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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..252d40f --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #61069 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/61069) diff --git a/old/61069-8.txt b/old/61069-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 566a1a5..0000000 --- a/old/61069-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,5852 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of German Spies in England, by William Le Queux - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: German Spies in England - An Exposure - -Author: William Le Queux - -Release Date: January 1, 2020 [EBook #61069] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GERMAN SPIES IN ENGLAND *** - - - - -Produced by Tim Lindell, Graeme Mackreth and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - - - - - - - - - -GERMAN SPIES IN ENGLAND - - - - - GERMAN SPIES - IN ENGLAND - - AN EXPOSURE - - BY - - WILLIAM LE QUEUX - - AUTHOR OF - "LYING LIPS," "FATAL THIRTEEN," - "THE FOUR FACES," ETC. - - TORONTO - - THOMAS LANGTON - - 1915 - - - - -_Printed in Great Britain_ - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAP. PAGE - - To the Reader 7 - - I. How the Truth was Hidden 11 - - II. The Kaiser's Secret Revealed 22 - - III. How the Public were Bamboozled 36 - - IV. Under the Kaiser's Thumb 57 - - V. How Spies Work 66 - - VI. Some Methods of Secret Agents 78 - - VII. Master-Spies and Their Cunning 93 - - VIII. The Spy and the Law 116 - - IX. A Remarkable Spy 138 - - X. Some Recent Cases 152 - - XI. 27,000 Aliens at Large in Great Britain 171 - - XII. How to End the Spy Peril 196 - - - - -TO THE READER - - -From the outbreak of war until to-day I have hesitated to write this -book. But I now feel impelled to do so by a sense of duty. - -The truth must be told. The peril must be faced. - -Few men, I venture to think, have been more closely associated with, or -know more of the astounding inner machinery of German espionage in this -country, and in France, than myself. - -Though the personnel of the Confidential Department established at -Whitehall to deal with these gentry have, during the past six years, -come and gone, I have, I believe, been the one voluntary assistant who -has remained to watch and note, both here and in Belgium--where the -German headquarters were established--the birth and rapid growth of -this ever-spreading canker-worm in the nation's heart. - -I am no alarmist. This is no work of fiction, but of solid and serious -fact. I write here of what I know; and, further, I write with the true -spirit of loyalty. Though sorely tempted, at this crisis, to publish -certain documents, and make statements which would, I know, add greatly -to the weight of this book, I refrain, because such statements might -reveal certain things to the enemy, including the identity of those -keen and capable officials who have performed so nobly their work of -contra-espionage. - -Yet to-day, with the fiercest war in history in progress, with our -bitterest enemy threatening us with invasion, and while we are -compelled to defend our very existence as a nation, yet Spies are -nobody's business! - -It is because the British public have so long been officially deluded, -reassured and lulled to sleep, that I feel it my duty to now speak out -boldly, and write the truth after a silence of six years. - -Much contained within these covers will probably come as a complete -revelation to many readers who have hitherto, and perhaps not unjustly, -regarded spies as the mere picturesque creation of writers of fiction. -At the outset, however, I wish to give them an assurance that, if -certain reports of mine--which now repose in the archives of the -Confidential Department--were published, they would create a very -considerable sensation, and entirely prove the truth of what I have -ventured to write within these covers. - -I desire, further, to assure the reader that, since 1905, when I -first endeavoured to perform what I considered to be my duty as an -Englishman, I have only acted from the purest patriotic motives, while, -from a pecuniary point of view, I have lost much by my endeavour. - -The knowledge that in the past, as now, I did what I conceived to be -but my duty to my country, was, in itself, an all-sufficient reward; -and if, after perusal of this book, the reader will only pause for a -moment and reflect upon the very serious truths it contains, then I -shall have accomplished all I have attempted. - -We have, since the war, had a rude awakening from the lethargy induced -by false official assurances concerning the enemy in our midst. - -It is for the nation to now give its answer, and to demand immediate -and complete satisfaction from those who were directly responsible for -the present national peril, which, if unchecked, must inevitably result -in grave disaster. - - WILLIAM LE QUEUX. - - Hawson Court, - Buckfastleigh, Devon. - _February, 1915._ - - - - -GERMAN SPIES IN ENGLAND - - - - -CHAPTER I - -HOW THE TRUTH WAS HIDDEN - - -The actual truth regarding Germany's secret and elaborate preparations -for a raid upon our shores has not yet been told. It will, however, I -venture to think, cause considerable surprise. - -A few curious facts have, it is true, leaked out from time to time -through the columns of the newspapers, but the authorities--and more -especially the Home Office, under Mr. McKenna--have been most careful -to hide the true state of affairs from the public, and even to lull -them into a false sense of security, for obvious reasons. The serious -truth is that German espionage and treasonable propaganda have, during -past years, been allowed by a slothful military administration to take -root so deeply, that the authorities to-day find themselves powerless -to eradicate its pernicious growth. - -Unfortunately for myself--for by facing the British public and daring -to tell them the truth, I suffered considerable pecuniary loss--I was -in 1905 the first person to venture to suggest to the authorities, by -writing my forecast "The Invasion of England," the most amazing truth, -that Germany was secretly harbouring serious hostile intentions towards -Great Britain. - -The reader, I trust, will forgive me for referring to my own personal -experiences, for I do so merely in order to show that to the grievous, -apathetic attitude of the Government of the time the present scandalous -state of affairs is entirely due. - -I had lived in Germany for a considerable period. I had travelled up -and down the country; I had lived their "home life"; I had lounged in -their officers' clubs; and I had indulged in the night-life of Berlin; -and, further, I had kept my eyes and ears open. By this, I had gained -certain knowledge. Therefore I resolved to write the truth, which -seemed to me so startling. - -My daring, alas! cost me dearly. On the day prior to the publication of -the book in question, Sir Henry Campbell Bannerman, then Premier, rose -in the House of Commons and--though he had never had an opportunity of -seeing my work--deliberately condemned it, declaring that it "should -never have been written" because it was calculated to create alarm. -Who, among the readers of this book, would condemn anything he had not -even seen? Now the last thing the Government desired was that public -attention should be drawn to the necessity of preparing against German -aggression. - -Once the real fear of the German peril had taken root in our islands, -there would instantly have been an irresistible demand that no money -should be spared to equip and prepare our fighting forces for a very -possible war--and then good-bye to the four-hundred-a-year payments to -Members, and those vast sums which were required to bribe the electors -with Social Reform. - -In the columns of the _Times_ I demanded by what right the Prime -Minister had criticised a book which he had never even seen, and in -justice to the late Sir Henry Campbell Bannerman I must here record -that he apologised to me, privately, for committing what he termed a -"political error." - -Political error! If there had been no further "political errors" in -this dear old country of ours, we should have no war to-day. - -The Government was bent upon suppressing the truth of my earnest -appeal; hence I was held up to derision, and, in addition, denounced on -all hands as a "scaremonger." - -Now, at the outset, I wish to say that I am no party politician. -My worst enemy could never call me that. I have never voted for a -candidate in my life, for my motto has ever been "Britain for the -British." My appeal to the nation was made in all honesty of purpose, -and in the true sense of the patriotism of one who probably has the ear -of a wide public. The late Lord Roberts realised this. Our national -hero, who, like myself, was uttering words of solemn warning, knew what -pressure the Government were endeavouring to place upon me, and how -they meant to crush me; therefore on November 29th, 1905, he wrote the -following:-- - - "Speaking in the House of Lords on the 10th July, 1905, I said:--'It - is to the people of the country I appeal to take up the question - of the Army in a sensible practical manner. For the sake of all - they hold dear, let them bring home to themselves what would be - the condition of Great Britain if it were