Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-04
SYSTEM OF SPYING
IN THE BIC CITIES
Intelligence Officers" of For
eign Governments Seek
Secret Information.
WASHINGTON No EXCEPTION

, Washington is honeycombed with
nests of spies. and so are the cities or
New York. Boston, Philadelphia, Balti-
mere, Norfolk. New Orleans. Galveston.
San Francisco and other seaports &C
cording to remarks made last night to
q reporter for The Star by Intelligence
officers of various nations stationed
here. During the last forty-eight hours
all sorts of attempts have been made to
ascertain, for the benefit of the Euro
pean nations at war, what course the
United States would be most likely to
pursue with respect to the German cri-
sis. and one intelligence officer con-
nected with the allied governments said
today that number of Germans who
have been making their headquarters
in New York had just come to Wash
ington.
The order issued yesterday closing
the navy yards of the country to Wis
itors, and the order issued Friday abol-
ishing the system of making pubic the
movements of United States naval YES
sells, are believed to be in keeping with
the realization by the United States
government that this is suitable time
to refrain from allowing. technical and
military information to get into hands
System of Espionage.
There has been a rather complete
system of espionage in Washington
since the European war began. Here
tofore intelligence officers of the vari-
Gus European governments have been
more occupied in ascertaining the
moves of each other than in ascertain
ing moves of the United States govern
ment. But, it is believed now that
some of this expert attention has been
turned upon Washington activities, al
though, as one of the officers alluded to
put it, yesterday:
Whats the use? Any possible OPP
ponent of the United States knows all
about this countrys affairs that is de-
sired to be known, anyhow
This remark recalls the fact that
there has been very little secrecy
about United States military affairs in
years gone by, owing to the system OF
public hearings and the system OF
making public the information in re-
gard to hearings on military affairs
before congressional committees which
has been in vogue in the United States.
Several years ago when Maj. Gen w.
W. Wotherspoon, U. S. A, retired. was
chief of the War College, a Japanese
prince visited the United States and
was shown through the War College.
Just before his arrival Gen. Wother-
spoon was showing friend through
the building and pointing out some OF
the systems in use, which, he said, he
proposed showing the prince. Gen.
Wotherspoon's friend expressed sur
prise that such entirely complete cour-
tesies should be placed at the disposal
of the distinguished visitor. Gen.
Wotherspoon replied.
"Oh, well; the prince will know all
about this anyhow. before he gets
here. The Japanese have pretty good
intelligence SyStem'
Queer Happenings in Washington.
Queer things, however. have been
happening in Washington the past
forty-eight hours. Splendid looking
limousines of a character not used by
ordinary messengers have been seen
standing in mum ers before the doors of
European embassies as early as S
O'Clock in the morning, when the ordi-
nary worker in Washington has hard
1y turned over for his last nap. Queer
things also have been happening in
connection with the use of the long
under the notice of observing persons
who have readily understood that the
intelligence officers of various nations
could give an explanation of them IL
they wanted to do So 1t is proper to
add. perhaps, that such explanations
might be forthcoming from the depart
ment of investigation of the Depart
ment of Justice of the United States,
too.
The British intelligence system is be-
lieved to be the finest thing of its kind
ever put into operation in the world.
It is known to be in charge of Capt
Guy Gaunt. r. n, the youngest captain
in the British navy, an Australian. who
is as much at home in the country
houses of Long Island as he is in
Washington. Capt Gaunt is described
~ h. yv,T h f1a daa1 of
the romantic type of modern intelli-
gence officer. man of indonlitable en-
ergy. to whom could possibly be APP
piled the old-fashioned detective phrase,
He never sleeps.
Great Britain is watching out for the
intelligence system for the allies on
the eastern coast of the United States
and Japan is watching out on the west
ern coast.
How the System Works.
An interesting story was told yester-
day of how the espionage system works
out. When Admiral Won Hintze, who
was German minister to Mexico. was
transferred to China recently, he came
to the United States-just as the war
was breaking He found himself in a
difficulty. He could not get to Ger
many, and apparently not to China, as
a German He disguised himself and
took ship for Yokohama, under another
name. He little knew that in the in
telligence department of the Japanese
admiralty was his photograph, which
preceded him to the far east by three
weeks, and that on the same ship with
him, also disguised, was a japanese in
telligence officer, detailed to follow and
point him out. On the arrival, however
of the diplomat at Yokohama, the Jap
aneSe government decided to take a
broad view of the situation. and rather
than take him from ship flying a neu-
trail flag allowed him to proceed to
photograph.
There is now a new officer in charge
of the German intelligence system in
the United States. He makes his head
quarters in the office of a big German
steamship company, a fact well known
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS