Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 February 1916 — Page 3
UNCLE SAM'S SECRET SERVICE NEERS
HE United States secret service bureau is due S| for a big shake-up. |jP This is not because the \ service has failed to \ \.& J M perform its duties Bat\w//* isfactorily hut because \ y / the government is much Y / in need of a bigger and broader “gum-shoe” police department than it has. Thepxedlcted.. reorganization. v is to be a part of the great plan of national preparedness for defense against an enemy nation. The secret police —that is a term to strike terror in Russia, for in that vast empire the secret police have been and are deeply involved In the sorrows of the peasant millions. For ipany decades there has been in Russia a nihilist movement, a large group of people of all rankß and degrees, including even the nobility, who have been plotting to overthrow the present form of absolute government and establish in its place a democracy. Of course the government has used every known means of thwarting the efforts of the revolutionists and punishing them. In keeping tab on the plotters the empirists have developed .-the- most complete secret police system the porld has known —except perhaps the German system, and the Japanese, which are used for entirely different purposes: to get military information. Wherever and whenever and whatever the nihilists have planned - and executed, or planned and failed to execute, the secret police have made wholesale arrests and sent strings of broken, sorrowing men and women to the great prison of Peter and Paul at Petrograd or to the hellish salt mines of frozen Siberia. The secret police—that term in the United States of America strikes terterror into very few hearts, if* any. Rather, it is a term that takes us back to boyhood days when we read “Old King Brady,” "Nick Carter” and the Beadle Library in the haymow. It isn’t because Uncle Sam’s secret service hasn’t been on the Job, but because the secret service has been minding its own business so quietly that decent folks rarely bear of It.
Since President Diaz was driven from Mexico, however, our secret service has been pretty much on the jump. There has been a multitude of conspiracies hatching singly and in groups with* regard to that unhappy country, and it has been up to Uncle Sam to keep the conspirators from launching any of their projects from this aide of the border. Then, in August, 1914, came the big war—and everybody has heard of the plots and counter-plots and schemes and tricks which foreign agents have been interested in here. The foreigners have not only spied on one another, but they have spied more than ever on the United States. They have wanted to know Just what we could do if we should take sides. It is said that Uncle Sam has lost a number of valuable naval and military
TAKEN FROM EXCHANGES
• Italian army engineers will sink a large number of artesiaa. Vrells in an endeavor to convert a large area of desert land in Tripoli into an oasis by irrigation. Pulmonary tuberculosis is being treated by a Danish physician with air that has been subjected to the action of ultraviolet rays, which seems to have a healing effect when inhaled through the mouth,
(f* r v » - AMERICAN GOVERNMENT FINDS ITS RELATIONS WITH FOREIGN NATIONS. RADICALLY ALTERED. IT IS LIKELY THE FEDERAL DETECTIVE DEPARTMENT WILL BE REORGANIZED SOON TO AID THT PREPARATION FOR NATIONAL DEFENSE COmiOHT |Y VKTtttN NCVW»» UNION!. . J
invention secrets, during the last 15months or so, and that the plans of many of our important fortifications have been copied or stolen. r The "president imowS'thfi; WTroTKir members of his cabinet, the naval and military leaders, the secret service, and some members of congress. And with this knowledge has come a realization that if the United States Is to have a well rounded defensive force on land and sea it must also have a good secret service that can keep tab on the foreign spies in this country and can get information for us in foreign countries. Never has there been such an emphatic need for a large, highly trained and efficient secret service such as other countries have to cope with ex•getiy ftttca conditlogamr: - : ~ That the administration hah at last awakened to the need is shown by the announcement that a plan is now on foot to combine all the investigating bureaus of the country under one general head with sufficient subheads of subexecutives to Insure efficiency and economy and at the same time enable the country to combat such conditions as now exist. The nucleus around which the new organization will be built, it is naturally assumed, is the secret service which for Just 60 years has done the greater part of the work of conducting confidential investigations for the federal government, has unearthed counterfeiters, has guarded the president and all foreign visitors of note, and has carried on the most difficult, delicate, and important inquiries for the state department. Into this new bureau —or perhaps it will be made a distinct department of the government with a cabinet officer at its head —will be gathered, it is proposed,*the coast guard service, toms inspectors, the inspectors of land frauds, the immigration inspectors, the post office inspectors, the special Investigators of the department of Justice and the bank examiners. But of all these special investigators the members ofthe secret service under Chief William J. Flynn are by far the most highly trained and the best equipped by tradition and long years of experience in handling the most dangerous, the most intellectual and the most astute criminals, and are therefore best fitted to undertake the broader tasks now set before the na-
tion. In Other words, the secret serv-' ice already has been handling in a small way under restrictions imposed by law and by limited funds the tasks that will be undertaken in the future in a more comprehensive and effective manner. Comparatively little of the real work of the secret service is known to the public. The effectiveness of the organization fias lainvfflKtly in that fact. Still fewer perhaps know the channels for getting informatioft which the' service and Flynn have developed by R>ng years of careful study and foresight and hard work. It may be safely guessed that the facts that they have dug up in the last year are known to very few men in the United States. Not even the secret service men themselves hav% at times realized the magnitude of jfche investigailenar Jn—which they-were . engaged..