to lose its wealth, its - power, its position.' The catastrophe that may happen if we still - remain in our present state of unpreparedness is vividly and forcibly - illustrated in Mr. Le Queux's new book, which I recommend to the - perusal of _every one who has the welfare of the British Empire at - heart_." - -But alas! if the public disregarded the earnest warnings of "Bobs," it -was scarcely surprising that it should disregard mine--especially after -the Prime Minister had condemned me. My earnest appeal to the nation -met only with jeers and derision, I was caricatured at the music halls, -and somebody wrote a popular song which asked, "Are we Downhearted?" - -Neither the British public, nor the authorities, desired the truth, -and, ostrich-like, buried their heads in the sand. Germany would never -dare to go to war, we were told, many wiseacres adding, "Not in our -time." - -The violent storm of indignation sweeping upon my unfortunate head, -I confess, staggered me. The book, which had cost me eighteen months -of hard work, and a journey of ten thousand miles in a motor-car, was -declared to be the exaggerated writing of a Jingo, a sensationalist, -and one who desired to stir up strife between nations. I was both -puzzled and pained. - -Shortly afterwards, I met Mr. (now Lord) Haldane--then War Minister--at -dinner at a country house in Perthshire, when, in his breezy way, -he assured me over the dinner-table that he knew Germany and German -intentions better than myself, and that there would never be war. And -he waxed humorous at my expense, and scorned Lord Roberts's warnings. - -The Kaiser's cleverness in ingratiating himself with certain English -Statesmen, officers, and writers is really amazing, yet it was--though -at that time unsuspected--part of the great German plot formed against -us. - -As an instance how the Emperor was cleverly misleading the British -Cabinet, Lord Haldane, speaking on June 29th, 1912, at a public dinner, -at which Baron Marschall von Bieberstein, the German Ambassador, was -present, said:-- - - "I speak of one whom we admire in this country and regard as one of - ourselves. - - "He (the Kaiser) knows our language and our institutions as we do, - and he speaks as we do. - - "The German Emperor is something more than an Emperor--he is a man, - and a great man. He is gifted by the gods with the highest gift that - they can give--I use a German word to express it--_Geist_ (spirit). - He has got _Geist_ in the highest degree. He has been a true leader - of his people--a leader in spirit as well as in deed. He has guided - them through nearly a quarter of a century, and preserved unbroken - peace. I know no record of which a monarch has better cause to be - proud. In every direction his activities have been remarkable. - - "He has given his country that splendid fleet that we who know - about fleets admire; he has preserved the tradition of the greatest - army the world has ever seen; but it is in the arts of peace that - he has been equally great. He has been the leader of his people in - education, and in the solution of great social questions. - - "That is a great record, and it makes one feel a sense of rejoicing - that the man who is associated with these things should be half an - Englishman. I have the feeling very strongly that in the last few - years Germany and England have become much more like each other than - they used to be. It is because we have got so much like each other - that a certain element of rivalry comes in. - - "We two nations have a great common task in the world--to make the - world better. It is because the German Emperor, I know, shares that - conviction profoundly that it gives me the greatest pleasure to give - you the toast of his name." - -The Government, having sought to point the finger of ridicule at my -first warning, must have been somewhat surprised at the phenomenal -success which the book in question attained, for not only were over -a million copies sold in different editions in English, but it -was translated into no fewer than twenty-six languages--including -Japanese--and, further, was adopted as a text-book in the German -Army--though I may add that the details I gave of various vulnerable -points around our coasts were so disguised as to be of little use to -the enemy. - -I had had a disheartening experience. Yet worse was to come. - -A couple of years later, while making certain inquiries in Germany with -a view to continuing my campaign, and my endeavour to disclose the -real truth to the British public, I discovered, to my surprise, the -existence of a wide-spread system of German espionage in England. - -Just about that time Colonel Mark Lockwood, the Member for Epping, -asked a question in the House of Commons regarding the reported -presence of spies in Essex. For his pains he was, of course, like -myself, promptly snubbed. - -A week later, I ventured to declare, at a meeting in Perth, that in -our midst we were harbouring a new, most dangerous, and well-organised -enemy--a horde of German spies. - -German spies in England! Who ever heard such wild rubbish! This -completed the bitterness of public opinion against me. The Press -unanimously declared that I had spoken wilful untruths; my statements -were refuted in leading articles, and in consequence of my endeavour -to indicate a grave national peril, a certain section of the Press -even went so far as to _boycott my writings altogether_! Indeed, more -than one first-class London newspaper which had regularly published my -novels--I could name them, but I will not--refused to print any more of -my work! - -I was, at the same time, inundated with letters from persons who -openly abused me and called me a liar, and more than one anonymous -communication, which I have still kept, written in red ink and probably -from spies themselves, for the caligraphy is distinctly foreign, -threatened me with death. - -Such was my reward for daring to awaken the country to a sense of -danger. It caused me some amusement, I must confess, yet it also taught -me a severe lesson--the same bitter lesson which the British public, -alas! taught Lord Roberts, who was so strenuously endeavouring to -indicate the danger of our unpreparedness. It told me one plain truth, -a truth spoken in the words of the noble General himself, who, with a -sigh, one day said to me, "Nothing, I fear, will arouse the public to a -sense of danger until they one day awaken and find war declared." - -On the day following my speech, the German Press, which published -reports of it, called me "the German-hater," by which epithet I am -still known in the Fatherland. The editor of a certain London daily -newspaper told me to my face: "There are no spies in England"; adding, -"You are a fool to alarm the public by such a statement. Nobody -believes you." - -I, however, held my own views, and felt that it was my duty to act in -one of two ways. Either I should place the confidential information -and documents which I had gathered, mostly from German sources, in the -hands of the Press, and thus vindicate myself; or give them over to -the Government, and allow them to deal with them in a befitting and -confidential manner. The latter attitude I deemed to be the correct -one, as an Englishman--even though I have a foreign name. At the War -Office the officials at first sniffed, and then, having carefully -examined the documents, saw at once that I had discovered a great and -serious truth. - -For this reason I have never sought, until now, to vindicate myself in -the public eye; yet I have the satisfaction of knowing that from that -moment, until this hour of writing, a certain nameless department, -known only by a code-number,--I will refer to it as the Confidential -Department,--has been unremitting in its efforts to track down German -secret agents and their deadly work. - -Through six years I have been intimate with its workings. I know -its splendid staff, its untiring and painstaking efforts, its -thoroughness, its patriotism, and the astuteness of its head director, -who is one of the finest Englishmen of my acquaintance. - -There are men who, like myself, have since done work for it both at -home and abroad, and at a considerable expenditure--patriotic men who -have never asked for a single penny to cover even their expenses--men -who have presented reports which have cost them long journeys abroad, -many a watchful night, much personal danger, and considerable outlay. -Yet all the time the Home Office ridiculed the idea of spies, and thus -misled the public. - -The archives of the secret department in question, which commenced -its activity after the presentation of my array of facts, would be -an amazing revelation to the public, but, alas! would, if published, -bring ignominy, disaster, and undying shame to certain persons among us -towards whom the Kaiser, the Master-Spy, has, in the past decade, been -unduly gracious. - -I could name British spies. I could write things here, shameful facts, -which would, like my first allegations, be scouted with disbelief, -although I could prove them in these pages. But, as a Briton, I -will not reveal facts which repose in those secret files, records -of traitorous shame, of high-placed men in England who have lived -for years in the enjoyment of generous allowances from a mysterious -source. To write here the truth I feel sorely tempted, in spite of the -law of libel. - -But enough! We are Englishmen. Let us wipe off the past, in the hope -that such traitorous acts will never be repeated, and that at last our -eyes are open to the grave dangers that beset us. - -To-day we have awakened, and the plain truth of all for which I have -contended is surely obvious to the world. