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Show ESPIONAGE IN FRANCE. HOW ONE IS MADE AWARE OP TH? REIGN OF THE SPY SYSTEM. Spies Found in Kvery Walk of I.I fo fa Tvcry Portion of the l!l Ciiof Parla, Hon They Watch mill Itrport the j) lotions lo-tions tout Words of Stranger, The third republic is no freer than were any previous French regimes from this deep taint of what tho French cull luouchardise. Never before fit any period pe-riod of France's history has the reign of spydom been so widespread and absolute iu I'uriu as now. There has been latterly latter-ly much discussion in tho world's pros of the extraordinary degree to which oflicial espionage obtains iu Russia, and very interesting dctuiln hav-j Ih-cii forthcoming forth-coming 011 the subject. 1 am uow iu a position to affirm that in Paris I do not ay throughout the whole of France the, meshes of tho detective net are woven even more closely round the entire population popu-lation than has ever been thu catso iu SU Petersburg. Evidence of this fact might c.bily be found in the secret history of the Bottlaiigisi conspiracy. From first to last every detail of this movement was known to the police, more than throc-fidirths of tho Boulangists themselves them-selves beii.g informers. The iubtaiit you arrive at a Paris station sta-tion you are in tho midst of spies. Von are driven to a hotel in a cab. In half an hour the cabman will furnish tha I'olice with m:y particulars he may have Leon nble to gather concerning your position, po-sition, destination, business, etc, ClIAIiACTiill OF THE HVli'H. Arrived ut your hotel you become ihu objecr of acrmip.y, as close as it is tecr.'t, on the part of divers person., who, though attached to tho place iu thrj capacity of manager or ca.-.hier, or even porter or "boots," aro in reality enrolled fculdicrs of the great detective anny. Ami hero I may mention a special characteristic char-acteristic of the French detective syt tem its faculty of recruiting adherent! in till cliis.-jcsi cf social y. French spies for the most part are not simple spies and nothing more. They have a trade or occupation of their own, to which they seem wholly and solely devoted, while yet assiduously pursuing sub rosa their spying. The nnyastiertingotranger in Paris has linsier at his hotel sorved by a waiter, who, as a matter of course, is in tho pay of the police aud wiil subsequently report re-port to them what conversation ho overhears over-hears during the mea!. He then sallies forth for tin evening'3 amusement of tho trr.o Parisian sort. First he repairs to one of the brilliant boulevard playhouses. A few stulls away from him sits a gentlemanly looking look-ing man with hteadv, observant eyes, who glances now and again at our friend in such a way ns to make the latter think, "I wonder where I have seen that man before?" He never has seen hi in liefore, but it doesn't enter his head for a moment to suspect the man of being what he really is a police spy. SliKS EVERYWHERE. The play over, there is just time for half nn hour's stroll under the horse chestnuts in tho Jardin de Paris. Here nine-tenths of the attendants are either spies or scamps, or may, indeed, be both at once, for French police authorities are not very miuoamish in choosing their instruments, in-struments, and seem to have a sort of preference for scoundrels over others. Their theory runs that the greater villain a man is the better spy ho will make; moreover, the most efHcucious means of . keeping a man nnder spy surveillance is to have him become a spy himself, for spies spy upon each other quite as much as 0:1 the rest of mankind. But our foreigner finishes up the evening even-ing by turning into the Cafo Americaine for supper, where he has for next door neightior a yonng woman, with whom he enters into conversation. She has a sweet smile, which displays two rows of glittering teeth, and puts many questions to him concerning France and the French. Naturally enongh, our visitor imagines this is all done out of that bright, easy Gallic politeness he admires o much, for how is he to know that t vcry word he has said in reply will cunto to the ear of the police not later than tlie following afternoon? If our friend be fond of f.port he will soon be finding his way to the race courses near the capital, nnd into the baccarat clubs, with which Paril abounds, and here he will bo hourly in contact with police spies in greater number num-ber than there are racers on thu courso or cards in the pack. And so the game goes en iu every sphere of Paris life aud society. Philadelphia Times. |