Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-07-06
ENEMY PLOITERS
. THWARTED|
OF THEIR SCHEMES
Records of Activities s. if.
Known, Would Startle &
People.
CLOSER COOPERATION
WITH ALLIES NECESSARY
Secret Service of u. S. Confronted
With Problem of Discour-
aging Magnitude.
RECEIVERS FROM FIRST sHocE
Frequent Discharges OF Suspected In.
divfduals From Public
Service. ssS.
RECEIVERS FROM FIRST sHocR
Try Associated Pres,1

Ry Associated Press.1
WASHINGTON. July 5-More COM
plete and efficient cooperation Of fra
United States Secret Service agent.
with those OF the European allies n
recognized as the great problem thaS.
must be met in stamping out tho spv
evil. 10
While It was stated today that on.r.
atiVes of the State, War. Navy and JUS
tice Departments. are cooperating
with good results in running down ac.
tive alien enemies, 1t was strongly In.
dicated that much remained to be ac.
compiished In relationships with the
services Of foreign countries is
Representatives of the allies already
are In this country. it is understood,
and are working to bring about tho
desired cooperative action.
This work, for obvious reasons. confa
not even be considered seriously be-
fore the United States entered the,war
and the working out OF the ramifcasi
ttons OF cooperation scheme REQUIRE
unusual discussion as we'll as time
for setting the actual machinery In
motion.
The Secret Service of the United
states was confronted at the entrance
of America into the war, with pro.
gram Of discourasing magnitude. The
machinery of the departments, built
up almost entirely for the handling
OF domestic problems. was suddenly re-
quired to shoulder the immense burden
OF coping with thousands OF pIotters
and spies. The recovery of the system
from the first shock, officials declare,
was excellent. Visiting missions have
expressed surprise and admiration at
the progress made.
ATTACKS ON TRANSPORTS s.s
RESULT OF WORK OF SPIES
Many schemes set on foot by enemy
plotters have been thwarted, and IL ii
said that the archives of the DEPART
ments contain records Of activities
which would. II made known, be Of
startling nature. That the attacks upon
American transports were the result
OF the work OF spies is accepted Een-
orally In Washington without surprise,
The sailing of transports. although not
mentioned by tho newspapers, was
known TO a large number of persons.
who witnessed the transfer OF troops
from points in the United States and
their departure.
The case of transmission of infor-
nation to the enemy Is apparent in
the fact that commercial messages to
the neutral nations have suffered little
curtailment from Federal supervision.
An innocentlookinG cable to Dutch
merchant might easily carry news OF
invaluable Importance to the Germans.
Officials are inclined to discount the
cries OF spies working in the govern
ment departments. Information Of di-A
rect value Is known to only few trust
ed officials. Suspected individuals have
been subjected to strict surveillanco,
and discharges from public service
among this class have been frequent
It was pointed out that even with
the strlctest censorship OF malls, ca
bles and press, the European allies havo
not been able to meet the situation to
their complete satisfaction. The prob
lem is Of far greater magnitude in this
country, with thousands Of aliens, Its
immense border, and countless possible
means of outside communication.
NO LONGER REQUIRE DISPATCHES
TO BE SENT TO WASHINGTON
The War Department announced to-
night that 1t would no longer require
press cables from France to be for
This precaution was established day
before yesterday. and was announced
as a temporary eSpedient pending the
organization Of General Pershing's
headquarters with adequate censorship
facilities for messages before trans-
mission. The committee on informa-
tion announced. however. that the
newspapers will be expected to observe
the following:
Information tending directly or in-
directly to disclose the number or tden-
tity Of troops in the eSpeditionary force
should not be printed.
'Only names of stan officers may be
used. Names Of line officers. also ref
erences to individual units should not
be printed.
Information calculated to disclose
location Of permanent base should nots
be printed.
Information designed to betsay the
eventual position of American foecoe
IN the hrfns line should not be priuteds
"Ali reference to returning trauS
ports should be suppressed"