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -THE KAISER'S SECRET REVEALED - - -Before proceeding further with this exposure of the clever and -dastardly German plot against England, the reader will probably -be interested in a confidential report which, in the course of my -investigations, travelling hither and thither on the Continent, I was -able to secure, and to hand over to the British Government for their -consideration. - -It was placed, in confidence, before certain members of the Cabinet, -and is still in the archives of the Confidential Department. - -The report in question, I obtained--more fully than I can here -reproduce it--from an intimate personal friend, who happened to be a -high functionary in Germany, and closely associated with the Kaiser. -Germany has spies in England; we, too, have our friends in Germany. - -Shortly after the Zeppelin airship had been tested and proved -successful, a secret Council was held at Potsdam, in June, 1908, at -which the Emperor presided, Prince Henry of Prussia--a clever man whom -I know personally--the representatives of the leading Federal States, -and the chiefs of the army and navy--including my informant--being -present. - -I regret that I am not at liberty to give the name of my informant, -for various reasons. One is that, though a German of high position, -he holds pro-British views, and has, in consequence, more than once -furnished me with secret information from Berlin which has been of the -greatest use to our Intelligence Department. Suffice it to say that his -identity is well known at Whitehall, and that, although his report was -at first regarded with suspicion, the searching investigation at once -made resulted in its authenticity being fully established. - -That the Kaiser had decided to make war, the British Government first -knew by the report in question--notwithstanding all the diplomatic -juggling, and the publication of Blue Books and White Books. The French -Yellow Book published in the first week of December, 1914, indeed, came -as confirmation--if any confirmation were necessary--from the lips of -King Albert of Belgium himself. - -Now at this secret Council the Kaiser appeared, dressed in naval -uniform, pale, determined, and somewhat nervous and unstrung. For more -than two hours he spoke of the danger confronting the German Empire -from _within_ and without, illustrating his speech by many maps and -diagrams, as well as some well-executed models of air-craft, designed -for the war now proceeding. - -At first, the Emperor's voice was almost inaudible, and he looked -haggard and worn. - - [1]"Gentlemen," the Emperor, in a low, hoarse voice, commenced, - "in calling this Council this evening, I have followed the Divine - command. Almighty God has always been a great and true ally of the - House of Hohenzollern, and it is to Him that I--just as my august - ancestors did--look for inspiration and guidance in the hour of need. - After long hours of fervent prayer light has, at last, come to me. - You, my trusted councillors and my friends, before whom I have no - secrets, can testify that it has been, ever since I ascended the - throne, my most ardent desire to maintain the peace of the world and - to cultivate, on a basis of mutual respect and esteem, friendship - and goodwill with all the nations on the globe. I am aware that the - course followed by me did not always meet with your approval, and - that on many an occasion you would have been glad to see me use the - mailed fist, rather than the silken glove chosen by me in my dealings - with certain foreign nations. It was a source of profound grief to - me to see my best intentions misunderstood, but bulletproof against - public censure and criticism, and responsible only to the Lord above - us for my acts, I calmly continued to do what I considered to be my - holy duty to the Fatherland. True to the great traditions of Prussia, - and the House of Hohenzollern, I believed in the necessity of - maintaining a great army and an adequate navy as the best guarantee - of peace. In our zeal for the preservation of peace we were compelled - to keep pace with the ever-increasing armaments of our neighbours, - until the limit seems now to have been reached. - - "We find ourselves now face to face with the most serious crisis in - the history of our new German Empire. Owing to the heavy taxation, - and the enormous increase in the cost of living, the discontent of - the masses is assuming alarming proportions, and even infecting the - middle and upper classes, which have, up to the present time, been - the strongest pillar of the monarchy. But worst of all, there are - unmistakable signs that the discontent is spreading even among the - troops, and that a secret well-organised anti-military movement is - afoot, calculated to destroy all discipline, and to incite both - my soldiers and sailors to open disobedience and rebellion. As, - according to the reports of my Secret Service, a similar movement - is making itself felt in nearly all the states of Europe; all - indications point to the fact, which admits, indeed, no longer of - any doubt, that we have to deal with an international revolutionary - organisation whose voiced object is the overthrowing of throne and - altar, and the establishment of a Republican government. - - "The gravity of the situation can, in no way, be underrated. In the - last session of the Reichstag it was openly admitted that never - before had there been among the German population so many friends of - a republican form of government as at the present time, and the idea - is rather gaining ground, not only among the masses, but also the - classes, though I have given the strictest orders to my Government - for its suppression. The fact, however, remains, and I cannot afford - to ignore it. - - "'Breakers ahead!' is the call of the helmsman at the Imperial ship - of state, and I am ready to heed it. How to find an honourable and - satisfactory solution of the problem is a question to which I have - devoted the closest attention during these last months. The outlook - is, I admit, dark, but we need not despair, for God, our great ally, - has given into our hands the means of saving our Empire from the - dangers which are threatening its happiness and welfare. You know - what I mean. It is that wonderful invention which His Excellency - Count Zeppelin was enabled, through the grace of the Lord, to make - for the safeguarding and glory of our beloved Fatherland. In this - invention God has placed the means at my disposal to lead Germany - triumphantly out of her present difficulties and to make, once and - for all, good the words of our poet, '_Deutschland, Deutschland über - alles!_' Yes, gentlemen, Germany over everything in the world, the - first power on earth, both in peace and war; that is the place which - I have been ordered by God to conquer for her, and which I will - conquer for her, with the help of the Almighty. - - "This is my irrevocable decision. At present we are, thanks to our - airships, invincible, and can carry at will war into the enemy's - own country. It goes without saying that if we want to maintain our - superiority and to use it to the best advantage, we cannot postpone - the necessary action much longer. In a few years our good friend, the - enemy, may have a fleet of airships equal--if not superior--to our - own, and where should I be then? Great Britain has thrown down the - gauntlet by declaring that she will build to each German, two English - Dreadnoughts, and I will take up the challenge. Now is our time. The - attack has always been the best defence, and he who strikes the first - blow generally comes triumphant out of the fray. To find an outlet - for the discontent of the nation; to nip the growing republican - sentiment in the bud; to fill our treasury; to reduce the burden of - taxation; to gain new colonies and markets for our industries across - the seas; to accomplish all this and still more, we simply have to - invade England. - - "You do not look at all surprised, gentlemen, and I see from the - joy on your faces that my words have found an echo in your hearts. - At last this idea, which is so popular with the greater part of my - people, and to the propagation of which I am so much indebted to - the untiring efforts of my professors, teachers, and other loyal - patriots, is to become a fact--a fact certainly not anticipated by - the English panic-mongers when first creating the scare of a German - invasion. Our plans have been most carefully laid and prepared by our - General Staff. - - "Another von Moltke will, true to his great name, demonstrate to the - world at large that we have not been resting on our laurels of 1870 - and 1871, and that, as the first condition of peace, we have been - preparing all the time for war. The glorious deeds of our victorious - armies will, I fear me not, be again repeated if not surpassed on the - battlefields of Great Britain and France, assuring in their