Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1918-06-13

UEW4SS2HAAAAS employed ana OF the extent CO
which the system has proved profitable to Germany
have been made In several countries. writes J. 7.
N. In Printers Ink. Some of the broad facts dis
covered by the state agents In certain continental
European nations have been the subject Of much
discussion and public men in France and Italy are
In their denunciation of the evil. of the wide
extent which 1t Is practced and OF the insidious
danger which 1t represents.
In the years Immediately preceding the war large
American corporations, like similar firms in Eu-
rope, came in frequent contact with the so-called
Spy system In business" and all those who han
died important business for those corporations
especially If the business in Germany, and
even If 1t involved the simplest and most open and
above-board kind of transactions were almost In
variably confronted with incidents Of secret serv
ice meddling.
The present writer while attending to certain
business for a number Of American companies In
combination had occasion to travel frequently from
one country to another and had established head
quarters in Germany on the eve Of the outbreak Of
the war. He had been warned by friends to keep
close on his papers and effects and, as far as
possible. to travel only with such baggage could
be taken In passenger compartments on the trains.
This. however. was not always feasible and one
morning when leaving Milan for Germany with
trunk he was struck by the eager insstence of
German speaking employee of the foreignowned
hotel In which for special reasons he had stopped,
In attending to the checking of the trunk the
train The writer watched this employees actions
while the trunk was being labeled and felt reas-
sured-until he reached Basel in Germany, where
the train which had come through Switzerland
to be divided in Two sections and routed north to-
ward Berlin on both sides Of the Rhine. The
toms inspection Is made for Germany at German
Basel but the trunk in this instance not taken
of the train and, although 1t was plainly visible
in the open baggage car. the chief inspector
fused to listen to remonStranceS, the alleged
ground that the trunk was routed via the eastern
bank of the river while the writer's ticket was for
the Strassburg way. This, however. was not in ac-
cordance with the facts.
A week later notice received that the trunk
was at the customs department Of a central Ger
n WI Y1Qda for Ira In
spection and, instead of customs officials two spe
cial agents were present at the appointed time
the hotel porter who was to take the trunk away
recognized them such. The inspection thor
ough. Every document and every scrap of paper
was infinitely examined Endless questions were
asked regarding the business documents and the
method of doing business which they implied, the
countries in which business done and the
names Of the firms concerned. the pretext for the
questions being the doubt that the printed part
OF the business documents might be dutiable as
being printed and the manuscript and typewriter
part of them might constitute contracts and there
fore be subject to duties under other heads. The
contents Of the trunk were weighed and separately
classified and finally fees were levied under three
separate heads for the molestation caused by
ing put the German authorities to the necessity
making this special investigation. total about
three dollars was involved.
Soon after this incident the writer became con-
scious that his desk In office in that same city
was being tempered with and. after a watch had
been Set, German in the service OF the same
American corporation. and already suspected as
being a government agent. was caught red-handed
in the act Of prying open the desk and making q
record Of its contents.
Il When condolences exchanged with other
representatives of American corporations 1t was
learned that the experience a common one,
and the comparing Of notes seemed to show ex-
PLANTATION for the surprising ability Of German
firms to learn the names of the foreign customers
Of American corporations and the seeming conci-
dence of their soliciting those firms almost stimuli
taneously with the American agents every time
that the latter had something to offer. Incl
dents can be vouched for where agents for Ameri-
can corporations In Italy and other countries, on
receiving from America new machines radically
new models. found to their amaxement that Ger
man agents had already visited their customers.
denounced their alleged weak points and their un-
desirability for various reasons. The German
l. agents knew more about the American machines
| than the American agents
OF course. sweeping generalizations to be
avoided and all statements which are likely to up
| set the equanimity of those satisfied with the
course established routine and liable to be char
acterized grotesque and. emphatically SET
FORTH they liable also to fail of effect those
| who refuse to be disturbed In their fixed ideals
Lord Roberts. 1t should be remembered.
nuisance the majority of the British reading pub
1 lie when he kept up his tiresone warnings about
| the true meaning of Germany's military prepare
| tons. and 1t should not be forgotten that Gen
Leonard Wood, when half dozen years ago he be
gan urge preparedness in America. was de
nounced professional alarmist eager to obtain
power and n chance for distinction And so thos<
who are raising the cry of alarm regarding the Sc
| cret service methods of trnde warfare being con
Quoted by Germany declare that they are not get
ting proper hearing and that the danger IL on
of supreme moment