Evening star., 1933-12-25
Syndicate Seen Business En-
terprise to Market Infor-
nation Where Desired.
POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE
SERVICES IMPORTANT
Suspected individuals in Washing
ton Make Useful Contacts"
to Learn Moves.
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.


A link Is suspected to exist between
the spy central agency discovered last
week In Paris, and certain individuals
in the United States. especially in
Washington.
Lidia Tchekaloff- -stahl, the alleged
Russian woman whose husband was
reported to have been a New York
business man, had established the con-
nection Of her unsavory business In
New York and Washington some two
years ago.
While America Is not quite worth
watching from the military point Of
view. the few American military secrets
being obtainable and the other minor
matters not being Of sufficient conse-
quence for any European power. polit-
ical espionage is Of real consequence.
1t appears from the investigation Of
those who were arrested last week in
Paris that this highly developed spy
agency is not subsidized by any single
power. It's just business syndicate
which is ready to sell It's stuff to any
power which wants to find out things
about another nation. The agency
which was started in this business by q
Northern European power" has de-
veloped into a real syndicate with
agents in most countries and capable
Of selling almost any kind OF informa-
ton for a good price.
In the United States, it is reported,
its agents have been working in in
dustrial and manufacturing centers and
also in Washington.
Work Social Game"
While in the former centers the work
was being done by workmen or minor
officials and has yielded no important
results, in Washington its agents have
been working the so-called social
game"
Certain individuals, preferably with
good, high sounding names, have ap-
peared recently and have tablished
useful contacts" These people have
no obvious means of nveliehood and no
definite nationality.
But they are cultured, interesting in
their conversation and entertain de-
Gently.
Their contacts are already useful
since many people in Washington's So
cial life have accepted them and either
ask them to their houses or accept in
vitations to their parties.
Since these agents are not supposed
to obtain any documents, but merely
report conversations. their job is not
difficult. People talk good deal in
Washington.
Political intelligence services are i'm
portant in the general set-up of spying.
The apparently innocuous expression Of
thought Of some diplomat or military or
naval officer or member Of Congress
may be of real use for checking up
purposes.
The Washington agents of the syndi-
cate are believed to be exploiting this
interesting source of information and
their contacts with ministers of the
smaller countries and the younger set
of the important Departments in Wash
ington have yielded to the Paris head
quarters satisfactory results.
Behind-Scen Information.
America is believed In many Euro
pean quarters to be the nerve center
Of world politics. The activities of GER
tain diplomats, the reaction of the
Washington officials to certain problems
with which the rest of the world is
graphing now are all good material
for intelligence services. While most
of the policies Of the Government are
openly expressed and can be found In
almost any newspaper and political
magazine in the United States, the
view of foreign governments is that
there must be some hidden and secret
plans Of action In case OF q new inter-
national conf1agration. And these they
think are undoubtedly known to those
men placed in important positions in
the Government Of the United States.
High officials have naturally their
own views on many international ques-
tions.
These views, well doctored, assume a
worldwide importance and can be sold
advantageously abroad, especially when
they seem to confirm speculative inter-
pretations of the foreign officials resid-
ing in Washington.
These foreign agents are believed to
make a fair living in Washington.
Their expenses are naturally paid by
the central agency.
Since the agency is believed to peddle
its wares to any government that Is
willing to pay, the range OF information
involved is almost without limit.
Economies, tariffs. policies regarding
all international problems are all pooled
together and sold to those who are in
terested.