OCR Text |
Show o . . SPY SYSTEMS. ' The elaborate working out of spy systems in Europe is appalling to the simple hearted and open American mind. These insidious ways of the Old World are revolting revolt-ing to our franker methods of procedure. Our secret If & service has been merely a scheme for detecting crime. w Over in Europe it is a vast mechanism for securing military information, influencing opinion in foreign countries, coun-tries, stirring up strikes, revolutions, and all kinds oC troubles for peoples regarded as hostile. Our military position is no doubt understood quite as well in Berlin as in Washington. Warfare with Germany means an unknown and insidious insidi-ous force of information gatherers and plotters right among us. No one can know where it is or whom it in- mmmmmm eludes. A great deal 01 injustices will be done onsuspic-ion onsuspic-ion to many loyal German-Americans who are standing by their adopted country. But one can be sure also that some things that look perfectly innocent really mean mischief. The little tumble tum-ble down shop in some back city alley where they apparently appar-ently are turning out some trifling industrial by-product, may be the place whero deadly bombs are being made for some wholesale destruction. A great many ridiculous errors will be made. Engineers En-gineers measuring a lot, telephone and wire gangs locating locat-ing services, will be regarded by some one as spies. The police will come running breathless to question them. But people who seem to bo taking observations and who are lurking in places where their business is not apparent and where they might do damage, will have to be watched. The United States will have to resort to the measures long ago enforced abroad for tho registration of aliens. There should be correct lists of unnaturalized foreigners, their address and business. No unoffending man will be hurt by such registration, and valuable information will be secured. |