The Washington herald., 1917-07-05
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Great Britain was caught In the grip
Of the SPY hystsria a. soon as war
broke out. The English were aghast.
utterly affrighted. at the legerdemain
which the German intelligence system
performed day by day. They threw
all Germans-and some Britons with
. slight tincture Of German biood-intc
concentration camps. German cooks
governesses. walters and Mattresses
were banished from employment and
herded together. The 'strafing' Of
everything Prussian became national
mania
But the spies were not weeded out.
Doubtless Scotland Yard has limited
their work to a narrow scope, and
sent many an industriously burrow-
ing Teuton agent to the hangman's
moose In London Tower. We know
from the work Of the British secret
service in fighting German intrigants
here how brilliant and effective It is.
But German spies are still operating
In England and sending accurate and
detailed information Of British war
plans to the general staff In Berlin.
Americans must expect no immediate
results from the rigorous spy hunt
that is now in progress in the navy.
The shrill cry Of dismay from Sena-
tor Chamberlain over the revelations
Of the efficacy of German espionage
in Washington may result in a conta-
gious popular hysteria which will be
more prolific Of clamor than of re-
suits. 1t Is no time for highly col.
ored alarmist rhetoric. Nor is It time
for Secretary Of the Navy Daniels &c
fly into rage whenever a publicist
suggests that spies may be found
among Officers of high command in
the fleet; indeed, Mr.. Creers mono.
graph on censorship suggests thai
very thing. We know now from Mr.
Daniels own communique that there
must be a well developed spy system
in the Navy Department. That con.
clusion is inescapsble.
But there is nothing new in this ad-
mission. The really important question
is how the information collected by
spies is disptched to Berlin. The South
/, American cables running to Spain fur.
nish one answer. Alleged high power
German wireless plants along the Gen.
trail and South American coasts fur
nish another. The vicious suggestion
that neutral diplomats in Washington.
of supposedly pro-German leanings
and who have the privilege of cable
code. are sending the data has been
made.
Until this problem is solved the Teu.
ton spy will BATTLE US. We might
drive him out of the government de-
partments, We might bar him from
every avenue of confidential informa-
tion- Even then. he would maintain
a hawk-like scrutiny of our ports and
harbors, our arsenals. navy yards, and
munition factories. our export ship
ments, our cantonments, our troop
movements. Berlin could fill in the
gaps and do the rest. If this informa-
tion were flashed across the Atlantic
without hindrance.
The New York Tribune is now en-
gagged in showing how thousands OF
Germans are employed In the finan-
cial, shipping, and insurance offices OF
New York City; how they are in daily
touch with an immense amount OF
highly valuable war information. Its
remedy is simple; discharge the aliens.
In Washington the problem is more
complex. 1t Is not the spy, but the
traitor, whom Secretary Daniels has
on his hands. And the traitor is sew
eral shades lower in the human scale
than the SPY.
The nests of submarines lying In
wait for the American troop ships far
beyond the war zone show that Berlin
knew the exact shipping lane which
these ships were to take in crossing
to France. And it may be surmised
that the route determined on was far
from the geometrical straight line
that it had many zigzags and looped
far to the south of any recognized area
of U-boat operations. This means that
exact information in degrees of lati.
tude and logitude had been filched
from the Navy Department and for.
warded to the German admiralty.
There is clearly an opportunity
| awaiting the American Secret Service