ultimate - consequences to Germany the place due to her at the head of nations. - I need not go into details at the present moment. Suffice it to say - that preparations have been made to convey, at a word, a German army - of invasion of a strength able to cope with any and all troops that - Great Britain can muster against us. For the safe transport of the - army of invasion we shall, to a considerable degree, rely on the - fleets of fast steamers belonging to the Hamburg-Amerika Line and - the North-German Lloyd, two patriotic companies, whose officials, - employees, and agents have--throughout the world--proven their - zeal and devotion to the cause of the Empire, and whose tact and - discretion have already helped my government in many an embarrassing - position. Herr Ballin, Director-General of the Hamburg-Amerika Line, - whom I received but a few days since on board my yacht 'Hohenzollern' - at Swinemünde, is truly a great man and verily deserves something - better than to be nicknamed 'the Napoleon of German Shipping'--as - his enthusiastic compatriots call him. His activity, his energy, and - his brains accomplish the most difficult things, and when the day of - invasion arrives, he will reveal his plans. - - "Of course it is too early yet to fix the exact date when the blow - shall be struck. But I will say this, that we shall strike as soon - as I have a sufficiently large fleet of Zeppelins at my disposal. I - have given orders for the hurried construction of more airships of - the improved Zeppelin type, and when these are ready we shall destroy - England's North Sea, Channel, and Atlantic fleets, after which - nothing on earth can prevent the landing of our army on British soil, - and its triumphant march to London. Do you remember, my Generals, - what our never-to-be-forgotten Field-Marshal Gebhard Lebrecht von - Blücher exclaimed, when looking from the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral - upon the vast metropolis at his feet. It was short, and to the point. - 'What a splendid city to sack!' - - "You will desire to know how the outbreak of hostilities will be - brought about. I can assure you on this point. Certainly we shall - not have to go far to find a just cause for war. My army of spies - scattered over Great Britain and France, as it is over North and - South America, as well as all the other parts of the world, where - German interests may come to a clash with a foreign power, will take - good care of that. _I have issued already some time since secret - orders that will, at the proper moment, accomplish what we desire._ - There is even now, as you are all aware, a state of private war - existing between our country on the one side, and Great Britain and - France on the other, which will assume an official character as - soon as I give the word. It will become the starting point of a new - era in the history of the world, known to all generations as the - Pan-German era. I once pledged my word that every German outside of - the Fatherland, in whatever part of the globe he might live, had a - just claim to my Imperial protection. At this solemn hour I repeat - this pledge before you, with the addition, however, that I shall not - rest and be satisfied until all the countries and territories that - once were German, or where greater numbers of my former subjects now - live, have become a part of the great Mother-country, acknowledging - me as their supreme lord in war and peace. - - "Even now I rule supreme in the United States, where almost one - half of the population is either of German birth, or of German - descent, and where three million German voters do my bidding at the - Presidential elections. No American administration could remain - in power against the will of the German voters, who through that - admirable organisation, the German-American National League of the - United States of America, control the destinies of the vast Republic - beyond the sea. If man ever was worthy of a high decoration at my - hands it was Herr Dr. Hexamer, the president of the League, who may - justly be termed to be, by my grace, the acting ruler of all the - Germans in the United States. - - "Who said that Germany did ever acknowledge the Monroe doctrine? The - answer to this question was given by the roar of German guns at the - bombardment of the Venezuelan fort, San Carlos, by our ships. The - day is not far distant when my Germans in the Southern States of - Brazil will cut the bonds now tying them to the Republic, and renew - their allegiance to their former master. In the Argentine, as well - as in the other South American republics, a German-Bund movement - is spreading, as is the case in South Africa, where, thanks to the - neighbourhood of our colonies, events are shaping themselves in - accordance with the ultimate aims of my Imperial policy. Through my - ally, the Emperor-King of Austria-Hungary, I have secured a strong - foothold for Germany in the Near East, and, mark my word!--when - the Turkish 'pilaf'-pie will be partitioned, Asia Minor, Syria and - Palestine--in short, the overland route to India--will become our - property, and the German flag will wave over the holy shrines of - Jerusalem. - - "But to obtain this we must first crush England and France. The - war will be short, sharp and decisive. After the destruction of - the English fleets through our Zeppelins, we shall meet with no - serious resistance on the British Isles, and can, therefore, march - with nearly our whole strength into France. Shall we respect the - neutrality of Holland? Under the glorious Emperor, Charles V., both - Holland and Belgium formed part of the German Empire, and this they - are this time to become again. We shall have two or three battles in - France, when the French Government, recognising the impossibility of - prevailing with their disorganised, mutinous regiments against my - German 'beasts,' will accede to my terms of peace. After that, the - map of Europe will look somewhat different from what it does now. - While our operations are going on in England and France, Russia will - be held in check by Austria-Hungary. - - "The Empire of the Tsar is still suffering from the effects of its - unfortunate war with Japan, and is, therefore, not likely to burn - its fingers again, the more so as it is conscious of the fact that - any warlike measures against Germany would at once lead to a new - outbreak of the revolutionary movement--the end of which no man could - possibly foresee. Thus, you will agree with me, we have no real cause - to fear Russia. After the war, it will be time to set things right in - America, and to teach my friends over there that I have not forgotten - the object-lesson which Admiral Dewey saw fit to give me some years - since, when we had the little altercation with Castro. - - "_If God will help us, as I am convinced He will, I trust that at - the end of the coming year the Imperial treasury will be filled to - overflowing with the gold of the British and French war indemnities_, - that the discontent of our people will have ceased, that, thanks to - our new colonies in all parts of the world, industry and trade will - be flourishing as they never were before, and that the republican - movement among my subjects, so abhorrent to my mind, will have - vanished. - - "Then--but not before--the moment will have come to talk of - disarmament and arbitration. With Great Britain and France in the - dust, with Russia and the United States at my mercy, I shall set a - new course to the destinies of the world--a course that will ensure - to Germany for all time to come the leading part among the nations - of the globe. That accomplished, I shall unite all the people of - the white race in a powerful alliance for the purpose of coping, - under German guidance, with the yellow peril which is becoming more - formidable with every year. Then--as now--it must be 'Germans to the - front!'" - -The notes before me describe, in vivid language, the effect which this -speech of the Emperor had upon his devoted hearers. - -The old white-headed General von K---- even knelt before his Majesty to -kiss the hand which was gracefully extended to him. - -"It is truly the voice of God that has spoken out of your Majesty," he -cried in deep emotion. "God has chosen your Imperial Majesty as His -worthy instrument to destroy this nightmare of British supremacy at -sea, from which Germany has suffered all these many years--and God's -will be done!" - -The blasphemy of it all! In the subsequent Council, which lasted nearly -five hours through the night, the Kaiser arrived with his advisers at -a perfect understanding regarding the best ways and means to be adopted -for a successful carrying out of his Majesty's secret campaign for war. - -And Prince Henry of Prussia soon afterwards organised a British -motor-tour in Germany and throughout England. And he became the idol of -the Royal Automobile Club! - -FOOTNOTES: - -[Footnote 1: The German Government, by some means, learnt that I was -in possession of a report of this secret speech of the Kaiser's, and a -curious incident resulted. It was my intention, in September, 1908, to -write a book pointing out that Germany meant war. With that object I -gave to my friend Mr. Eveleigh Nash, the publisher, of Fawside House, -Covent Garden, the opening chapters of the manuscript, together