Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1918-05-23

AC is afllmed that German 'tr1de by espionage, r
Is practically as great menace to the world as Is
Germany.s military machine; that indeed, Ger
many's military methods and her economic pene-
tration" methods are interdependent, and that any
peace which seemed to leave German militarism
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 af-
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 for trade
warfare These questions may seem grotesque,
but 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-
pire potential secret service agents at the disposal
Of the military authorities.
The French economist M. 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-
fessonal pride and to devote themselves to finding
trade secrets and to furthering German trade,
which will be readily possible for them under the
guise Of their professional mantle.
M. Deserves has described the results of tour
he made of neutral countries for the purpose of in
vestigating German secret service methods OF
trade. Both men and women, he says, are en-
ployed 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 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 inundatfng
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 are 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
ly a common task they work out propaganda.
"The Germans" he continues shave been sys-
tematcnlly giving furloughs 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 es
pionage for the benefit of Germany. The agent
has double, rather triple, part to play. He is
openly placing his countrys products he is cele-
brating his countrys glory and secretly he is gain
ing information regarding Germany's neighbors
and her enemies. Such work is regarded as worth
a 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
the fact that the country, being at war, needs
young men. But the fact is that they can serve
their country this front just as well as on the
battle fronts They Industrious, insinuating,
tenacious. The promises they make, in the name
Of the great commercial firms Of Germany are
kept 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 vanly
sought elsewhere"
NJ Deserves urges that the allies put more COM
mercial 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 insurmount-
able repugnance for espionage, no matter what the
reward might be-
NJ Charles Hulnbert, 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 be beaten in the
field. but her whole system of militarist govern
ment, with the country's trade development sub