Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1915-04-20
THE INVISIBLE ARMY.

Melville Davisson Post the great
crIminologist, in the Saturday Even
ing Post gives some startling figures
as to the extent and operation of the
German secret or spy service lie says
that before the declaration of war in
August the German military COM
mandors knew every foot Of ground
in France as familiarly as if they had
lived there for years They knew ev-
cry fortified town and the sites for
the attacking batteries were marked
on the maps. SO thoroughly. had the
spies done their work that the roads
to Paris were marked, the streets
down which the regiments were to
march once they entered Paris were
marked the places where the soldiers
were to eat were set out. The dimen-
sions Of every bridge were given with
the detail Of an engineer
In other words, Mr. Post declared
that the battles in the invasion OF
France wero fought before a German
soldier had crossed the Rhine. And
when it comes to the figures, he de-
claros there were more than forty
thousand German sercet service men
in northern France and Belgium, to
say nothing Of the thousands in Eng
land Italy Serbia, the Balkan states
and Turkey. He says that these
agents posed as merchants, travelling
men, serving men and women and
were supported at the cost of the gov
ornmcnt lie instances the case of the
spy shot in England who for thirteen
years had conducted an exclusive hair
dressing shop in London and another
spy claiming to he the representative
of a steamship company and who had
an American passport.
Bismarck is the man who developed
the spy system. Prior to the Franco
Prussran war it was an insignificant
department ~ the government, devot-
ing It's energies principally to political
affairs but in the great conflict Of
1901 It's scope and energies we're
broadcned so that every avenue OF hu-
man activity was included Its mom-
bers were required to report on COM
mcrcial conditions, on farming cordl-
tions, on the habits and customs OF the
people, on the character and affilia-
tlons Of the officials Of the countries
to which they were accredited. Moth
ing was too small or too insignificant
for their attention.
Perhaps the most remarkable state
mont is that nobody knows who is the
actual head OF this vast system which
covers every portion Of the habitable
globe Not even the members OF the
service know who is their chief They
receive their orders in code in every
conceivable way and report TO mys-
bNiANhN sAhl 'Hn III perm NI SOME
whore else. with all Of their wit and
ingenuity there Is not a single foreign
government which can point with ac-
curacy TO the identity Of the individual
who directs that wonderful piece Of
human machinery which has done so
much TO advance the interests Of Ger
many all over Europe and America.
Where tho money comes from Is
known. but the expenses Of the depart
ment are never included in any OF the
official budgets. There is not a living
human being outside OF the head Of
the service who can guess even re-
motoly what the cost Of operation is.
Taken an In all Il ls perhaps the high
est tribute TO the Germans passionate
desire for thorough organization and
systematic attention TO detail that such
combination could have been organ
lied and live for a quarter OF a cen
tury without attracting more than the
passing attention OF other govern