with -the speech in question. He locked them, in my presence, in a drawer -in his writing-table in his private room. Two days later, when Mr. -Nash opened that drawer he found they had been stolen! German Secret -Agents undoubtedly committed the theft--which was reported in certain -newspapers at the time--for I have since learnt that my manuscript is -now in the archives of the Secret Service in Berlin! This, in itself, -is sufficient proof as showing how eager the Kaiser was to suppress -his declaration of war. It was fortunate that I had kept a copy of the -Emperor's speech.] - - - - -CHAPTER III - -HOW THE PUBLIC WERE BAMBOOZLED - - -Though the foregoing has been known to the British Cabinet for over -six years, and through it, no doubt, to the various Chancelleries of -Europe, not a word was allowed to leak out to the world until December -2nd, 1914--after we had been at war four months. - -The determination of the War Lord of Germany--whose preparations -against Great Britain had been so slyly and so cunningly made--was -at last revealed by the publication of the French Yellow Book, which -disclosed that in a dispatch dated November 22nd, 1913, M. Jules -Cambon, the French Ambassador in Berlin, reported a conversation -between the Emperor and the King of the Belgians in the presence of -General von Moltke, the chief of the General Staff. King Albert had -till then believed, as most people in Great Britain had believed, that -the Emperor was a friend of peace. - -But at this interview King Albert, according to an excellent summary of -the dispatches published in the _Star_, found the Emperor completely -changed. He revealed himself as the champion of the war party which he -had hitherto held in check. King Albert learned that the Emperor had -"come to think that war with France was inevitable, and that things -must come to that sooner or later." General von Moltke spoke to King -Albert "exactly as his Sovereign." He, too, declared that "war was -necessary and inevitable." He said to King Albert: "This time we must -settle the business once and for all, and your Majesty can have no idea -of the irresistible enthusiasm which on that day will sweep over the -whole German people." - -King Albert vainly protested that it was a travesty of the intentions -of the French Government to interpret them in this fashion. He found -the Emperor "over-wrought and irritable." - -M. Cambon suggested that the change in the Emperor's attitude was due -to jealousy of the popularity of the Crown Prince, "who flatters the -passions of the Pan-Germans." He also suggested that the motive of the -conversation was to induce King Albert to oppose no resistance in the -event of war. The French Ambassador warned his Government that the -Emperor was familiarising himself with an order of ideas once repugnant -to him. In other words, as long ago as 1913 the Kaiser was no longer -working for the peace of Europe, but was already in the hands of the -Prussian gang of militarists, who were working for war. - -The French Yellow Book proves up to the hilt the guilt of Germany, in -shattering the last hopes of peace at the end of July, 1914. Russia -had proposed a formula for a direct agreement with Austria, but on -July 30th Herr von Jagow, without consulting Austria, declared that -this proposal was not acceptable. When Germany discovered that Austria -was wavering and becoming more conciliatory, she threw off the mask, -and suddenly hurled her ultimatum at Russia. M. Cambon reminded Herr -von Jagow of his declaration that Germany would not mobilise if -Russia only mobilised on the Galician frontier. What was the German -Minister's reply? It was a subterfuge. He said: "It was not a definite -undertaking." The German Government, in its White Paper, suppressed its -despatches during the crucial period to Vienna. It did not publish them -because, we now know, it did not dare to reveal the truth. - -Germany, as I have shown, had for a long time planned the attack on -France through Belgium. So long ago, indeed, as May 6th, 1913, von -Moltke said: "We must begin war without waiting, in order to brutally -crush all resistance." The evidence of the Yellow Book proves that the -Emperor and his _entourage_ had irrevocably resolved to frustrate all -efforts of the Allies to preserve the peace of Europe. It confirms the -Kaiser's secret intentions revealed in the previous chapter, and it -establishes--fully and finally--the guilt of the Kaiser and of the -German Government. - -Those British newspapers which were most active and resolute in keeping -the country unprepared for the war that has come upon us, and which, -if they had had their way, would have left us to-day almost naked to -our enemies, are now suddenly rubbing their eyes, and discovering that -Germany had premeditated war for _quite a long time_. And this is -up-to-date journalism! The public, alas! reposed confidence in such -journals. Happily, they do not now. What the country will never forget, -if it consents to forgive, is the perversity with which they so long -refused to look facts in the face. - -It is surely a damning coincidence that when the Kaiser and von Moltke -were telling King Albert that war was inevitable, was the very time -chosen by the National Liberal Federation to demand the reduction of -our Navy Estimates, and to threaten the Government with a dangerous -division in the party unless the demand were complied with! - -Reduction in armaments, forsooth! - -The Government knew the facts, and did indeed resist the demand; but -for weeks there was a crisis in the Cabinet, and even in January, 1914, -as the _Globe_ pointed out, a Minister took the occasion to declare -that a unique opportunity had arrived for revising the scale of our -expenditure on Armaments! - -While Mr. McKenna was, as late as last November, endeavouring in an -outrageous manner to gag the _Globe_, and to prevent that newspaper -from telling the public the truth of the spy-peril, Lord Haldane--the -scales from whose eyes regarding his friend the Kaiser appear now -to have fallen--made a speech on November 25th, 1914, in the House -of Lords in which he, at last, admitted the existence of spies. The -following are extracts from this speech:-- - - "With the extraordinary intelligence system which Germany organised - in this country _long before the war_, no doubt they had certain - advantages which they ought not to have even of this kind.... If he - were to harbour a suspicion it would be that the most formidable - people were not aliens, but probably people of British nationality - who had been suborned.... He wishes he were sure that when really - valuable and dangerous pieces of information were given they were not - given by people of our own nationality, but some of the information - which had been given, could only have been given by people who had - access to it because they were British. His belief was that we had - had very little of this kind of thing, but that we had some, and that - it was formidable he could not doubt. In seeking these sources of - communication with the enemy it was desirable to go about the search - in a scientific way, and to cast suspicion where it was most likely - to be founded." - -Such a contribution to the spy question was really very characteristic. -It, however, came ill from one whose legal _confrère_ was, at that -moment, being referred to in the House of Commons as having a German -chauffeur who had been naturalised after the war broke out, and _had -gone for a holiday_ into Switzerland! Switzerland is a country not in -the Antarctic Ocean, but right on the border of the land of the Huns -in Europe, and the Lord Chief Justice, according to Mr. Asquith at the -Guildhall, is in close association with Cabinet Ministers in these days -of crises. - -Perhaps, as a correspondent pointed out, it never struck our Lord -Chancellor that the Lord Chief Justice's "now-British" chauffeur -might--though I hope not--have gone through Switzerland into Germany, -and might, if so disposed, quite innocently have related there -information to which he had access, not only because he was British, -but because he was in the service of a highly-placed person. Or, -perhaps, he did realise it, and his reference to information given -by persons of British nationality was a veiled protest against the -action of some of his colleagues--against that other who also has a -"now-British" chauffeur, or to a third, whose German governess, married -to a German officer, left her position early in November, but has left -her German maid behind her. Perhaps he did not know these things, or he -would also have known that other people may have access to information, -not because they are British, but because they are in the employ of -British Cabinet Ministers. - -Hitherto, the security of our beloved Empire had been disregarded by -party politicians, and their attendant sycophants, in their frantic -efforts to "get-on" socially, and to pile up dividends. What did "The -City" care in the past for the nation's peril, so long as money was -being made? - -In the many chats I had with the late Lord Roberts we deplored the -apathy with which Great Britain regarded what was a serious and most -perilous situation. - -But, after all, were the British public really to blame? They are -discerning and intelligent, and above all, patriotic. Had they