They simply followed one person, one clue or one angle and then made a wrilten report which went to the chief, who painstakingly fitted the reports
A United States artillery officer has invented, a. camera that will photograph a mortar sbeir at the instant it leaves the muzzle of the gun, showing even the curious “smoke ring” or “gas ring” that accompanied the emerging shell. The shutter which can be adjusted to make an exposure as short as 1-500 of a second IS worked by electric motor which mates several thousand revolutions a minute,
4 • z .1 ■ y ■ . i . THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, IlfrD.
together into one big mosaic picture, revealing some vast undertaking and supplying information of great importance to the administration.
It is by many such investigations conducted in this country and perhaps abroad that the administration has gathered information that has enabled the federal officials to foresee international events before they really happened and to prepare for contingen-. cies with proper care. Much of the important work which the secret service has done has been performed under the direction of the state department, which has a confidential fund for such investigations, and which calls upon the secret service chief to
supply the men for the* work. While the public hears little of the details of the work of the secret service, the chief has agents all over the country and all over the world, men of great skill, many of them of high education, others of little school education but graduates in the university of human nature and of criminology, men of great courage and necessarily of tremendous resourcefulness. They may be here today and in the far East a month hence. 'lt’hey may be in New York this morning and may start for Europe tomorrow on some mis-
An investigation in China may require the presence there of several men. There may be a counterfeiting plot that has a clue leading to Mexico. There may be a conspiracy to start a revolution in Mexico that has trails leading to Barcelona, Spain; to Paris, London and to Mexico City. In every direction that may be necessary men are dispatched to make investigations and to report to the home office. Many a revolutionary plot hatched in foreign countries has been frustrated because a clue was obtained here and the plot" ters traced and exposed. The limitations under which this work has been carried on is shown by the laws under which the service is authorized and the money is appropriated. The appointment of the chief of the secret service, his assistant and a few clerks is authorized by one law. The sundry civil bill appropriates money for the hiring of agents at so much a day, but at the same time makes It impossible for those men to be assigned to work in any other de-
partment, thereby making restrictions that, prevent the chief from getting the best work from them. For instance, if the chief has a man who has proved himself specially capable fn a certain line of work and if Just such a man is needed in a certain department of the government the chief cannot detail him for the task because the law specially provides that no man hired by the chief or the secret service for work in the treasury department can be assigned within the year to an investigation outside that department. The law also provides that the chief cannot detail more than four men to any special investigation. When the secret service was organized In 1865 the initial appropriation was made for detecting counterfeiters and running down “other felonies.” Aside from the chief and a few clerks the secret service is really kept alive by a yearly appropriation in the sundry civil bill. The service, however, had greater latitude than at present up -to-the time when President Roosevelt in 1907 got into a controversy with congress because of the fact that he caused investigations to be made concerning certain congressmen. In revenge congress adopted the restriction that prohibits the use of the secrets service men for any other purpose than thh detection Of counterfeiting and the protection of the president. That provision has limited their activity and makes it necessary for the r»mef so htre other men for work required by other departments. The secret service received $145,000 last year and asks for $225,000 for the coming fiscal year.
Tough on the Creditors.
“I say, old chap, can you lend me a ten-spot?" 1 “Sure. Here you are.” “Thanks, awfully. I'm indebted to you more than I can ever hope to nv pay.”
Poor but Lucky.
Myrtilla—So Jack Harduppe told you I refused him because he was poor, did he? € Miranda—Tea. dear; and I told him be ought; to thank his lucky stars that he wasn’t rich.
