It is difficult to say where exactly a spy's work ends in war, and
that of a scout begins, except that, as a rule, the first is carried
out in disguise.
The scout is looked up to as a brave man, and his expedients for
gaining information are thought wonderfully clever, so long as he
remains in uniform. If he goes a bit further, and finds that he can
get his information better by adopting a disguise--even at the greater
risk to himself through the certainty of being shot if he is found
out--then he is looked down upon as a "despicable spy." I don't see
the justice of it myself.
A good spy--no matter which country he serves--is _of necessity_ a
brave and valuable fellow.
In our Army we do not make a very wide use of field spies on service,
though their partial use at manoeuvres has shown what they can do.
In "Aids to Scouting" I have stated: "In the matter of spying we
are behind other nations. Spying, in reality, is reconnaissance in
disguise. Its effects are so far-reaching that most nations, in order
to deter enemies' spies, threaten them with death if caught."
As an essential part of scouting, I gave a chapter of hints on how to
spy, and how to catch other people spying.