ButthemostremarkablefeatureofTheTimesthatwhichemphaticallycommendedittopublicsupportandensureditscommercialsuccess——wasitsdepartmentofforeignintelligence。
AtthetimethatWalterundertookthemanagementofthejournal，Europewasavasttheatreofwar；andintheconductofcommercialaffairs——nottospeakofpoliticalmovements——itwasofthemostvitalimportancethatearlyinformationshouldbeobtainedofaffairsontheContinent。TheEditorresolvedtobecomehimselfthepurveyorofforeignintelligence，andatgreatexpensehedespatchedhisagentsinalldirections，eveninthetrackofarmies；whileotherswereemployed，undervariousdisguisesandbymeansofsundrypretexts，inmanypartsoftheContinent。Theseagentscollectedinformation，anddespatchedittoLondon，oftenatconsiderablerisks，forpublicationinTheTimes，whereitusuallyappearedlonginadvanceofthegovernmentdespatches。
ThelateMr。Pryme，inhis’AutobiographicRecollections，’
mentionsavisitwhichhepaidtoMr。WalterathisseatatBearwood。“Hedescribedtome，“saysMr。Pryme，“thecauseofthelargeextensioninthecirculationofTheTimes。Hewasthefirsttoestablishaforeigncorrespondent。ThiswasHenryCrabbRobinson，atasalaryof300L。ayear……Mr。Walteralsoestablishedlocalreporters，insteadofcopyingfromthecountrypapers。Hisfatherdoubtedthewisdomofsuchalargeexpenditure，butthesonprophesiedagradualandcertainsuccess，whichhasactuallybeenrealised。“
Mr。RobinsonhasdescribedinhisDiarythemannerinwhichhebecameconnectedwiththeforeigncorrespondence。“InJanuary，1807，“hesays，“Ireceived，throughmyfriendJ。D。Collier，aproposalfromMr。WalterthatIshouldtakeupmyresidenceatAltona，andbecomeTheTimescorrespondent。Iwastoreceivefromtheeditorofthe’HamburgerCorrespondenten’allthepublicdocumentsathisdisposal，andwastohavethebenefitalsoofamassofinformation，ofwhichtherestraintsoftheGermanPressdidnotpermithimtoavailhimself。ThehonorariumIwastoreceivewasamplewithmyhabitsoflife。Igladlyacceptedtheoffer，andneverrepentedhavingdoneso。MyacquaintancewithMr。Walterripenedintofriendship，andlastedaslongashelived。“[1]