PAID LARGE SALARIES
Federal League Was Not Stingy Toward Its Players. ( i Club Owners Surprised at Immense Amount of Money Spent to Becun» Stars From Major Leagues— A Few Examples. The liberality of the Federal league toward its bail players left the club owners of organized ball dumfounded when Feds showed their salary list at the recent peace meeting. A club owner in one of the major leagues stated that he was surprised when the Federal league officials told of the thousands of dollars they had spent on inflated Salaries. In order to lure the players away from the major leagues their salaries were doubled and some of them tripled. According to the officials of organized ball, it was this unusual extravagance of the Federal league which caused it 6 downfall. A few examples of the increase which the Federal league gave in salaries, shows that it was impossible for the Federal league to ever come out even financially. The following table shows how much salary some of the players received under organized baseball and what the Federal league paid them: Organized Federal Player Ball. League. Tinker $5,500 $12,000 Campbell 3.200 8.600 Cooper 2,500 7,600 Falkenberg, 4,000 8,600 Kauff .2,000 7,600 Seaton 2,600 8,200 Chase 6,000 9,000 Not only did the Federal league sign these players and many others at these exorbitant salaries for long terms, but it gave them bonuses of from. SI,OOO 4» $5,000 advances at the time they signed. Old, seasoned baseball men State that the most prosperous days that baseball has ever had could not afford such high salaries. When the assem-
Joe Tinker.
bled National and American league officials listened to the Federal league men as they unfolded their tale of woe they looked at each other in surprise. An official of organized baseball said: “They estimate that the Federal league lost $3,000,000 in this venture. I tell you that $4,500,000 or $5,000,000 would be nearer the mark. It was the to imagine that any baseball league could live and pay the players such, salaries.” It is estimated that more than sev-enty-five of the ball players whom the Federal league enticed away from organized ball with the big offer of money received more than twice as much as they received with organized ball. This item alone would represent an annual expenditure of $225,000. . It can readily be seen now why the big issue in the peace negotiations is the seventy or more players whom the Federal league has -under iron-bound contracts at these inflated salaries. Organized baseball- has told the Federal league club owners that they cannot hope to pay these salaries, even if they take the players back. It is believed that the compromise will be effected by organized ball paying the greater part of the salaries to the players they take, while the Federal league must make up the balance. ’
GRAND CIRCUIT DATES Cleveland, week of July 17. _ Detroit, week of July 24. Kalamazoo, week of July 31. Grand Rapids, week of August 7. ' Columbus, week of August 14. Cleveland, week of August 2L New York* week of August 28. Hartford, week of September 4. Syracuse, week" of September 11. Columbus, * two weeks beginnlng September 18. Lexington, two weeks beginning October 2. Atlanta, week of October 16.
Cost of Athletic*. New York Athletic club to maintain jtaathletic. department last year spent $49,365.21, and its receipts from all sports was only $26,417.23. -~tl7 ~: Rifle Clubs of Shanghai. Shanghai has seven rifle club* with a membership of 754. >- • - r
SULLIVAN WAS REALLY WORLD’S CHAMPION
The question asked most In pugilistic circles is: “Was John L. Sullivan ever champion of the world?” This has been answered in the affirmative as well as the negative, noted critics disagreeing as to whether or not Sullivan really held the title. Tom Andrews of Milwaukee, a well-known sporting authority, declares Sullivan was in reality the champion. Andrews burrowed into ancient pugilistic history and unearthed following facts to uphold him in his contention: In 1869 Tom Allen, heavyweight champion of England, and Mike McCoole, an American, fought for the world's championship near St. Louis, and McCoole won on a foul in the ninth round. In 1873 Allen and McCoole staged another battle and on that occasion Allen was the victor. That victory restored the championship to him. Late In 1873 Joe Goss of England came to America and fought Allen ■ near Covington, Ky. Goss won on a foul in the twenty-seventh round. In 1880 Paddy Ryan fought Goss at Collier, W. V"., and won the decision in the eighty-seventh round. February 7, 1882, John L. Sullivan met Ryan at Mississippi City for $5,000 a side and knocked out Ryan in the ninth round. -—/■ . ■ ‘ ■■ - Goss beat Allen, Ryan beat Goss, and Sullivan beat Ryan, so why shouldn’t Sullivan be looked upon as the world’s champion after his victory jyyet Ryan? asks Andrews. Sullivan’s victory over Ryan, and JUke_ victoriesof the other, champions before Ryan and Sullivan were under the old London prize ring rules, but those were the rules that" really governed in those days, and It was under these rules that champions were made and unmade. In further argument that Sullivan was champion of the world Andrews cites these facts: In 1885 Jem Smith claimed the
