The Harrison times., 1916-09-30
Many Foreign Agents Are Now
Active in the United
States.
COULD Be QUICKLY STOPPED
Declaration of War Would Cause In
slant Arrest of Scores-Work OF
Chief FIynn's Bureau Not Spec
tacular, But is Wonderful
Iy Efficient.

New 1Ork.-A rev Gays ago lle loI-
lowing dispatch was printed in the
New York newspapers, showing that
our navy is awake to the possibilities
of agents on shore cooperating with
a hostile fleet attacking us:
"a highly important development In
the war game was announced by Rear
Admiral Benson, chief of naval opera
tlons, who said that spies working for
the invaders had set fire to all the
coal piers at Norfolk.
"lhis means that theoretically this
important base Of supplies was LEFT
unguarded and could have been de-
strOyed. The navy yards are all part
of the great war game, and the INST
blow against the protection Of the
coast occurred at Norfolk. Word i'm
mediately went forward to arrange
for cOaling ships of the defending fleet
in the vicinity of Norfolk by other
emergency means. How this will be
done has not yet been reported"
For the first time in the war ma
neuverS of the navy account has been
taken of the possibility of hostile spies
working in our navy yards and coal
pockets. Rear Admiral Benson has
put his finger on the spot which has
long been declared weak by secret
service men and certain members OF
congress who have been endeavOring
to procure an increased appropriation
for a secret service which more close
ly apprOXimates the intelligence de-
partment of European and Asiatic ma
tiOns, says the New York Herald.
Many Spies in United States.
Just how realistic are the cOndi-
tions hypothesized by Rear Admiral
Benson in the recent war game is
shown by the statement of man high
in the United States secret service
that there are scores of known foreign
spies in the United States.
If war should be declared on the
United states today by any one Of
four European or one Asiatic power,
the telegraph instruments in the office
of the secret service, Washington,
would click out message that
would cause the arrest of more than
one hundred men and women known
to be working in the interest Of for
eign governments.
The work of the secret service is not
spectacular. Few realize to what ex-
tent it is being carried on. Occasion
ally Chief Flynn's men make a SEN
sational raid on q band of counter
feiters, and for a few days the secret
service is talked about. Many persons
believe that running down counterfeit
ers is the sole activity Of Chief Flynn's
bureau They do not know that his
operatives-men known only to him,
and not even to one another-are con-
stantly watching clandestine enemies
In the very heart of our government.
The investigation bureau of the de-
partment of justice, under A. Bruce
Bielaski, once in q while attracts at
tention because Of the exposure of In
ternal revenue frauds, but thousands
of readers are unaware that Mr.. Biel-
asks men have under surveillance
scores Of spiOs whom they allow to
go their way within rircumscribed
fields In order that they may, 10 n
greater extent, betray the workings of
their system.
Against most of these workers no
charge can be brought which would
justify an arrest. They have not vi
olated any law. The only possible
course open to Uncle Sans secret
watchers is to dog their footsteps and
bar the way If they begin to nose out
important information.