GUARD DOUBLED.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20234, 19 February 1934, Page 1

GUARD DOUBLED.

MR MACDONALD’S LIFE IN DANGER. Threatening Letters. SCOTLAND YARD ASSIGNS HIM ANOTHER "SHADOW.” United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. (Received Februarv 19. 11.30 a m ) LONDON. February 18. Scotland Yard has added a second detective “ shadow ” to Mr MacDonald's guardians as a result of letters threatening his life. Though Scotland Yard Is frequently in the limelight there is one feature o f its activities

which is little heard of. This is the Special Branch of Scotland Yard, frequently wrongly termed the Secret Service. The Special (or Political) Branch works quietly, particularly at the ports; it keeps track of suspect aliens; it is well informed through

secret channels of international intrigues; and is wholly responsible for the personal safety of the Royal Family, Cabinet Ministers and other notabilities. The Linguists. A knowledge of languages is the first essential of the Special Branch man,and it is not unusual to find men in the Service with knowledge of seven or eight languages, including Arabic, Chinese and Russian! The Fenian outrages in London were responsible, in 1883-85, for the establishment of the Special Branch, first called “ Special Irish Branch.” When Irish-American dynamitards were seeking to create a reign of terror, officers of the Royal Irish Constabulary were transferred to London to give protection to the Ministers of the Crown and prevent the terrorists from destroying public buildings. They Were not exactly welcomed by the established police, who felt slighted at their introduction. To smooth things over, specially selected officers of the Metropolitan Police were detailed for the protection work—most of them being Irish, and to this day there is in the Special Branch a preponderance of men of Irirh extraction. A Mixed Dish. In the year 1886 this special protective staff was created a permanent force. With its ramifications and knowledge of international intrigues, the Special Branch was of great service during the war. Hundreds of suspected spies and questionable persons were interrogated by the Special Branch men in a room at the Yard—carefully arranged for psychological effect on the suspect —and not a few of the spies unmasked were discovered by them. So important did the work become during the war that the Special Branch was detached from the Yard and placed under an Assistant-Commissioner, who assumed the title of “ Director of Intelligence.” When peace was concluded with all countries the Special Branch became again part of the Criminal Investigation Department, and reverted to its pre-war number, but with an increased responsibility. The King’s Detective. At the head of the Special Branch is Superintendent Edward Parker, often called the King’s detective. His experiences as the guard of British Royalties in all parts of the world during his thirty-six years’ service would make more thrilling reading than the average detective story, could his tale be told. One curious job which fell to Mr Parker’s lot was to prove to a judge and jury that there was a war on! Before a case of high treason could proceed, he had to go into the witness box and produce the Order in Council proclaiming the war! One of the most picturesque figures engaged on special protective work abroad—the counterpart of Superintendent Parker—is Monsieur Sisteron, the famous French detective who is responsible for the safety of the President of the French Republic and alwavs accompanies visiting Royalty on their journeyings through France. With a fund o f humorouc stories, but with a very keen and alert manner, M. Sisteron is a mar to whom France owes a great deal.