New-York tribune., 1921-02-13
Dublin Knows
Secret Service
Men as 'Slops
Exact Genesis of Epithet
Coined Like Appellation
~Black and Tam Remains
Most Profound Secret
All Strangers Watched
Sinn Fein and British h
Detective Agencies Vie
for Supremacy in Erin
By Harold f. Scarborough
IRON, Tho Tribate's Europear Bnyeau

From, The Tribaite's European Bureau
DUBLIN, Feb. 1.-THE man on the
street in Dublin (when he isn't driven
off the street while Britisher and Sim
Feiner add another chapter to the
story of their mutual relationsl has
an expressive name for the secret
service men of either side, He calls
them "slops,"
No one seems to knew the exact
genesis of this epithet. Possibly it is
like the appellation of "Black-and-
Tan" which somebody or other coined
last summer to describe members of
the Royal Irish Constabulary and Of it's
auxiliary force. and which spread about
the world with amazing rapidity.
But when the average Irishman
breaks on in the course OF a conversa-
ton and mutters, Look out! There's
couple of slops just behind u.s." one
feels as legitimate thrill as the Con-
radesque one produced by reading The
Secret Agent at 2 a. m. One knows
kinship with Conan Dayle; and. being
only human, one turns about at the
first opportunity to inspect the sup
posed detectives.
Dublin Is Suspicious
One is very apt to be disappointed.
The men behind are pair of ordinary
citizens, with absolutely nothing in
common with Sherlock Holmes. In an
ordinary city (Which Dublin certainly
is not i'll these days. these men would
be passed by without a single thought
as to their identity or profession.
Dublin is suspicious. The tilt Of cap
or sag in the right hand overcoat
pocket, such as would be produced by
a revolver nesting there, put it on it's
guard.
1t is not remarkable that the British
government should have large and
Increasingly efficient secret service in
Ireland. But it does strike the outsider
as decidedly unusual that the Sim
Feiners, hunted and harried as they
are, should yet be able to maintain
an intelligence machine which func-
tions with truly amazing effectiveness.
There are many good stories of the
workings of the two man-hunting serv-
ices in Ireland which come to the ears
of the neutral correspondent, but which
he cannot relate without the posi-
bility of their working harm to one
which never came off, OF arrests which
never were made, of plans for %some-
thing big on one side or the other
many of these bear earmarks of abb
solute truth. Some day many of them
will be told openly
Other incidents, showing the close
check which the rival secret services
keep on their quarry and on each other,
are public property. There was an
American correspondent, for instance,
who, considering his work for the day
we'll ended with the filing of his last
dispatch about 6:30 p. m, adjourned
with an Irish journalist to a eonven-
lent public house, and proceeded to be-
tray in moderate fashion his unfa-
vorablehess to the Eighteenth Amend
ment. AS he was leaving, a youth
near the door spoke up:
MY, ------- has had his evening
drink and is going home"
Even Journalists Watched
The journalist, on hearing his name
called, turned about Three other
young men laughed heartily at his con-
fusion, and ehorused:
Good evening, Mr.----."
He nodded and passed outside. He
had never before in his life set eyes on
any of the men. Neither had his com
panlon, man born and bred in Dublin.
By roundabout route he later learned
that these men were members of Sim
teln's intelligence service, straying
from the strict path of duty long
enough to enjoy his discontinue.
There was another journa ist who
met man on the street-ra friend with
whom he had a speaking acquaintance.
oh, by the way" the latter re-
marked casually, did YOU get vour in.
terview with Lord--?' ?''
The journalist, whose request for an
interview had been made in the form
OF private letter to the official in
question, started perceptibly.
On, we passed your letter." laughed
the other But you should have be-
f,ord gun MyI2 Lord instead of Dear
Letters are frequently delivered IN
ireland to-day bearing the pencilled
serawl, Censored by 1. R. (, Grisb
Republican Army)," 1t was a succes-
sion OF Sim Fem raids on mails which
caused the. recent order that in several,
aistIicts OF southwestern ireland mails
would hereafter be delivered oniv in
puik, and at infrequent intervals.
Again, one may be walking along q
puplin street with an Irishman when
ne suddenly remarks, Lets turn off
A"e1e an afmored car coming"
secret Communication System
Inc stranger has seen nothing, heard
nothing to indicate it. Yet if he cares
TO put the matter to personal test
ne will find that in the majority Of
cases the armored car does apnear
"ithln minute or two. There apnar-
entity exists some simple system of
communication whereby the impendino
presence OF government forces is made
known IN sufficient time for wanted"
persons to disappear.
Ihese are superficial incidents. There
are others much graver, stories of
spies planted in the very hearts of the
assemblages which direct the rival
polleles IN Ireland to-day, of counter
espionage, or bullets fired from gnns
ntted with sllencers and of night
funerals at which the only mourners
are armed guards to watch out for in
tesAupQons. The superficials one knows
to 'oe true; the others he can onlv
accept with the guiding policy thai
almost. anything is likely to happen in
Ireland nowadays
And then there is the nightly terror
OF lreland--"m masked and armed men y
q. phrase which has figured largely ii
me newspapers in the last few months,
Now, everybody knows that sometimes
these mysterious men are duly enrolled
lighters for one side or the other. The
phrase is used in Dublin Castles Off
cial reports and it is used in the dis
patches from the little rural towns,
where everybody is known to his
neighbor.
The shootinps defoi+alx ,sor;hos -