The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-09-29
Secret Agents in Washington
Foreign Governments Maintain Press Bureaus to Spread
Propaganda and Further Their Ends.

from the activities of this bureau in
converting the American mind.
Half the Latin American govern
ments use this method of presenting
themselves to the public. 1t has been
said that when a new Minister comes
to Washington from Central or South
American country his first act is to get
a press agent. Sometimes these are
kept in the background but frequently
the press agent is Haunted as a regu-
lar part of the establishment of lega-
ton or embassy.
In other words, the foreign govern
ments not only send special ministers
and ambassadors to the governments
of the United States; they also send
special ambassadors, in the form OF
press agents, to the American mind
Many fascinating stories of the dip
lomatic battles which are fought out
by these press representatives and
information bureaus could be told and
back of their activities there are many
incidents romantic and interesting
enough to vie with the best stories o.
international spies.
The order OF things has not changed
old fashioned and highly romantic sc
cret agents. 1t must be borne in mind
that in about half of the smaller La
tin American republics there is party
of indictments which is always seek
ing an opportunity to obtain power.
In this country when a party is out
of office it seeks to return through the
medium of the polls and the ballot
In xNff Eo
countries the more direct method Of
revolution or militaristic coup is pre-
ferred. Each of these out-of-office
parties knows that when the tina
comes, and the coup is executed the
first thing to be done is to gain finan-
cial support in the United States and
the diplomatic recognition of the
American state department. There
fore all such factions maintain juntas
or secret agencies at Washington ana
some have branches in New York
1t has been said that when the pic
turesque old Arlington Hotel was torn
down, the Latin American plotters
were routed and they could find nc
other congenial place. The old Airing.
ton was a fine rambling old hostelry
with long dark corridors, carpeted with
a Brussels covering in which a mans
treat would be unheard 1t was full
of coy hooks and corners and wind
| ing pasageways. 1t was an ideal place
| for conspiracies and clandestine po
litical meetings. When the BUILDING
was RACED it was reported that the
| ghosts of a thousand plots lowered
over the site nightly until the new Ar.
| lington Building where the Veterans
Bureau now is housed was erected.
But the secret agents did not leave
/ Washington. They bought gum shoes
to take the place of the silent carpet;
of the old Arlington and betook them
selves to other hotels; less congenia
to be sure but endurable. In the sum
mertime. which is a gay season il
| Washington, they are to be seen on tn,
roof gardens of the city, in its man,
parks and motor ways and at othe
places where society congregates.
4 The job of secret agent APPARENT,
is lucrative as we'll as diverting one
They all seem to have plenty of fund
and to live well. What they accom-
phsh is difficult to measure-doubt
less a good deal in some cases ant
nothing in others-but so long a
Washington is the capital of the world
they may be expected to appear in in
creasing numbers. Washington like
them. They are ornamental and Civ
a cosmopolitan atmosphere which n
city, especially capital, could affor
to despise.