Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1918-02-08

- peace; there was hardly man
~ who had matched wits with
the foreign government experts.
The story of how this menace was met can as
yet be told only in part. But not the least in
teresting part concerns the who have
done the work
Chief of the weapons which were at hand was
the secret service of the department Of justice.
Its agents were unobtrusiyely efficient lot, but
woefuy small in numbers and for the most
part, inexperienced in international affairs.
white slaves" and predatory business had been
their chief game. The even smaller force of
the treasury secret service was almost fully oc-
cupied with its routine duties of guarding the
currency and the presidents life. It. too. has
rendered amazing service against the spies bur
upon the department of justice agents fell the
chief burden.
They We're called upon TO match the craft
the experience and the ruthlessness of the keen
est of German spies. who backed by
renowned secret service organization and unlim-
tied funds
Their chief. the man who had developed the
government detective force who had laid the
foundation for an extensive, loosely geared. even
running mechanism and who promptly assem-
bled it when the need came, is Alexander Bruce
Bieaski (''Home Run" Bielask they called him
In his high school days.. He entered the depart
ment a dozen years ago. when the development
of a bureau of investigation TO handle secret
work for which other provision had been made
started
This bureau was commissioned 10 wrestle with
violations of neutrality with those Of the nation
al banking laws. with antitrust cases. bucket
shop cases white slave" cases; ii prose
cute those who impersOnate officer of the
government. TO pursue those who flee the eoun-
try and seek to evade the long arm of the federal
law.
There were already several detective agencies
in the government, each created for specific pur-
pose and limited by law in its operations. For in
stance there was the secret service in the treas
ury department. There were customs agents to
prevent smuggling, land agents TO protect the
ubIic domain post Office inspectors TO make
ffcult the misuse of the mails. But the special
agents of the department of justice had field
many times broad that occupied by any other
detective agency. One phase of its work alone
that of circumventing violations of neutrality
became herculean task when the war broke.
The department of justice refused TO follow
precedent in its creation of detective agency 1t
built a staff of operatives that thing in
the field of detective work. In doing so it made
brains its first requisite of selection of men and
held that education was developer Of brains
The youngsters of this service have succeeded
where veteran police have failed. Every case an
operative undertakes is an entirely new problem
in which his past experience is by no means an
infallible guide. 1t needs brains and initiative.
young agent of the bureau of investigation
formerly a salesman for wholesale grocer. went
into the AlIeghenies on his first case and cleaned
mn a nest of moonshiners that had defied local
authorities and United States marshals for years
Another of these men worked a laborer on the
docks of New Orleans and found out the meth
DDS employed by the sugar samplers in so grad
ing imported cargoes that the loss 10 the govern
ment was hundreds of thousands in. duties every
year Still another "roped in" with Mexican
revOlutonistS in Ell Paso.
The importance of the work of these special
agents may be measured by an account OF the
back of the seizure of the port OF
Vera Cruz in April 1914. and the part played In
that event by one of those ingenious men. IL
was some months before that event that huge.
bearded Russian attracted the attention OF
house detective in New York hotel by the dis
olav of a draft for 100000 signed by President
Huerta of Mexico. The house detective tele-
ohoned the special agents. who watched the opera
lions os the Russian.
That individual bought firearms and ammuni-
ion in sufficient quantities 10 load a ship.
was the business OF the government to see 70
i that he did not send this 10 Mexico as there
vas an embargo on firearms TO that country Inc
,hip. however. cleared for Odessa. Russia ana the
;necal agents traced it TO that point and wit
,essed the refusal of the Russian government 10
,uoys the ammunition to be landed. because or
fear that it was TO be used by revolutionistS-
they saw the ship again traverse the Mediterra'
,ean and unload its cargo at Hampurg. The.
necial agents noted, however. that the Russian
sd disappeared and. suspected that he was more
oval to his own pocket than TO, the Mexican
government.
The ammunition was reShipped from Hamburg
Vera Cruz As il approached the latter port
ba rnifed States under the influence of rhs IN
ormatjon furnished by its special agents, entered
nj seized the port that Huerta might not ser