The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1951-06-09
The
'Southernmost
Corner
BY
Charles Duerkes

A0OrlGS OuerKGS
The danger, thrills and drama
of espionage is not all fictionized
malarkey. Any insurance COM
pany will definitely frown upon
the suggestion that a person who
goes around and about being a
spy is a fair risk.
You are either cut out to be 4
successful spy or you are not.
Aside from the qualifications
that get one on a payroll the good
espionage agent must have an
Unborn lust for adventure, a yen
for daring-do, a nice appetite
for danger and a deep contempt
for death.
Today thousands Of espionage
and counter espionage agents, the
glamor gals and the steel in
testined lads, are enjoying the
thrill of living in their chosen
manner. They are well paid, busy.
happy and chuckling like crazy
at how they are gumshoeing
about frustrating the undertaken.
This glamorous existence does
not, however, include the Russian
spies and. their satellite cohorts.
Why it has got so that the
average Russian spy in this coun-
try must rely upon wrestling
matches and burlesque shows in
order to get the slightest seml
blance to the thrill that is so
dear to the heart of good agent.
They go about humming THE
Thrill Is Gone" and a lot of them
just let themselves get caught to
escape the monotony of going
about enjoying our lousy capital
istic way of life. In fact many
Communist agents have even
grown so dull that they do not
want to go back home and back
in the light of Stalin's glory.
Washington, you. Gee, has got
them pretty well dashed. A
Russian spy can get all the dope
he wants by sitting about in his
room reading the papers and
magazines and if you say that
sitting in your room reading
papers and magazines is a thrill
for any adventure loving spy,
then you are just not being fair.
The Soviet news agency, TASS,
is nicely located in Washington
and its journalists are entitled to
all the privileges extended to the
American Press. Where an
American reporter goes "a Rus
sian scribe can go. TASS can
find out more IN Washington
than a spy can and they have
the privilege of transmitting
they wish to the Krem-
lin.
e 1t was announced recently that
secret, bomb proof hideouts are
being built near the capitol
where top brass and civilians
from the Pentagon can skip in
case some foreign power" (hush,
hushD plops big bomb down
on Washington. General MARSHALL
warned the 100000 defense work.
ers about it and gave them list
of twenty secret assembly points
in Virginia and Maryland. From
there, if the time comes, they
viii be sent to the secret, under
ground Pentagons.
Now any spy worth his vodka
would reckon that the location of
these hideaways would interest
Uncle Joe no end. But can he
experience the thrill of risking
his life to steal the plans? He'll,
mol The May 90 issue of Path
finder stares him in the kisser
with a photo, sketch and just
about everything except the
average mean temperature of
Pentagon Number Two. The ac-
companying article gives the
location and dimensions of the
chambers and the
of persons each can ac-
eommodate. The elevation of
raven Rock mountain (1527 feet,
the route number, (Penna. No
16) and the distance from Hagers-
town, Md. (18 miles, is carefully
noted.
It is also explained that some