been -told the hideous truth, they would have risen in their masses, and men -would have willingly come forward to serve and defend their country -from the dastardly intentions of our hypocritical "friends" across the -North Sea, and their crafty Emperor of the _volte-face_. - -It is not the fault of the British public themselves. The blame rests -as an indelible blot upon certain members of the British Government, -who now stand in the pillory exposed, naked and ashamed. The apologetic -speeches of certain members of the Cabinet, and the subdued and altered -tone of certain influential organs of the Press, are, to the thinker, -all-sufficient proof. - -In the insidious form of fiction--not daring to write fact after -my bitter experiences and the seal of silence set upon my lips--I -endeavoured, in my novel "Spies of the Kaiser" and other books, time -after time, to warn the public of the true state of affairs which was -being so carefully and so foolishly hidden. I knew the truth, but, in -face of public opinion, I dared not write it in other fashion. - -Naturally, if the Government jeered at me, the public would do -likewise. Yet I confess that very often I was filled with the deepest -regret, and on the Continent I discussed with foreign statesmen, and -with the Kings of Italy, Servia, Roumania and Montenegro in private -audiences I was granted by them, what I dared not discuss in London. - -Our national existence was certainly at stake. Lord Roberts knew it. -He--with members of the Cabinet--had read the Kaiser's fateful words -which I have here printed in the foregoing pages, and it was this -knowledge which prompted him to so strenuously urge the peril of our -unpreparedness until the outbreak of war. - -The hypocrisy of the Kaiser is sufficiently revealed by the fact that -two months after his declaration at the Secret Council at Potsdam he -made a public speech at Strasburg on August 30th in which he assured -the world that the peace of Europe was not in danger. - -In the same month, however, that the German Emperor disclosed his -secret intentions towards Great Britain, some important military -manoeuvres took place in Essex and were watched most closely by the -German authorities. The spy-peril had then commenced. It would seem -that the Kaiser took the keenest interest in the matter. Despite the -fact that there was an officially accredited German military attaché, -a number of German agents were also present, and among the number -was Count Eulenburg, a Secretary of the German Embassy in London. A -military correspondent of the _Daily Mail_ wrote that the Count's -taking of notes and making of sketches had excited a good deal of -adverse criticism among the British officers who were familiar with -the fact. The reports of all these secret agents were apparently to be -laid before the Kaiser, who was well aware of the significance of the -operations in Essex to both the German Army and Navy. - -The only organ of the Press which recognised the spy-peril in its -earliest stages was the _Daily Mail_, which never ceased to point out -the imminent and serious danger, and to warn the public that Germany -meant us harm. Because of this open policy, it was from time to time -denounced by the deluded public--deluded because of official lies--for -what was termed its "scaremongerings." But recent events have surely -shown the world that that journal spoke the open truth, while all -others, and more especially a certain dear old delightful London daily -paper, so glibly told us that "there will be no war with Germany," -while even three days before the outbreak of war this same journal -actually made a plea for "German Culture." - -Culture indeed! Have not the modern Huns now revealed themselves? -What must readers of that paper now think? It has truly been said -that the influence of the half-naked barbarians who swept over the -Thuringian forests soon after the birth of Christianity has never been -totally eradicated. There is, _au fond_, an inherent brutality in the -German character which the saving grace of the art of music has never -destroyed, the brutality which caused the destruction of Louvain, of -Rheims, of Ypres, of Termonde, of Malines, the wreck of cathedrals and -churches, and the wholesale savage butchery of innocent men, women, and -even tiny children. - -And this is the gallant and "cultured" nation which has been so admired -and eulogised by certain well-known papers: the nation which has so -cleverly spread its spies through every phase of our national life, and -made such elaborate plans for her conquest that, in her arrogance, she -has now risen to defy civilisation. - -Here is one of many equally ridiculous extracts from that same journal -which pleaded for "German culture." It was published after a Zeppelin -had flown 610 miles, on January 1st, 1909: - - " ... as far as national danger goes, the thing is not yet within - sight. 'Dirigibles' may, in the future, be useful for scouting and - collecting intelligence when war has once begun, ... but talk about - invasion by airship, or bombardment from the sky, need not, for a - long time, be considered by ourselves or any other nation." - -Again, a few days later, this same pro-German journal wrote:-- - - "It is maintained by some of our contemporaries that Germany is - struggling to regain her position of predominance in Europe, such as - she held more than thirty years ago. That is not our reading of the - situation." - -I will not quote more. There are dozens of such expressions of opinions -in the files of that unreliable organ of "public opinion." - -Where should we have been to-day, I ask, had we suffered ourselves to -be led by the nose by this "patriotic" organ of the Press, which, with -its sinister commercialism on the declaration of war, urged upon us to -keep out of the fighting, and to capture the trade of our friends the -Belgians, French, and Russians? - -This self-proclaimed organ of "humanitarianism" actually urged us to -stand aside and make capital out of the agonies of those countries at -war. I will quote the following from the article in its actual words on -August the 4th--the day upon which war was declared:-- - - "If we remained neutral we should be, from the commercial point of - view, in precisely the same position as the United States. We should - be able to trade with all the belligerents (so far as the war allows - of trade with them); we should be able to capture the bulk of their - trade in neutral markets; we should keep our expenditure down; we - should keep out of debt; we should have healthy finances." - -And this same organ of humanitarianism has assured us, for years, that -no spies of Germany existed in England, and that war was utterly out of -the question. And the British public have paid their half-pennies for -such bamboozle! One sighs to think of it! - -Times without number--even to-day as I write--this journal has sought -to ridicule those who attempt to tell the nation the truth concerning -the underground peril existing in every part of our islands. Its motive -for so doing may be left to the inquisitive. - -Probably few men have travelled so constantly up and down Europe as -I have done, in search of material for my books. In the course of my -wanderings, and perhaps a somewhat erratic life on the Continent, I -have--ever since I recognised the spy-peril--made it my practice to -seek out the spies of Germany, and I know a good many of them. - -An incident which may interest the reader occurred on October 29th, -1914: - -I was on the platform of Waterloo Station buying a paper, and chatting -with the bookstall clerk, when I noticed a group of men, mostly in -shabby overcoats and presenting a woebegone appearance, surrounded -by a cordon of police in silver-trimmed helmets--county constabulary -from the North. An excited crowd had surrounded them, and as I glanced -across my attention was attracted by a man slightly better dressed than -the others, though his well-cut grey overcoat was somewhat shabby. As -his dark, narrow-set eyes met mine, he lifted his grey plush hat to -me, and smiled across in recognition. - -For a moment I halted, puzzled. I had not realised that the group -of men were prisoners. The fellow's face was familiar, and the next -instant I recognised him. We had met a dozen times in various places -in Europe--the last time at Salvini's, in Milan, early in the previous -year. He was a well-known agent of the German General Staff, though I -had never met him before on British soil. - -I crossed over to him, arousing the distinct suspicion of the -constables and the curiosity of the crowd of onlookers. - -"You recollect me, Mr. Le Queux--eh?" he asked in good English, with a -laugh. - -"Of course," I said, for I could not help a grain of sympathy with him, -for, usually a resident of the best hotels, he was now herded with the -scum of his compatriots. "Well, what's the matter?" - -"Matter!" he echoed. "You see! They've got me at last!" - -"Speak French," I said in that language. "The police won't understand"; -for the constable near him looked at me very suspiciously, and I had no -desire to be arrested on Waterloo platform. - -"_Bien!