The Washington herald., 1917-07-05
MILITARY LEAK
STIRS PROBE
Advance News on Troop
Movements May Stimu-
late Action.

congressional actlOn looking TO gov
ernmental control of the telegraph
and cable lines was forecasted yes
terday afternoon as a step toward
breaking up the German spy system.
the activities OF which were made SO
apparent in the U-boat attacks on the
American transports bearing the last
contingent of Gen. Pershing's force to
France.
Senator Chamberlain. chairman of
the Military Affairs Committee, and
Congressman Dent, head Of the same
committee in the House, both ex-
pressed themselves in favor of rigid
Investigations into the spy question.
Should those inquiries fail to fix the
leaks. then it was said, action should
be taken to hold up all messages by
telegraph or cable. where there was
ground for suspicion. This could be
| done only by Congressional order. it
was declared
1t was learned that the secret serv-
ice Of the entire governmental machin-
cry was hard at work on the task of
running down spies. not only in the
Navy Department, but in all other
departments where information val
| liable to the enemy could be obtained.
At the same time IT was brought TO
light that the sO-called secret serv-
ice OF the United States is an un-
| weildly institution which really con-
sist of six or more separate agencies.
Secret Service sCiumsy.-
The intimation was further brought
out that this same clumsy system OF
secret service had long been a topic
| of dissensiCn in the Cabinet. The
| trouble centers in the lack of central
| iza;ion. II is asserted. The Treasury
Department has IT'S own forces under
| the Direction Of ". j. Flynn, a fact
| openly known. The Department Of
| Justice also has a bureau of investi-
gators. commanded by Bruce BielaskL
J Then both Secretaries, Lansing and
| Daniels have a separate staff Of con-
| fidential agents who report only to
their immediate chiefs. The Postoffice
and Agricultural Departments are
bo,h understood to have secret serv-
| ice branches.
German submarines came almost TO
the American coast in their defeated
effort to wayIsy and destroy the
American transports filled with troops
for France.
Secretary of the Navy Daniels yes
terday refused to disclose the exact
latitude of the first attack, which took
place, according TO his official state
ment. well this side of the danger
zone" but he did say that the sub
marines had launched their blow
very many miles acress the Atlantic
from the usual submarine area
Every available agency of the gov
ernment was engaged yesterday in a
vast spy hunt to root out the peril
which menaces every American sailor
and soldier crossing the ocean. 1t has
been definitely demonstrated to the
government that information of troop
movements is reaching Germany, and
with that knowledge has come a de-
termination to grant short shrift 10
any spy or traitor discovered in this
country.
Senator Chamberlain yesterday eX-
pressed the view of official Washing
ton when he said:
Would Hang Spies.
1T seems TO me apparent that the
Germans are getting information con-
cerninE our military preparations and
the movements of our forces. l have
no doubt that there are disloyal per-
sons in the departments who are
making it their business to furnish
such information.
1T is a difficult matter to deter
mine what persons are responsible Tor
the leaks to the German government.
II they are found they should be
strung up without waiting for the
formaIity of a trial by jury"
With the Navy, State, Treasury and
Department of Justice cooperating In
the spy hunt, the policy of the gov
ernment yesterday framed itself on
the lines of making an example Of the
WsaA
drum-head cuurt-martial and the eX-
treme penalty, perhaps executed pub
licly, will be the program.
| II was definitely determined yester-
| CoSrrNJrED IN PAGE TWO