Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1917-12-21
FOR SPIES
IN THE CAPITAL
WORK OF THOSE OFFICIALS WHO
GUARD WASHINGTON HAS
BECOME ONEROUS.
$4,000 WORKERS IN CITY
Navy Yards, Bridges, Army Depots,
Capitol Building and All Other Vital
Points Must Be Protected Against
Enemy Vaccinations.
BY EDWARD q. CLARK.

~ E0WAnO D.TNLAnNs
Washington.-W Washington today is
zone forbidden to the trespassing
feet of the alien enemy.
The capital of the country is the
largest district thus far set aside as
one in which no alien enemy over the
age of fourteen years may loiter or re-
side.
Perhaps the country has no adequate
conception of the trying work it is
for the government officials to guard
this city against the insidious machi-
nations and overt acts of men who
would like to see the United Stares
lose the war in which it is engaged.
and who would stop at no means to
help accomplish such an inglorious
end. 1t must be remembered that not
alone must navy yards and bridges and
army depots and camps be guarded,
but every department of government,
indoors and out, must be sentineled
against the intrusion of the spy and
the dynamiter.
So far as the safety of the country
is concerned, it is largely connected
with the safety of it's diplomatic and
military secrets. Recently 10000 adj
ditional workers have come to Wash
ington to take places in the depart
ments of government. There must be
added the 10000 workers that were
here before, and so now the agents of
Uncle Sam have intrusted to them the
difficult work of detecting in the null
titude the few men or the women who,
masQuerading as friends are doing the
enemy's work.
Money Has Bought Spies.
1t has been proved on several occa-
sions since the United States went to
war with Germany that money has
been used to secure the spying services
of individuals who, because of native
birth or of naturalization, were sup
posed to be loyal to their country
against all temptation. 1t is COM
paratively easy thing for the authori-
ties to watch men and women of Ger
man birth because their naturalization
records tell at once who they are, but
It is another thing for the authorities
to be able to determine among the
thousands of Americans of American
lineage who it is that needs watching.
President Wilson, in one of his adj
dresses to congress, spoke of the dis
covery of enemy agents within the Of
fees of government. The peril is a
real one, but in considerable part it
was met and overcome SO far as resi-
dent WashingtOnians were concerned
prior to the time that the District of
Columbia was declared to be military
zone. but since the first searching and
experimenting process, 10000 additional
persons have come to Washington ana
have secured government work. The
labor of the detection Of disaffected
ones has increased in proportion.
For long time the bridges over the
Potomac river, and certain vital places
in the city itself have been guarded by
members of the National Guard. Many
of the public buildings and offices, how
ever, have been entrusted to the care
of privately employed watchmen. These
men were chosen for the work only
after a rigid investigation.
Vital Places Well Guarded.
It now has been determined that the
vital places in Washington shall be
guarded by men sworn into the service
of the government as members of the
military forces. Such regulars as can
readily be obtained will be used and
with them will be some of the remain
ing National Guardsmen and beyond
this it is probable that members of the
Home Guard organization will be
pressed into the service. The under
standing is that they will be clad in
the blue uniforms of peace days in the
army.
The capitol has been guarded by
civilians in the service of the govern
ment ever since that day two years
ago when a bomb was exploded in the
hallway leading to the senate cham
Der. Entrance to the capitol has been
obtainable only through two doorways,
one at the house end and the other at
the senate end. The main precaution
taken was to see to it that no person
with a package Of any kind was al
lowed within the doors. No attempt
was made to search individuals who
might enter and in way the safe
guarding was rather a perfunctory
thing.
Now things have changed and it is
the intention to station guards in a
pretty closely set picket line about the
great building, in the hall and about
other places which might attract "the
damaging attention" of cranks, spies
or aaen enemies generally.
New War Councils Plans.
In Washington, as perhaps elsewhere
in the country, the question frequently
in this time Of yer is "Are we getting
the results that ;|e should get from the
energy expended?"
Of course coordination is the thing
that is needed and one reason that the
seeming need has not been emphasized
more generally in the press Of the
country unquestionably is that most
Of the reporters of the news in this
offu hauo foarp6 fn 0vorCtop fho Y,rOp.