
Is held lis proved by the pains at which
all the combatants in the present war
are TO prevent reference In the press
10 units in the field This rettcence is
not maintained in order to deny to the
general public news which would quite
naturally and rightly be OF absorbing
interest. but in order not to give gratis
TO the enemy information he needs and
TO acquire whlch--if 1t is not presented
to him-he liz forced to spend much
money and trouble.
rs II better to help the nation In its
struggle for existence by an admit
teddy tantalizing retlcence. or to salts
~ the peoples curiosity and natural
anxiety at the risk of endangering ma
tional success In the field? This is
the question. To 1t there can be only
ono answer.
Active Efforts to Deceive.
"A further and natural step beyond
this negative policy of Withholding
from the enemy the knowledge where
OF inducing him to suppose that they
are in localities remote from their
actual situation. This OF course, ap-
pertains to the art OF mystifying, mis-
leading and surprising the enemy.
which Is so valuable part Of the con-
duct of war.
Reports of an intended invasion OF
England may be spread by the enemy
in the hope OF causing a dslocation of
plans Of which full advantage can be
taken. Such course would be only
in accordance with the action OF the
broad rumors that there were large
concentrations Of their troops in the
Black Forest-where there were prac-
tically none-in order to Induce the
French to detain forces in Southern
Alsace.
misleading reports OF this nature are
usually set in circulation by those in
terested and spread either by their
dupes, honest people who are purpose
ly allowed to overhear carefully ar
ranged conversations held for their
benefit; by means Of espions doubles,
or agents in the pay OF both sides;
by common traitors willing to sell their
own nation: or by mem working pa
triotically for their own country who
have an intimate acquaintance with
the enemy nation. AS an example OF
this may be mentioned the presence at
the capital oil a neutral country Of
German officer who was for some
years. stationed in London and has an
intimate knowledge of our naval, mil
itary, political and social life, and has
probably made such deep study Of
national psychology that he would be
we'll equipped to play on our idiosyn-
CRASHES"