The Benson signal., 1917-08-11

~ TAl as we'll as war, among
neutralS as well as enemies,
III is rather a reversion to type
hET than step in progress, says
writer in the Philadelphia
Record. Joshua and Solomon employed
spies. The Hebrew peregrinations to
reach the promised land required infor-
nation concerning regions and peoples
to- be invaded. One Caleb was the chief
spy of corps that was sent to learn
of the fertility and the military
strength of the land of Canaan. After
40 days of espionage they reported
that 1t was a land of milk and honey
and fruit, but that the cities were for
tilted and the people were strong, some
OF them being giants.
The Greeks rather prided themselves
on the cleverness of their spies.
The Romans, If we are to take their
own word for 1t, were incapable OF
STOPPING to the baseness Of common
spying or studied treachery Of any sort.
When Abraham Lincoln, president
elect, in his address on WashingtOn's
birthday, 1861, at Independence hall, in
reply to the mayor of Philadelphia,
limited in single clause that he might
not live to be inaugurated, he had been
informed, through John Allen Pinker-
ton, of the plot to take his life at Bal
timOre. He left on an earlier train,
and did not stop at that city. The
United States at that time had MO Sc
cret service organization. But a sys-
tenn for obtaining military informa-
tion in the Southern states was estab-
lished early in the war by General Nc
Clellan, and from this developed the
federal secret service, which was
throughout the war in charge of the
original Pinkerton under the name Of
Maj. e. j. Allen.
Americas Secret Service.
PinkertOn, gaining some reputation
by running down gang of counter
feiters, had been appointed deputy
sheriff of Cook county, Illinois, with
offices in Chicago. He won more fame
by getting the thieves and nearly all
the loot of a 100000 theft from the
safes of the Adams Express company.
In 1852 he established the Pinkerton
National Detective agency. And per-
haps it is only just to say that Pinker-
ton saved Lincoln for the presidency
and thereby saved the Union.
Important figures in the secret serv-
ice work of the Civil war were news
paper reporters, scouts and women.
The newspaper men did not have the
they have in this war. They had to
assume the DISCUSSES and pretenses Of
real spies to get material they were
supposed to get, and then send it un-
inspired and also uncensored. They
were frequently arrested and impris-
oned and took many Of the same risks
that the military spies did. This was
especially true of the early part Of the
war, and the seeding period preced-
ing when they followed the movements
leading to the war and mingled with
legislators at the Southern capitals.
Scouts, who are ordinarily in uniform
and treated as regular prisoners of
war when captured, did much service
under such commanders as Mosby and
Young quite after the manner Of spies,
and they were hanged when caught.
The most notable female spies were
not professional secret service agents,
but were residing in one section and
holding their sympathies with the 9TH
er, and acted primarily through strong
patriotic motives.
Inefficiency During Civil War.
Besides the spy activities at home,
the Confederate states had an impOr-
tant secret service work in Europe.
English sympathy was enlisted on their
side, arrangements were made for
building cruisers at Bordeaux, English
ironworkers were sent to the South.
When the army Of the Potomac, aft
er long delay and preparation, began
it's advance in October, 1861, McClel-
lan's orders had been given in entire
ignorance of the topography of the en-
virons of Edwards Ferry Gall the maps
being inexact), and of the force Of the
enemy in front Of Leesburg. In spite
of the efforts Of Pinkerton, at that
time the secret service organization
was entirely inefficient. Fighting units
thought to be within supporting dis
tance of each other were crushed with
out the knowledge of the intended sup
porters. The South had the advantage
of familiarity with their own country.
There were no airplanes to guide the