Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-03-12
CANADA'S MEASURES AGAINST SPIES
i ia
One OF the Days Best Cartoons.
by FREDERIC !. HAsKI>

~ department Ia Ees no chances WHOM
y is question OF Involving Uncle
SANS neutrality
Conspiracy Accidentally Found
The slightest hint uf ANYTHING ir-
regular Is immediately reported TO tic
! secret AGENT For example a police-
man VINO w&s selling tickets for :,
roiiceman's ball in downtown office
""'IdinE OF an Eastern city accidentally
chmc upon four men seated around !,
table discussing in low voices tn, mans
ana data which were spread out he
Tor" them. II was apparent 20 tho
policeman that his sudden appcarsnro
hAd created q good bit OF constcrna-
'On. Ills suspicious wcr" aroused n.
reported 'hc incident and thc secret
agents were put on tho case The mon
we're Swallowed. and "a plot discovered
which actually had as its Dasig TN,
dest'uciom of the Wcll.nd Canal.
thereby bioCkadluE Canada's whcn,
shipments 10 tho ailics
In Canada, tho government. while
ridiculinE the idea Of spies il secretly
exercising the utmost vigilance IL,
guarding TIA" frontier and keeping a..
eye Oh foreigners. The arrival OF q
south African mine ownor, who goes
ABOUT jottinS down number, I'm "A not,.
/ book is now regarded with suspicion.
as is also the Brazilian bOtanixt Who
inds his choicest specimens in the
proximity Of tho forts. \ s,ric, a.-
count is kept of all :orcicncrs cross!ns
| the boundary, and an Arrangement ha.
been made with the railroads by which
the ticket numbers and destinations OF
tickets sold 10 foreigners are turned
over TO the police.
Strange EIpIosion In Toronto.
Yet IN spite OF this internal espionage
sometimes bafHcd Things continue t"
happen. On the 18th or February. an
explosion occurred In IN. American
club in Toronto. which blew out the
central rotuuda and quickly set Nra 20
The building. The loss sustained was
. 500. 600 Again tho cause was unac-
countablc unless il were tho work OF an
inccndiary, which the club members
suspected. The club had been very
helpful to tho allies through its Or
sanization known as the American
Legion.
ON the same day there Was a mys.
terous explosion IN IA large chemical
company. which had undoubtcdlv hecn
dynamitcd Three sticks OF dynamite
wer" found which had failed TO go OF.
! Ia this instance tho police themselves
suggested the possibility OF a German
spy, but the superintendent OF the plan,
iidiculcd the idea. He explained that
lhc- company manufactured only caus-
tic soda and bleaching powder used IN
dyes. and said that II was much nor"
probable tllat inc dynamite h38 DccN
planted by dissatisfied employees nt
the iron company. which had just com
picted it's work on the building. The
police were rather indignant To have
their first acceptance OF tho German
spy theory rejected. and afterwards
tried to prove that tho company sold
chlorine gas, a byproduct Of their
business. TO the allies.
Frequent Water IInuls.
Immediately after the burning OF
Parliament House. when the spy ayita-
ton was at its height. tho police go,
wind OF a trunk which had been left
by German In lodging house in his
hurry 10 get away. Upon investigation
| they were somewhat disappointed to
| learn that ii had been left three wears
before because tho man had been un-
able to pay his bill. Just a few DAYS
ago, however, he had sent "a draft Gov
cring the amount owed and had asked
! that his trunk be sont to him This
| put new complexion on tho matter.
' The trunk was no doubt filled with
important papers the man would
not have been so anxious TO reclaim
! ii. In great excitement the police
| broke the lock and threw open the lid
| OF the trunk. The important papers
| turned out to he only some ancient
| love letters written in German and
some very old clothes.
! With such disappointmcnts several
| times week. it is no wonder that the
! authorities sec nothing but spontaneous
| combustion in the mysterious fire o.
cnrrcnccs and ridculc tho idea Of
| spies and German invasions.