Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-01-16

if not better known. to the Span
iards than it was to our own war de-
partment.
A few days before war was declared I
both men went to Cuba. Sobral at
tempted to go TO Spain from Havana,
but he sailed on q Spanish vessel
which was at sea. sitter war was de-
clared and was captured. In his
trunks were found complete sets Of
plans and all his uniforms. He con- !
fidently expected to be shot and was
agreeably surprised when he was
merely incarcerated in Fortress Mon !
roe and released after the war. De la
Casa was never caught and succeed
ed in reaching Spain with the informa-
ton he had acquired.
One man of foreign birth who has
yeoman in our navy just before the
Spanish war, turned spy and commu-
nicated the movements of many ves-
sells and other information to the Span
| ish secret service agents in Montreal.
Some of his messages We're intercepted
| by our secret service. whose powers
at that time were much broader than
they are today.
With little ceremony, a sergeant and
a guard arrested this yeoman upon dis
covery and he was locked in a cell. He
was not American born and the in
formation he conveyed was of little
Importance, but he was so ashamed
that two days after his arrest he
hanged himself
| l made the statement last week that
were war to break out hundreds of ar
rests would take place immediately, In
passing | will merely mention the fact
that similar wholesale arrests took
place at the outbreak of our war with
Spain.
To return to Sobral and De la Casa,
The information they obtained led the
Spanish government to map out
naval campaign of harassment which,
il executed. would have greatly en-
barrassed the United States, and in
view of the scares experienced in most
of the Atlantic coast cities when the
whereabouts of Cervera's fleet was not
known. would have played havoc all
along the seaboard.
! In view of the inadequate defenses
of various harbors, the Spanish gov
eminent decided-and the war depart
ment later obtained the Information
to send war vessels, singly or in pairs,
to a number of ports from Maine to the
Gulf. 1t was not thought that these
vessels could capture cities or estab-
fish bases for an invasion. No such
insane policy was ever contempla ted
by the Spanish government, but the
idea was so to split up the Atlantic
fleet of the United States, in running
to the relief of number of ports that
Spain could transport troops to cuba
before we could land our own men
there,
Clever Secret Service Work.
The plan was a good one and prob
ably would have worked effectively if
it had not been for some clever sec
ret service work on the part of pa
triotic Americans, who, without re-
Enumeration or expectation of glory.
frustrated it. Information placed in
the hands of the government enabled
them to checkmate this move, and vir-
tually resulted in the entire Spanish
fleet being destroyed off Santiago de
Cuba and allowing American troops
to be transported at will, while Spain
was unable to get an additional regi-
ment into Cuba,
In brief, secret service work changed
the entire naval aspect of the war
II was known that the Spanish fleet
under Cervera was at the Cape Verde
islands. Charles r, Flint, of Flint Il
Co, New York. a concern with n
branch in the Cape Verde islands, de-
vised a plain language code by
meals of which his Cape Verde agents
kept him informed of just what sup
= plies were being put on board the
Spanish vessels. just how many men
composed the crews. the number of
officers and guns, the amount of coal
etc.
Within six hours OF the issuance of
orders to the Spanish fleet to sail, MIR.
F1ints agents knew of it and through
. law firm of Washington conveyed
l the information to Secretary of the
5 Navy Long and Admiral Crownin
shield. All the information conveyed
:, to the government through Mr. FLINT
went through the same channel
Sailed Under Sealed Orders.
Cervera's fleet. of course, sailed I'M
a der sealed orders and the cleverest
l work of the secret agents failed to
learn the destination of the vessels.
The best that Mr.. l'lints agents
l. could do was to charter a sea going
: tugboat and follow the smoke OF
5 Cervera's squadron about zoe miles Il
e sea. When the tugboat returned L
II the Cape Verde islands the informa,
e ton was sent to Washington that tn,
g Spanish fleet was steaming due ives
II at 13 knots, From this it was cal
culated that IL they held to thei
: course they would arrive in the vi
e cinity of Martinique on a certain date
IS Under sealed orders. scout cruisers
a were dispatched to Martinique ant
: the Spanish fleet arrived there prac
tically on schedule time
e Meanwhile. through the activities o
II Mr.. Fllnts London agents it wa
r learne that three steamers We're TAX
e ing on coal at Cardiff, Wales, an,
II We're to proceed to an unknown poin
$ off Venezuela. These steamers wer
= the Roth, the Restormel and tn
II buckingham. Preparations for thel
a