Evening star., 1938-05-15
Foreign Spies Pit Cleverness
Against Four Big Agencies
F. B. L., c., o. N. 1. and State Departments
Special Agencies Always ON Alert.
Spite Is Greatest Problem.
BY WILLIAM M. PINKERTON,

BY WILLIAM M. PINKERTON,
Associated Press Staff Writer
The shadow Of the spy, which darkens
the cof1ee houses and drawing rooms Of
lands abroad, is falling today on the far
flung defenses Of the United States.
About half a hundred spies-profes-
sional, disciplined foreign agents-hover
about the arsenals, flying fields and coast
defenses of Nation new to intrigue.
Beyond them are the petty "informers"-
workmen, business men, housewives per-
haps who will sell secret for price-to
anybody. No one knows how many of
these amateurs there are.
In Washington, 35 polite young foreign
ers operate in the open These men, who
dress smartly, drink cocktails In society
and dine with ofacialdom. watch with
eagle eyes each action Of the Nations
armed forces in their constant tightening
Of defenses.
They are the military, naval and air
attaches of foreign embassies. They read
avidly all military journals; they chat
cleverly with American friends; they watch
war games when they can; always they
learn.
Tuned to New Alertness.
On each of these levels, the foreign
agents are tuned to new alertness as the
Army and Navy prepare to launch a new
defense program whose cost may run
near OOo,oooooo.
Against the skill, the cunning and
intrigue of all the lost are pitted four
of Americas great detective agencies
F. B. l., CO.. o. N. l., and the special
agents of the State Department.
Each follows its separate trails into
the international underworld, but some
times they converge and pounce together
on the luckless agent of a foreign power
or the American who puts a small price
on his patriotism.
The G-men of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, who broke the kidnap racket
and stopped rising tide Of bank rob-
berry, bear the brunt. They investigate
all reports of suspicious leaks in factories
where new engines of war are pieced
together. They are prying now into
activities of Nazi groups.
ca" the Army Intelligence Service
with every officer and enlisted man an
unofficial agent-watches over the guns
that are in place, the new planes that
take off here and there for experimental
flights, the future plans and secret codes
of the service. "G-2" has cut the visitors
privileges at crucial flying fields and
doubled the vigilance at aircraft fac
tories
Naval Men Are Alert.
o. N. l., the Office of Naval Intelligence,
keeps alert to stop the foreign snooper
on shipboard or in port. Wherever q new
ship Is building, naval inspectors test the
parts-and keep an eye out for double
dealing. Recently, o. N. I. has clamped
shut the gates of shipyards and bound
to secrecy the sailors in war games.
small band of agents for the State
Department watch for passport frauds
often necessary tool of the spy.
The main pawn in the game is the
Panama Canal-the slit of water that
means swift passage for American war
ships from Atlantic to Pacific, and thus
quick defense for either coast
Intrigue is thickest in Panama Foreign
agents and their mercenary hangers
break the chain. American officers guard
their charge with renewed vigilance while
others trail the foreign spies who seek
in Central America flying feld-a base
for bombers "n."
The Nation itself is not free of these
foreign agents. They shuttle back and
forth across the continent, mapping the
geography of strategic centers-air fields,
roads, power plants, industrial centers,
ports. Their expert eyes peer closely at
every military object they can approach.
Have Won Their Respect.
But most foreign powers spy on the
United States, not as potential enemy,
but as source of fine military machinery.
The new tanks, new planes and new
guns developed here have won their re-
spect. And they want the plans for
use, not against Americans, but against
potential enemies nearer home.
In spy-ridden Europe. on the othel
hand, the priced quarry Of the spy is a
military secret-a war Office plan Of at
tack or defense that says, in black and
white or code, IF Boloslavia attacks us
here, we bomb them there and move In
tanks"
The hoodlight Of democracy, however
makes joke of much spying The Army
and Navy make no secret of the general
outlines of their latest weapons, once
ready for us. Technical journals de-
scribe their effectiveness.
These are available to the bright, younl
attaches whose American residence is
guarded by diplomatic rights. In ex-
change for letting these observers operate
here, America gains the right to send
her own trained military and naval ex.
perts to watch developments in other
lands.
The attaches are horse traders. II tn
United States wants the secret tank desig1
Of some friendly foreign power, she ma!
get it in exchange for some secret ma
chine Of her own
But what they cannot get by trading
the foreigners sometimes try to buy
American intelligence officers have NOR