Evening star., 1938-10-16
j. s. PLANS CURB
ON FOREIGN SPIES
Congress to Be Asked for
Funds to Establish
Counter Espionage.
~ the Associated Press.

~ the Associated Press.
For the first time since the World
War. the United States now is working
on q centralized plan to slam the door
In the face of foreign spies.
The Nation Is expected to become
"spy conscious" during the coming
winter when Congress will be asked
for funds to form central counter
espionage service. Defense circles
believe this will be a military and
naval intelligence career corps"
trained by the G-Men and in post
graduate counter espionage schools.
Political opposition is foreseen from
persons who believe such move might
irnpinge on American democratic ira
ditions, and give rise to a powerful
central organ of surveillance which
might resemble too closely some of
the more talked of European secret
police organizations
However, sponsors of the plan be-
heve the proper medium could be
struck between this and the present
disorganized intelligence systems which
have failed to prevent espionage from
growing rapidly in the past decade.
National Menace Seen.
Twice within the last four months
President Roosevelt has publicly sug-
gested Congress should make more
money available to counteract spy ac-
tivities, and from other quarters have
come assertions that steps must be
taken to check what has become
virtually a national menace.
If Congress acts. observers believe
the program will include a specialized,
career corps in both the Army and
Navy, to coordinate the work of
civilian counter espionage agents.
These civilians would be located in
and around every major military and
naval plant or concentration, mingling
with workers and troops alike to detect
persons showing an unusual interest or
knowledge of defense facilities.
This calculated plan of setting
spy to catch a spy is recognized as
the tried and true way to restrain the
work Of operatives who, it is generally
agreed, find America in peacetime the
easiest field in the world in which to
work.
At present, each service maintains
Its own intelligence department, but
the work is not specialized. Strictly
espionage work has been carried
on by Federal Bureau of Investigation
agents called in by the services for
assistance from time to time. Prose-
cution Of spy cases, of which there
have been few, has been conducted
by the Department Of Justice.
An expanded intelligence corps in
both services would involve creation
of another speciality branch, but many
feel that the time has come for the
United States to match dollars and
efforts in espionage and anti-espionage
activities with other major powers.
One reason for the comparative
freedom of foreigners seeking military
information in this country is the lack
Of restraint on all aliens There Is
almost no check now on their move.
ments or even their identities The
new law requiring alien agents to
register is the first step in this direc-
ton. but this law is regarded as full
OF loopholes for any one engaged in
illegal activities.
In Europe, foreigners are constantly
under the eye of police. In most
countries, including even England,
they are required to register with the
police almost Immediately, take out
Identification cards and report all
movements. In several European
countries, particularly in the Soviet
Union, foreigners are closely watched
ut all times and their contacts with
natives rigidly limited.
o. 5. Held Fertile Field.
In America, aliens come and 60 al
most at will, with no restrictions or
inquiry into their connections. work
or purposes 50 long as they remain
above suspicion. Americas 5000, 900
unnaturalized aliens provide a fertile
neld for the work Of alien agents, both
In espionage and sabotage pursuits,
of1ciak believe.
Although sabotage activities are al
most unknown to the American public.
this has become the Nays greatest
lear IN recent years. It Is recognized
that sabotage plans Of foreign nations
IN the United States now have been
further advanced than at any other
time In American history.
Because of this. the Navy in recent
years has drawn its guard increasingly
close about certain bases, factories
and eenters where vital naval work is
In progress.
Spy activities here take a different
FORM than in Europe, and particu.
larly In the dictator nations where
almost all military information is Sc
eret and is, therefore, the goal of
undercover agents. Here much in
formation about increases in the mill
tary defenses, fortifications, military
budgets, the size of the armed forces
and naval and airplane building pro-
grams is public.
New Type Arms Perfected.
Spy activity, therefore, is concen-
trated mainly on finding out what
the United States is doing in its ex-
per1mental work in the air, at sea
and IN land armaments. The United
States is known to have forged far
ahead Of other countries tn perfect
Ing many new types of armament
and munitions, whose secrets enemy
agents always are attempting to un-
ravel.
At present the United States Is
building rs new warships, and con-
tracts for additional ships are to be
Net soon. Into these will be incor-
porated much new stuff" which for
eign governments would like to know
shout.
In recent years Nazi Germany and
Japan have concentrated considerable
efforts here, particularly on obtain
ing military aviation secrets. The
only two public cases of detected
spies have involved these two coun-
tries. Disclosures in a case still pend
ing are understood to have prompted
President Roosevelt's most recent pro-
nouncement against spy activities.
American officials are inclined to