Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1915-04-30

willing to sacrifice military to
civil advantage, while the fail
ere of Germany's plans today is
because she has surrendered civ
il, (diplomatic) advatange to
what she supposed to be military
superiority"
Now all this by and large reading
between the lines and beyond them,
may only show that Bismark had tho
element of adroitness abnormally de-
veloped, while to his countrymen of
today it seems to be as unknown
quantity as the fourth dimension; that
there may come time when a treaty
of readjustment may look more close
ly into the cause of the war with Dem
mark and revise the status OF Schles-
wig Holstein and the Keil canal.
Treaties are only supposed to cor
rect the mistakes of war, when the
agrees or is defeated.
But it was chiefly to make contri-
button to Bismarkian revival of 1915
that / began this letter, and to offer
it in the nature of an amende, and this
all the more confidently because il is
not only topical but timely.
Twenty-one years ago Il diplomatic
official high in the service of Ger
many, in II conversation, which not
only justified but impellcd its frank
ness disclosed that the Chancelor's
retirement was largely due his in
superable objection to the System
of espionage" which even then had
become odious to other nations, and
burden to the German people.
1t had grown into department.
which the German staff named the Sc
cret service but which Bisn.ark call
cd the Department of Espionage"
and which he insisted was destroying
the efficiency of the diplomatic service
and would ultimately bring ruin to the
empire. This may not have been the
only reason for Bismark's downfall,
but it surely shows that he was a
patriot-and prophet.
There was then as now no spot of
earth too remote for the secret agent.
Wherever road, or bridge, or an
arsenal, or ship, OF fort is build
cd, whether in Belgium, France, or
the Himalayas, but 10! the spy is
there to report on progress, location
and intent.
Take the case of Great Britain's at
titudc Ill the present war. From Kar-
tum to Cairo come reports" by the
, organized "sccret mail" of unrest and
disaffcction in Egypt. From every
quarter of India came sure word Of
revolt. Millions of Mohammedans
were rife for the Jehad; there was
war in Ulster that would be felt in
every camp and colony in the Empire.
Army officers were reslgning, and the
navy paralyzed by dIssentions; there
was no supply of munitions and the
people of England hopclessly divided.
a peace cabinet in Downing Street.
and the whole of England threatened
with labor strike. Such reports
came in by thousands, and what won
der that Berlin concluded that moth
ing" could induce Britain to enter n
war with Germany.
And hence the war, and hence the
impacable hate of every German for
every Engishman the world over, "for
England had deceived them"
How many of these agents we have
IN the United States can only be
guessed at, but from the activity of
their propaganda, it is obvious that
should we by any unhappy chance
he forced into war; there are MANY
thousands whose "active hostility" or
whose cooperation would depend al
together on the side we might take i'm
the conflict
Yours, etc,
HARRY NJ. SMYTHE.