The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1917-07-11
Of SPIES
ANDPL0TIERS BUSY
Uncle Sans Secret Service Men
Have Information That Would
Startle World.

Washington, July 5.-More COM
plete and efficient cooperation of
United States secret service agents
with those of its European allies is
recognized as the great problem that
must be met in stamping out the spy.
evil.
While it Was stated today that rep
resentativeS Of the State, War, Navy
and Justice departments are cooper
ating with good results in running
down actice alien enemies, it was
strongly indicated that much remand
to be accomplished in cooperation
with the services of foreign ,coun-
tries. ...... o. ..
Representatives of the Allies al
ready are in this country, it is under
stood, and are working to bring
about the desired cooperative action.
This work, for obvious reasons, could
not even be considered seriously be-
fore the United States entered the
war, and the working outof the rami-
ications of a coordination scheme
require unusual discussion as well as
time for setting the actual machinery
in motion. Great precautions are
necessary to prevent enemy agents
from becoming cogniant of the ma
ture of the work or methods of COM
munication. =.
Stupeadous Task.
The secret service of the United
States wan confronted at the en-
trnce of America into the war with
a program of discouraging .magni-
tude. The machinery of the depart
ment, built up almost entirely for
the handling of domestic problems,
was suddenly required to shoulder
the big burden of coping with thou
sands of plotters and spies. The re-
covery of the system from the first
shock, officials declare, was excel
lent. Visiting missions have express
ed surprise and admiration at the
progress made.
Schemes Thwarted.
Many schemes set on foot by ene-
my plotters have been hwarted and,
it is said, that the archives of the de-
partment contain records of activi-
ties, which would, if made known,
be Of startling nature.
That the attacks upon American
transports were the result of the
work of spies is accepted generally
in Washington without surprise. The
sailing of transports, although not
mentioned by the newspapers, was
known to large number of persons,
who witnessed the transfer of troops
from mobilization points in the Unit
ed States to their departure aboard
the ships.
Sending Messages.
The ease of transmission Of infor-
nation to the enemy is apparent in
the fact that commercial messages
to neutral nations have suffered lit
tie curtailments from federal super
vision. An innocent looking cable to
a Dutch merchant might easily carry
news of invaluable Importance to
the Germans.
Officials are inclined to discount
theories of spies working in the gov
ernment departments. Information
of direct value is known to only
few trusted officials. Suspected in
dividuals have been subjected to
strict surveillance and discharges
from public service among this class
have been frequent.
Denials were general today that
work of United States secret service
operatives had caused dissension in
the Cabinet.
Officials, who for obvious reasons
cannot be quoted, declared today if
the governments activities against
German spies in the United States
could be published, the news would