Show W the spy system as observed by a visitor in paris A city which swarms with and their emissaries who are constant ly watching and dogging the footsteps of and strangers Str angera the third republic is no freer than were any previous french regimes says a writer in the philadelphia times from this deep taint of what the french call ardise never before at any period of frances history hist bry has the reign of been so widespread and absolute in paris as now there hasteen has been latterly much discussion in the worlds press of the extraordinary degree to which official espionage obtains sia anda very interesting details have been forthcoming on the subject I 1 am now in a position to affirm chatin paris I 1 do not say throughout the whole of france the detective net are woven even more closely round the entire population than has ever been alie case in S petersburg evidence of this fact might easily be found in the secret history of the conspiracy sp iracy from first to last every detail of this movement was known to the police more than three fourths afi the themselves being informers the instant you arrive at a paris station you are in the midst of spies you are driven to a hotel in a cab in half an hour the cabman will furnish the police with any particulars he may have been abac to gather concerning your position destination business etc arrived at your hotel you become the object of scrutiny as close as it is secret on the divers persons who though attached to the place in the capacity of rac mager or cashier or even porter or boots are in reality enrolled soldiers of the great detective army and here imay I may mention a special char of tho french detective tem ils faculty of recruiting adherents in all classes of society 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 yet assiduously pursuing sub rosa their spying the unsuspecting stranger in ams pms lias dinner at his hotel served by a waiter who asa matter of course is in tha pay of the police and will subsequently report to them what conversation he overhears during the meal he then sallies forth primed with a glass or two of fine champagne for an evening s amusement of alie true parisian sort first he repairs to one of the 1 brilliant boulevard playhouses play houses A few tills away from him sits a gentlemanly looking man with steady observant eyes who glances now and again at our friend in such a way as to make the lat ter 1 wonder where ive seen before lie never has seen him before but it enter liis head for a moment to man of be really is a police spy the play over thare is usi time for half na hours stroll under the horse chestnuts in the jardin de paris here of the attendants are cither spies or scalps scamps or may indeed be once for berench police authorities are not very squeamish in choosing their instruments 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 he will make moreover the most efficacious means of keeping a man under spy surveillance is to have him become a spy himself for spies spy upon each other quite as much as on the rest of mankind but our foreigner finishes up the even ing by turning into the cafe ameri caine for supper where ha basfor next door neighbor a seductive young woman 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 enough our visitor es this is all done out of that bright easy gallic politeness he admires so much for how is he to arnow that every word he has said in reply will come to the ear of the police riot later than the following afternoon if our friend be fond of sport he will finding his way to the racecourse near the capital and into the baccarat clubs with which paris abounds and here he will be hourly in contact with police spies in greater numbers than there are racers on the course or cards in the pack and so the game goes on in every sphere of paris life and society |