_" said my friend, whom I will call by his assumed name, von -Sybertz, "I am arrested. It is the fortune of war! I am simply detained -as an alien, and we are going to Frimley, I hear. Do not say anything; -do not make it worse for me. That is all I ask, M'sieur Le Queux. You -know me--too well--eh?" and he grinned. - -"I shall say nothing," was my reply. "But, in return, tell me what -you know. Tell me quickly," I urged, for I saw that the constables -were preparing to move the prisoners towards the train. "What is the -position?" - -He shrugged his shoulders. - -"Bad. My friends are frantic," he replied. "All their plans have -gone wrong. It is, I fear, our downfall. The Kaiser is mad. I have -no money. I came to England in the middle of August. I have been to -Portsmouth, to Rosyth, Hull, and Liverpool; now I am deserted. I was -arrested yesterday near Manchester, though I had registered as German -and thought myself safe. I was, as I have always been when in England, -a teacher of languages. It covers so much," and he smiled. "Is not this -meeting strange, eh? We have chatted together--and laughed together, -too--in Nice, Florence, Rome--in many places. And now, monsieur, you -have the laugh of me--eh? We must be beaten. Germany begins to know the -truth." - -"No, not the laugh," I protested. "It is, as you say, the fortune of -war that you have been taken." - -"Pass on, please," commanded the big constable gruffly at my elbow. - -"And you?--you will say nothing? Promise me, M'sieur Le Queux," von -Sybertz urged again in French. - -"I have promised," was my reply. "You are arrested--for me, that is -sufficient. I wish you no ill-will, though you are my enemy," I added. - -"Ah, yes, you are English!" exclaimed the spy. "I knew--I have known -always that the English are gentlemen. _Au revoir_--and a thousand -thanks for your promise." - -And my friend the spy--a man who, on account of his refined and -gentlemanly bearing, and the money which had, for years, been at -his command, was a particularly dangerous secret-agent of the -Kaiser--lifted his shabby grey hat politely, and then passed dolefully -on, with the big constable at his elbow, to the train which stood -waiting to convey him to that barbed-wire enclosure high upon Frith -Hill. - -I watched him pass out of my sight, while the crowd, on their part, -watched me in wonder. I knew I had aroused the suspicions of the police -by speaking in a foreign tongue. That meeting had been a strangely -dramatic one. In those moments there came up before me visions of past -meetings. Five years before, I had first known him living in a pretty -white villa, with palms in front, on Mont Boron, outside Nice, and -taking his lunch daily at the Reserve, at Beaulieu, one of the most -expensive luncheon-places in Europe. I had met him in the Russie in -Rome, in Doney's in Florence, and in the Pera Palace in Constantinople. -He was a gay, merry companion, and half a dozen times I had been to -variety theatres with him and to garish night-cafés afterwards. Yet -I knew him to be a German international spy, and so intimate had we -become that he had scarcely taken the trouble to conceal the fact from -me. - -In those few brief moments there had been enacted before me, at that -busy London terminus, the dénouement of a great life-drama, and, as the -spy disappeared, there arose before me recollections of the gay places -of Europe where we had before met--the Rooms at Monte Carlo, the Casino -at Trouville, and other places where he had been such a well-known -figure, always exquisitely dressed, always the acme of correctness, and -always a great favourite with the fair sex. What would the latter think -could they see him now? - -In silence and in sorrow I have watched the proceedings of many a -German spy in this country--watched while the public have been lulled -to slumber by those who rule. Ah! it has all been a fearful comedy, -which has, alas! now ended in tragedy--the tragedy of our dead sons, -brothers and husbands who lie in unnumbered graves in France and in -Belgium. - -My thoughts revert to individual cases which I have investigated -during recent years. - -At Rosyth, I lived in an obscure hotel in Queensferry under the name of -William Kelly, enduring three weeks of wearisome idleness, boating up -and down the Firth of Forth, and watching, with interest, the movements -of two Germans. They had arrived in Edinburgh from a tourist-ship which -had touched at Leith. The first suspicion of them had been conveyed to -me by my friend Mr. D. Thomson, proprietor of the _Dundee Courier_, and -I sped north to investigate. In passing I may say that this journal -was one of the first--with the _Daily Mail_--to point out the danger -of German spies. My journey was not without result, for I waited, I -watched, and I returned to the Intelligence Department with certain -important details which proved to be the beginning of a long campaign. -Those two Germans, unsuspicious-looking professors with gold-rimmed -spectacles, were making elaborate maps. But these maps were not -ordnance maps, but maps of our weaknesses. Our secret agents followed -them to Plymouth, to Milford Haven, to Cromarty, and afterwards on a -tour through Ireland. - -Surely it is betraying no confidence to say that one of our secret -agents--a man whose remarkable career I hope to some day record in the -guise of fiction--acted as their guide on that curious tour! - -I know I have written times without number of spies in the form of -fiction. Many people have asked me, "Is it true?" To such I will say -that the dramas I have written, short and long, have been penned solely -with one single purpose--in order to call public attention to our peril. - -Many of the stories I have written have been based upon actual fact. -Half a life spent in travelling up and down Europe has shown me most -conclusively how cleverly Germany has, with the aid of her spies, made -elaborate preparations to invade us. - -So intimate have I been with Germany's secret agents that, during this -last Christmas, I had the _dis_pleasure of sending Compliments of the -Season to two of them! - -I have dined at the Ritz in Paris on more than one occasion with the -yellow-toothed old Baroness X----, an Austrian, high-born, smart, and -covered with jewellery. With her she has usually one and sometimes two -pretty "nieces," who speak French, and pose as French. Perhaps they -are, but one may be forgiven if one is suspicious. The Baroness X---- -always has on hand a goodly supply of these "nieces." I have met them -at Doney's in Florence, at Ciro's at Monte Carlo, at Maxim's in Paris, -at Shepheard's at Cairo. I have chatted with these young ladies at the -Hotel Hungaria in Budapest, at the Royal at Dinard, at the Grand in -Rome, and in the aviary at the Métropole at Brighton. But these merry -little "nieces" are always different! Baroness X---- and myself are in -entire agreement. She knows what I know, and she sent me a Christmas -card this season and dated from The Hague! She is certainly the ugliest -old lady I have ever met, a figure well known in every European -capital. Her speech is like the filing of brass. As a linguist, -however, she is really wonderful. I believe she speaks every European -language perfectly, and Arabic too, for she once told me, while we were -together on a steamer going down the Mediterranean, that she was born -in Smyrna, of Austrian parents. - -As a spy of Germany she is unique, and I give her her due. She is -amazingly clever. To my certain knowledge, she and her nieces, two -years ago, while living in Nice beneath the same roof as myself, -obtained through a young artillery officer a remarkable set of plans -of the defences of the Franco-Italian frontier near the Col di Tenda. -Again, I know how she and her attendant couple of "nieces" were in -Ireland "on a tour" during the troubles of last year. And, further, I -also know how many a military secret of our own War Office has been -"collected" by one or other of those pretty cigarette-smoking flapper -"nieces," with whom I, too, have smoked cigarettes and chatted in -French or Italian. - -How often have I seen one or other of these sirens--daughters of a -foreign countess as their dupes have believed them to be--driving about -London in private cars or in taxis, or supping at restaurants. - -On a day in last November I found one of these interesting young -ladies, dark-haired and _chic_--Parisienne, of course--enjoying a -tête-à-tête luncheon at the Hut at Wisley, on the Ripley road, her -cavalier being a man in khaki. I wondered what information she was -trying to obtain. Yet what could I do? How could I act, and interrupt -such a perfectly innocent _déjeuner à deux_? - -Yes, to the onlooker who knows, the manoeuvres are all very intensely -interesting, and would be most amusing, if they were not all so grimly -and terribly tragic. - -And who is to blame for all this? Would it be suffered in Germany? - -The law of libel, and a dozen other different Acts, are suspended over -the head of the unfortunate man who dares to risk ridicule and speak -the truth. Therefore, with my own personal experience of the utter -incapability of the Commissioner of Metropolitan Police to deal with -spies, or even to reply to correspondence I have addressed to his -hopeless department, and to the still greater discourtesy and amazing -chaos existing in his ruling department, the Home Office, I ask myself -whether it is of any use whatever _to trouble, or even exert oneself -further in the matter_? It is for my readers, the public themselves, -to demand the truth. The public are assuredly not blind to the fact -that air raids have been made upon us directed by spies. - -I can only address these serious words to my circle of readers -throughout the Kingdom, and to make my bow, assuring them that while -they were being gulled and bamboozled by those whom they have so -foolishly trusted, I have, at personal loss to myself--which need not -be counted--done my level best to counteract the evil which Germany has -spread in our midst. - -And my only request is that, by my works, constant and earnest as they -have been, I may be judged. