New-York tribune., 1918-01-25
u. S. Intelligence
Service Fails, Says
Defence Society
Asserts Two Ships From
New York Carried Am.
munition to Germany
Won Kleist in Charge
Ships Carpenter Testise. to
Finding Strange Lead Pine.
in Sugar Cargo
Won Kleist in Charo.

The inefficiency and disorgsn;....
OF the Intelligence Service of .ho ,,-.|
ed States and the necessity of rs,aa s','''
ing such conditions at once ;s .bo os':
Ject of an open letter sent ,es..-s
by the American Defence eoc;o.'.
Senator George L. Chamberlain. Ts; "
letter. which also deals with tho na~s
for strict enforcement Of m;,;.o~
measures against the enemy IN -.
country, was made public yesterday >.
the luncheon OF thc board Of truv.oar
held in the Midday Club.
The need for vigilance is emphasize
says the Defence Society, by the -
cent departure from New York nj ~.
steamships which between them ea-r;oI
100000 rounds of small arms ANN
nltion manufactured or stored in N.
country and intended Tor German >
The first, which carried 500 900 ron,5.
was cleared for Copenhagen. it is
serted, on December 20, 1877, and II.
second sailed on December Il with .ho
rest. The letter, in part. follows.
In support Of your efforts 70, -.
purpose OF speeding up tAc war NAV
we not. al the same time, call to vou-
attention the deplorable state of a..
fairs now existing in the intellieepca
service OF the various departments of
government In addition to MANY sta,s
and municipal authorities, there are to.
day%several Federal bureaus doing tb;s
work, prominent among which nav bs
named:
"The Bureau Of Investigation o.
the department of Justice.
The United States Secret Service
of the Treasury Department.
The War intelligence Bureau ot
the War Department.
The Navy intelligence Bureau ~
the Navy Department.
ne Bureau Of Postofice Invest.
cation OF the Postofice Department.
Bureaus Undermanned
I'VE respectfully submit that there
IS conclusive evidence that the various
information bureaus are undermined
that each OF the several departments
have rowing commissions. with appar.
emily 10 limitation on their work. and
that they are, therefore. continually
competing with one another. various
branches working on the same cases.
with resultant confusion, lack OF eff
cheney and aid to the enemy.
Investigation OF cases which are
turned over to the various departments
of the government IS often DELAYED Tor
days and weeks through lack of agents.
IN regard to the lack Of co5rdins-
ton IN The departments. We call your
attention to an article in The New yrr
York Tribune OF January ;. which
stated that the members Of the Sec-e.
Service. of recognized success in run
down German spies. who had in their
possession information about German
plots, were. without warrant, it ap-
pears, taken from this important work
The Tribune article reads:
Flynn Fayors tniication
1t will be recalled that. following tie
lnterception OF the Zimmerman note to
Mexico. III which the haiserts Foreign Sec
retary sought 70 emhron thi'+ country with
Mexico and Japan, President Wilson pad
public tribute 10 the United States Secret
Service for the work i did IN this coanec-
ton Nothing was said Of the Department
OF Justice. This work. and tie even more
important WORK OF the United Stats
Secret Service. caused Soma Of the Officials
OF the Department Of Jusfice TO seek way
20 shut OF Chief Flynn work in running
down pro-German terrorists. i. was an
nounced to-day
" Shorsiy thereafter Attorney Genera
Gregory issued a circular letter. which was
sent to. al United States marsbas and
United States attorneys, defining the ,rcrk
OF the various government officials. Friends
of Chief J. ynn saw III tl.is a direct slap ~
the United States Secret Service FOR in the
letter the lead of the Department of jus
tce spoke OF flynns department a being
solely engaged in running down counter
feters.
"a little later Chief Flynn and his
corps OF trained detectives. VINO were IA
nlllia< with German po.s and knew the
German plotters, found themselves warm
ing chairs. Flynn went 10 Secretary NJ
Adoo. his superior, and told him that If the
government did not wish to Use the men ne
had under him for the most vital work the
government was engaged ii outside of the
actual prosecution OF the war Itself. and
work they could well perform he would
resign.
In an interview with William J;
Flynn, former chief OF the United
States Secret Service, reported IN The
New York Sun for January IS, Nh
Flynn said:
From my long experience / am coz
WINGED that fer the period of the war, 81
least. there should be a unifcation Of the
intelligence activities Of the country. n
vestigators are continually running INTO one
another
I'VE call your attention to the fac'
that the whole subject matter Of war
information was at one
time brought to the attention OF hlgi,
officials. who were urged
to provide for q centralized bureau
but up to d-te nothing has been done
in comprehensive way toward BRING
ing order out Of the present chaos.
IN addition. We beg leave TO pom
out that German agents in this country
ere destroying millions Of dollars
worth Of property and jeopardlzins
lives
The evident la-:iay o. the Depart