INTELLIGENCE IN PEACE TIME In time of peace, the relative military power of a nation with regard to other foreign Powers, and in particular to its immediate neighbours, necessarily affects its foreign policy. Every govern ment therefore maintains an intelligence system, which generally forms a section of the headquarters staff of its military forces (known in most countries as the general staff), for the purpose of : (a) Providing its government with all necessary information re garding the military power of foreign nations; (b) Devising means whereby, in case of war, all essential information concern ing the enemy, allies and theatre of war may be placed at the disposal of the commander and troops, and the supply of further information continued throughout the campaign; (c) Preventing the acquisition of information by the enemy.
The fighting power of a nation can only be gauged when accurate and detailed infor mation is available on certain factors, the most important of which are the organization, strength and power of expansion, armament, tactics and morale of its armed forces, the character istics of its leaders, its defensive works and fortresses, its corn munications, such as road, railway, waterway, aerodrome, cable, telegraph and wireless telegraphy systems, its physical and po litical geography, climatic conditions and economic and industrial resources in relation to military requirements. This information also enables the general staff to prepare, and keep up to date, plans or offensive and defensive operations, together with esti mates of the forces required for their execution against any Power or combination of Powers, with which the particular Power, either alone or in co-operation with other Powers, might be brought into conflict.
The main sources from which information is derived in peace time are statistics and economic data obtained from foreign government publications, from the Press and technical works, foreign training manuals, military and geographical publications and from information procured by the Secret Service. When war breaks out, this in telligence system provides the commander and troops about to take the field with maps and all available information regarding the theatre of war, the armed forces and military resources of allied and hostile Powers, with their special characteristics; this information forms the basis of the plan of campaign, but requires to be supplemented with information concerning the enemy's mobilization, concentration and order of battle in general. For this purpose preparations must be made beforehand and an in telligence organization provided for the troops in the field ; the intelligence section therefore lays down the foundation of the intelligence organization required in war and makes arrange ments for expansion by training the personnel required.
