South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-02-07


means of furthering a detestable
cause. and people have made the
present kaiser's government respon-
sible for it. In reality, il is not so
"a all.
Baron Won IIOlstein.
The intelligence department.
which is such a formidable weapon
in the hands of the INSCRIPTIONS
beings who are the masters of Ger
many at the present moment, is a
creation of Prince Won Bismarck
and the man who invented it and
brought il to its present state of
perfection was Baron Won Holstein,
the ex-"Grey Eminence." to give
him the name he went by in Berlin
in the days Of the great chancellor.
II is he who conceived the first idea
of adding 10 the German foreign Of
flee a bureau d'espionnage," as he
called it himself, using I do not
know why. the French expression.
whenever he referred TO il.
Won Holstein was a genius in
some ways, and one of the most eX-
traordinary men that ever lived. He
had one great am bition. which CON
sisted in knowing everything about
everybody and in ruling everybody
through fear of the disclosures
which he could make, were he at
any time tempted TO do so. He was
absolutely Indifferent to high posi-
ton, tiles. decorations or money.
His tastes were OF the simplest, his
wants but few. He could appreciate
good dinner. but he could be con-
tent with a dry crust and never feel
in the least unhappy about il. Dur
ing the long years he worked at the
side Of the chancellor he proved a
most admirable helpmate, and his
administration Of the special depart
ment in the foreign office. of which
he became the head. was perfect.
But when Bismarck, at whose side
he had remained for something like
% years, was dismissed in the way
we know, Won Holstein did not show
him the slightest sympathy. parted
from him as cOldly as he did every
thing else in r. life and continued
his own spec a work in which he
was engaged with the equanimity
that had never deserted him at any
time of his existence.
Later on, however, he could not
get on with Bismarck's successors,
in whom he did not find the appre-
citation OF his services to which he
considered that he was entitled. and
at last he was compelled to retire
from active service. and died a few
years afterward the possessor of
FAR more political secrets than any
living man in his time could boast
of having learned Bismarck held
Holstein in high esteem. and when
FOR the establishment of almost uni
versal spying, Bismarck grasped i'm
mediately the advantages he could
obtain from il: but even he did not
realize how powerful such an or
ganization could become
The spy System.
Holstein recruited his spies from
every class of society-men and
women. rich and poor, high and
I low. No matter what the social
condition or the material resource
of the people whom he took in
hand. he compelled them TO execute
/ his orders. which for the most part.
consisted in the obligation TO bring
to him certain knowledge which he
required. His hrst care, whenever
any individual capable at a given
minute Of playing a part, no matter
how humble, in the great drama of
/ existence. attracted his attention.
was 10 ferret out all that could be
learned concerning him. With but
/ few exceptions he contrived TO lay
| his finger on a hidden secret. Once
/ this preliminary step had been done
+ 10 his satisfaction, the rest was easy.
/ The unfortunate victim was given
4 TO understand that ne would be
shamed in public at any time. un-
I less-well. this must be left TO the
intelligence OF the reader TO under
stand.
Thanks 10 this simple system Of.
\ let US call II intimidation, the secret
! service which proved so useful 10
/ Bismarck and 10 all his successors
was instituted with much trouble
but with magnificent results. II
very soon extended 10 the whole
world which was subjected 10 an
inquisiton that left il absolutely no
lOOphole Of escape. After the
+ Franco-German war o. 1870. Hol-
stein was for some years secretary
10 the embassy in Paris, where he
worked at the installation OF the
different branches of his service
with such secrecy that neither
Count Arnim nor Prince Hohenlohs
ever suspected his occupation. Later
on he obtained the entire and sole
control Of the secret service in Der
lin. and became so jealous OF his
work that II was only after his
death one discovered how very near
perfection he had brought it. The