The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-06-08

1t is affirmed that German trade by espionage
Is practically as great menace to the worla as -
Germanys military machine; that lndeed' yer
many's military methods and her economic pehe-
tration" methods are interdependent and that any
peace which seemed to leave German miitarism
powerless would be vain and futile If the German
methods of trade were allowed to continue as at
present. The question Is asked whether trade al
ter the war will be secret service struggle on the
part of all the nations and whether, as Germany
forced all the powers to mobilize for militarism,
she is going to force them also to mobilize Tor trade
warfare. These questions may seem grotesque,
but able men are raising them They point out
that the law of civil CONSUMPTION in Germany mas
made all the business representatives OF the en-
pire potential secret service agents at the disposal
of the military authorities.
The French economist NJ Lucien Deserves, VINO
has made special Investigations In this matter
quotes from secret document OF which ne mas
seen copy, containing instructions 10 Gerfnah
engineers, who are called upon to sink their pro
fessional pride and to devote themselves TO hhulne
trade secrets and to furthering German traue'
which will be readily possible for them under me
guise of their professional mantle.
NJ Deserves has described the results OF a tour
he made of neutral countries for the purpose Oh III
yestigating German secret service metnods oi
trade. Both men and women, ne says are eur
ployed in this way by Germany, mostly young men
PA'-~-O
ton are practically convertible terms. The German
secret service man or woman Is taught the ART Oh
trade development and the German commercial
traveller Is taught the art of espionage. Germany
realizes that the role of commercial traveller is e
hest disguise for secret service man anu that Sc
cret service is the best of all adJuncts to trace
Germany according to NJ Deserves, is inundating
the neutral countries with literature and with
agents. The agents are recognized as by far the
Drir tad ooutC
and even If they are followed by many Others
they are soon forgotten Where the agents follow
one another working with mutual aid, their work
,s practcal and profitable They perform not mere
Nv q common task they work out propaganda.
"The Germans" he continues shave been sys
tematcally giving Burroughs from the army to their
mobjlized men who had been commercial travellers
In foreign countries These men are authorized to
visit their former customers, but they are espe
cialy engaged to work with zeal and adroitness
and TO produce practical results. Special rewards
are reserved for those who are able to practice es
nionage for the benefit of Germany The agent
has a double or rather triple, part to play. He Is
openly placing his countrys products, he is cele-
bratng his countrys glory and secretly he is gain
ing information regarding Germanys neighbors
and her enemies Such work is regarded worth
n reward and the reward Is paid. In neutral
country was struck by the large number of these
German commercial agents who are young, despite
the fact that the country, being at war needs
Young men But the fact is that they can serve
their country on this front just as well on the
battle fronts They are industrious, insinuating,
tenacious The promises they make, in the name
Of the great commercial firms of Germany, are
kent They go and come as in time of peace They
have their own hotels restaurants, cafes, meeting
places They are serviceable and they push their
eagerness to be agreeable to the point of servility
While they do not succeed in making themselves
popular they impose themselves on the business
men because they can quickly obtain from Ger
many what merchants have patiently but vainly
sought elsewhere"
M. Deserves urges that the allies put more com
mercal travellers in the field to offset the German
trade campaign methods, but he declares that the
French business agent undoubtedly like the bust
ness agents of Frances allies, 'has an insurmount-
able repugnance for espionage, no matter what the
reward might be-.
NJ Charles Humbert, proprietor of lie Journal
of Paris and other public men of France declare
TINT in order for the world to be safe for democ-
racy Germany must not merely be beaten in the
field but her whole system Of militarist govern
ment. with the country's trade development sub