Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-12
Facts AbOM This Remarkable
Previously UntoM AdUeutmrS-
Crime; and MN an Efficiency Eq11
Cmadlu IN0mted Police or ScolnnI

showing larger percentage of loss in refining
gold dust than at other plants along the Pacific
Coast. Secret Service operatives working Jointly
with the superintendent found that a trusted
employe had got away with thefts totaling more
TINA 500, 900.
Similarly the Secret Service solved the mys-
terry OF theft of six sacks of double eagles
from the San Francisco Mint and found out
4 what happened to certain gold bars that had
vanished from the mint at Philadelphia In
another instance they solved case of theft
in the office where mutiated currency is re-
ceived. Again they solved case in the Office
of the auditor OF Government department
where Cancelled money orders had been stolen
and used again, at cost to the Government of
some 5000, 900.
Many of the jobs formerly done by the Secret
Service are now handled by agencies of other
departments, principally the Department of
Justice, that have been built into strong units
in recent years. But in some cases Secret
Service men are loaned" Agents assigned to
such duty are temporarily dropped from the
Treasury Department pay roll, accepting posi-
lions in the department where the work is to
be done and drawing their salaries from that
department They are, of course, subject TO
recall by the Secret Service in emergency.
There is hardly a department of the Federal
Government that has not borrowed them at one
time or another.
In President RooSevelt's administration when
the famous land fraud scandals were being in
vestgated, as many as 81 Secret Service men
were on the job. simultaneously others were
getting evidence in the beef trust" investiea-
ton IN Chicago. It was at that time that Con-
gTess put through q bill seeking to curtail their
services. However, since there is TO way Of
keeping n from reSigning one job and
taking another, this restriction was dropped.
THE Secret Service counter espionage work
during the Spanish American War has been
mentioned This work was done at the request
Of the War and State Departments A special
corps Of Spanish-speaking operatives was main
tanned and the investigation that was con-
Quoted resulted in the expulsion from Canada
Of the Spanish Minister and his aides since
proof was obtained that . spy service had been
established there.
As q matter Of fact the nrst spy that the
Spaniards sent out was arrested within ~
hours. He was a former ensign in the United
States Navy. He was imprisoned in the Arsenal
At Washington and hanged himself in his cell
Three other spies were taken at Tampa, Fla.
The land fraud cases Of 1907 required espe-
cially expert work because the fraudulent
transactions involved persons of great wealth
and political influence. Incidentally, some Of
the men employed by these people were dam
Joseph walker was shot in the back in Colo
RADIO, and a jury acquitted the man held
responsible.
In Nebraska, where the Government was able
TO recover more than 900, 600 acres of fine
grazing land, it necessary to remove q
United States attorney and United States
marshal before action could be brought in court.
In Oregon, where an enormous amount of Valu-
able mineral land had been stolen, a United
States Senator and two Representatives were
convicted on evidence obtained by the Secret
Service.
In these land fraud cases the Secret Service
men worked under the jurisdiction OF the De-
partmerTt of Justice The Secretary OF the
Interior aware of the far-reaching ramiflcationS
OF the plots, requested that this be done because
he was afraid to trust his own officers Indeed,
one of the first discoveries of the Secret Service
was that agents of the Land once OF the
Interior Department were largely under control
Of the land thieves.
For years the lack of an American Cspy
system like these of Europe has been the sub
ject of comment abroad. Germany, by setting
up system of espionage and sabotage IN TINS
country prior to the American declaration OF
war; clearly indicated in what contempt she
held the investigating abilities Of the American
Government.
But the State Department asked for the AID
of the Secret Service, and its skilled operatives
Immediately opened their counter attack. At
every point the Germans were checkmated.
All SPY work up to the declaration of war, and
much of it subsequently, performed by
Secret Service agents-and it was done ex-
ceedingy we'll
1t was a Secret Service agent for instance.
who obtained the portfolio of Heinrich Albert,
German privy counsellor, and thereby revealed
that Albert was paymaSter for the German
secret army The famous Zimmerman note, an
important factor in swinging the United States