Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1918-06-21

1t is affirmed that German trade 10y espionage
is practically great Il menace Ia the world as Is
GermanyS military machine: that. indeed ter
many'S military methods and her economic pehe-
traton" methods intrrdependent. and that any
peace which seemed To leave German militari>m
poweriesS would be vain and futile if the German
methods of trade were allowed to continue rs at
present. The question is asked whether trade af-
the will be secret service struggle an the
part of all tbs nations and whether. as Germany
forced all the powers To mobilize for mllltirlsln,
she is going force them also to mobilize for trade
warfare. These questions may seem grotesque.
hut able men are raising them They point out
that the law of civil CONSUMPTION in Germany has
made all the business representatives of the EN-
pre potential secret service agents AT the disposal
of the military authorities.
The French economist NJ Lucien Deserves who
has made special Investigations in this matter,
quotes from a secret document of which he has
seen copy. containing instructions To German
engineers, who are called upon to sink their pro-
fessional pride and to devote themselves to finding
trade secrets and to furthering German trade.
which will be readily possible for tla,m under the
guse of their professional mantle.
NJ Deserves bns described the results of tour
he made of neutral countries for the purpose of in
vestigatng German secret service methods of
trade Both men and women. he says. are en-
poyed in this way by Germany, mostly young men
and women. Secret service and business promo
ton are practically convertible terms. The German
secret service man or woman is taught the art of
trade development and the German commercial
traveller is taught the art of espionage. Germany
realizes that the role of commercial traveller Is the
best disguise for secret service man and that Sc
cret service is the best of all adjunctS TO trade.
Germany, according to NJ. Deserves. is nundating
the neutral countries with literature and with
agents The agents recognized as by far the
most productive. Printed documents are scattered
and. even if they followed by many others,
they are soon forgotten Where the agents follow
one another. working with mutual aid, their work
is practical and profitable They perform not mere
" a common task they work out propaganda.
1.-THE Germans" he continues. have been sys-
tematicay giving Burroughs from the army to their
modified men who had been commercial travellers
in foreign countries. These men are authorized TO
visit their former customers. but they are espe-
cially engaged to work with zeal and adrOitneSs
and to produce practical results Special rewards
are reserved for those who able to practice
ponage for the benefit of Germany. The agent
has u double or rather triple. part TO play. He is
openly placing his country's products. he is cele-
brating his countryS glory and secretly he is gain
ing information regarding Germanys neighbors
and her enemies. Such work Is regarded worth
reward and the reward is paid. In one neutral
country was struck by the large number Of these
German commercial agents who are young, despite
young men. But the fact Is that they serve
their country this front just well the
battle fronts. They are industrious. insinuating.
tenacious. The promises they make, in the name
Of the great commercial firms of Germany. are
kept. They go and come in time of peace. They
have their own hotels, restaurants, cafes meeting
places. They seryiccable and they push their
eagerness To be agreeable to the point of servity
While they do not succeed in making themselves
popular. they impose themselves on the business
men because they quickly obtain from Ger
many what merchants have patiently but vainly
sought elsewhere
NJ Deserves urges that the allies put more COM
mercia travellers in the field to Offset the German
trade campaign methods. but he declares that the
French business agent, undoubtedly like the bust
agents Of Frances allies. has an insurmOunt
able repugnance for espionage, matter what the
reward might be-
NJ Charles Humbert proprietor of lie Journal
Of Paris, and other public men of France declare
that in order for the world TO be safe for democ-
racy Germany must not merely he beaten in the
field. but her whole system of militarst govern
ment. with the country's trade development sub
otpctivp houSpS and dance br