Quite another class of spy is the traitor who gives away the
secrets of his own country. For him, of course, there is no excuse.
Fortunately, the Briton is not as a rule of a corruptible character,
and many foreign spies in England have been discovered through their
attempts to bribe officers or men to give away secrets.
On the other hand, we hear frequently of foreign soldiers falling
victims to such temptation, and eventually being discovered. Cases
have only recently come to light in Austria where officers were
willing to sell information as regards a number of secret block-houses
which were built on the frontier of Bukovina last year. Details of
them got into the hands of another Power within a few days of the
designs being made.
Apparently when suspicion falls upon an officer in Austria the case
is not tried in public, but is conducted privately, sometimes by the
Emperor himself. When the man is found guilty, the procedure is for
four friends of the accused to visit him and tell him what has been
discovered against him, and to present him with a loaded revolver and
leave him. They then remain watching the house, in order that he shall
not escape, and until he elects to shoot himself; if he fails to do
so, in reasonable time, they go in and finish him off between them.