LITTLE PICK-UPS OFSPOBT
The Dale Axworthy trotter Yace G., 2:09%, is an M. & M. probability, * * * We notice that even when a fighter is trained to the minute he needs a lot of seconds. • • * Fielder Jones says that he is going to catalogue George Sisler as a pitcher instead of an outfielder. * • * One writer calls Joe Stecher a tonic to the wrestling game. Wrestlers say he’s more like chloroform. * * * Ad Wolgast admits he has taken a lot of punishment, but says a good deal of it was on his knuckles. ■* • • ■ There’s a big difference in champions. Willard wants to flgbt but can’t Welsh can fight, but won’t • • • That wrestler who wore a 'mask in 4frew York bouts was simply following in the footsteps of other hold-up men. * * • The baseball players whose salaries are now being cut are probably beginning to realize the horrors of peace. * * * Judge Ormonde* 2; Q 2%.. is winter: ing so well that Valentine thinks be will be a star among tbe free-forall pacers. -• • v • * • Maybe Eddie McGoorty is convinced now that Les Darcy can knock him
John L. Sullivan.
heavyweight title of England. Jack Davis rose up to dispute it, and the men were matched for a SSOO side bet. Smith won and was acclaimed the heavyweight champion of England. December 19, 1887, Smith and Kilrain, an American, fought 106 rounds to a draw in Isle des Souveratns, France. July 8, 1889, Sullivan and Kilrain met in Richburg, Miss., and fought with bare knuckles, as had Smith and Kilrain. Sullivan defeated Kilrain in 75 rounds, the battle lasting two hours and sixteen minutes. Smith was only the champion of England, asserts Andrews. The best he could do against Kilrain was a draw. Sullivan, however, beat Kilrain, so why shouldn't Sullivan have been entitled to the world’s championship without a question of doubt? Some folks, mostly English, were of the opinion that Charlie Mitchell shared the championship honors with Sullivan because he held Sullivan to a 39-round draw in Chantilly, France, but Mitchell didn’t share the honor. The championship was Sullivan’s until he was beaten; a draw scored by an opponent against the champion does not halve the championship. The rule on this question is plain. - Sullivan’s fight with Kilrain was the last bare-knuckle battle. Boxing gloves were introduced shortly afterward and Sullivan popularized them by using them in all his theatrical work thereafter. He traveled all over the world, met all comers and beat them ail until Jim Corbett crossed his path. 'i.:-: 11l- -Lfe Corbett certainly was entitled to the world’s championship because he fought Peter Jackson, the negro, who was champion of Australia, to a 61round draw in 1891; beat Sullivan in 21 rounds September 7. 1892, and January 26, 1904, scored a knockout in three rounds over Charlie Mitchell, who was then champion of England.
out. Les has turned the trick twice. That ought to be enough. * * • Clarke Griffith and Pat Moran both say they will take back no contract jumper, but, of course, there will be no blacklist Certainly not! • • m Modest Mike Gibbons believes $25,000 is what he should get to fight Lea Darcy, tbe Australian bogey man. Safety first is Michael’s motto. , .. ■I: ' -r— • * * Ad Wolgast figures on quitting the ring. Ad’s a bum mathematician. He has been figuring that way for years and hasn’t got tbe answer yet ** : / . .... Jimmy Callahan, new. Pittsburgh manager, may make ever the club, but won’t have to spend much time teaching his shortstop how to hit. • * • Evidently an auto racer's neck isn't worth as much as it used to be. The purse for the Memorial day race at Indianapolis has been cut from $50,000 to $30,000. - m , ——— Baseball is one of the greatest civilizing influences Uncle Sam has' taken to Panama, says a story. In the U. S. it has made a lot of people uncivilized. • • • Wrestling has reached the point where writer# fail to talk United: States. A news item says: “Willoughby won with a bead chancery, bar arm and grapevine.” A golfer has trained an Irish terrier to retrieve balls for him and do general caddy work, but it won’t seem natural until the brute-has learned to steal a few 75-centers and sisokaJ|f||pl arettes back of a tree.