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -UNDER THE KAISER'S THUMB - - -By every subtle and underhand means in her power Germany has prepared -for her supreme effort to conquer us. - -Armies of her spies have swarmed, and still swarm, over Great Britain, -though their presence has been, and is even to-day, officially denied. - -The method adopted at the outset was to scatter secret agents -broadcast, and to allot to each the collection of certain information. -Men, and women too, in all walks of life have made observations, -prepared plans, noted the number of horses locally, the fodder -supplies, the direction of telegraph-lines, the quickest method of -destroying communications, blowing up tunnels, etc.; in fact, any -information which might be of use in the event of a raid upon our -shores. - -Each group of spies has acted under the direction of a secret-agent, -termed a "fixed post," and all have been, in turn, visited at -periods varying from one month to six weeks by a person not likely -to be suspected--usually in the guise of commercial-traveller, -debt-collector, or insurance-agent, who collected the reports and made -payments--the usual stipend being ten pounds per month. Some spies in -the higher walks of life were, of course, paid well, as much as one -thousand pounds a year being given in one case--that of a lady who, -until recently, lived in Kensington--and in another to a German who, -until a few weeks ago, was highly popular in the diplomatic circle. -The chief bureau, to which all reports from England were sent, was an -innocent-looking office in the Montagne de la Cour, in Brussels--hence -Ostend was so often made a rendezvous between spies and traitors. - -It is certainly as well that the authorities have already taken -precautions to guard our reservoirs. As far back as five years ago, -a large number of the principal water supplies in England were -reconnoitred by a band of itinerant musicians, who, though they played -mournful airs in the streets, were really a group of very wide-awake -German officers. They devoted three months to the metropolis--where -they succeeded in making a complete plan of the water-mains supplying -East London--and then afterwards visited Manchester, Glasgow, -Birmingham, Liverpool, Leeds, and Newcastle. At the latter place they -were detected, and being warned by the authorities, fled. They were -"warned" because at that time there was no Act to deal with them. - -Just at this juncture a most fortunate incident occurred, though -probably it will be met with an official denial. A young German who -had been making observations around Rosyth and beneath the Forth -Bridge, was detected, and fled. The police sought him out and he was -compelled to again fly without paying his rent, leaving his suit-case -behind. After a month the landlady took this bag to the police, who, -on opening it, found a quantity of documents, which were sealed up -and sent to London. They were soon found to be most instructive, for -not only was there a list of names of persons hitherto unsuspected of -espionage, but also a little book containing the secret code used by -the spies! Needless to say, this has been of the greatest use to those -engaged in the work of contra-espionage. Of the good work done by the -latter, the public, of course, know nothing, but it may be stated that -many a confidential report destined for Berlin was intercepted before -it reached the spy's post-office, the shop of the barber Ernst, in -London--to which I will later on refer--and many a judicious hint has -been given which has caused the suspect to pack his, or her, belongings -and return by the Hook of Holland route. - -East Anglia has, of course, been the happy hunting ground of spies, -and the counties of Lincoln, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex have, long -ago, been very thoroughly surveyed, and every preparation made for a -raid. It was found--as far back as four years ago--that next door, or -in the vicinity of most village post-offices near the coast-line of -those counties, a foreigner had taken up his residence, that German -hairdressers and jewellers were everywhere setting up shops where -custom did not warrant it; that Germans took sea-side furnished houses -or went as paying guests in the country, even in winter; while, of -course, the number of German waiters--usually passing as Austrians--had -increased greatly. - -When the Kaiser rented Highcliffe Castle, in Hampshire, under the -pretext that he was ill, he brought with him no fewer than thirty -secretaries. Why? A foreigner who comes here to recuperate does not -want thirty secretaries--even though he may be an Emperor! Napoleon -never wanted such a crowd of scribblers about him. - -But the truth was that these thirty secretaries were engaged with their -Imperial master-spy in reorganising and perfecting the various sections -of his amazing spy-system in this country--a system that the British -Government were with culpable untruthfulness declaring only existed in -the imagination of a novelist--myself. I wrote pointing out this, but -only execrations again fell upon my unfortunate head. I was laughed at -as a "sensationalist," scorned by the Party of Criminal Apathy, and a -dead set was made at me by a certain section of the Press to jeer at, -and crush myself and all my works into oblivion. - -Let us go a step further. Mr. Anthony Nugent, who writes with -considerable authority in the _Globe_, shall here speak. - - "The oddest situation in England," he says, "was just before the - outbreak of the war. We had then, not only an Ambassador's cloak in - London covering Prince Lichnowsky, but a real Ambassador in Herr - Kühlmann, Companion of the Victorian Order. [I wonder if he still - wears the honourable insignia?] The Ambassador was an honest man, and - believed that he had a free hand in trying to improve our relations - with Germany. He was only here to give us 'taffy'--as the Yankees - say. All his speeches at Oxford and at City banquets were sincere - enough from his point of view, but he knew nothing of what was going - on in the Chancelleries at Berlin, or downstairs in the Embassy - residence at Carlton House Terrace. - - "Those who descend the Duke of York's steps in Pall Mall, will see - a common, unpretentious door on the right hand side, part of the - way down. That was one of the entrances to the Embassy, and quite a - different class of people used it from those gay folk who came boldly - in motor-cars to the front door, which sported the decoration of the - Imperial eagle. It was by the lower door there passed the principals - in the espionage system, and it was in the lower rooms that Herr - Kühlmann interviewed his 'friends.' He was a tall, good-looking man, - with a specious suggestion of being straightforward and open dealing, - but probably there never was so tortuous-minded a person at the - Embassy. He was there for many years, and knew all who were worth - knowing. He it was who furnished the reports on which the Emperor - and the Crown Prince acted. - - "Prince Lichnowsky, for instance, foresaw that in the event of war, - the Unionists in Ulster would support the Government. Herr Kühlmann - had sent over spies who masqueraded as journalists, and they came - back from Belfast believing that civil war was inevitable. Herr - Kühlmann accepted their view, and thus deceived the Kaiser and the - German Chancellor. The same gentleman was much interested in the - Indian movement, and I remember discussing with him the causes that - led to the murder of a great Anglo-Indian official at the Imperial - Institute. He was convinced that India was ripe for revolt. Again - he deceived the Emperor on the subject. The German spy system was - wide, and it was thorough, but its chief lacked imagination, and took - niggling and petty views. In a word it is efficient in signalling, - prying into arrangements, spreading false news, and securing minor - successes, and that it can still do here, but had it realised how the - whole world would be opposed to it, there would have been no war." - -The gross licence extended to our alien enemies in peace-time has, -surely, been little short of criminal. Fancy there having been a -"German Officers' Club" in London, close to Piccadilly Circus! Could -anyone imagine an "English Officers' Club" in Berlin--or in any other -Continental capital, for the matter of that? In the first place, there -would not have been a sufficient number of English officers to run a -club, even if it had been allowed by the German authorities, which -would have been most unlikely. But, on the other hand, there were -enough German officers in London, not only to support a club, but to -give a large and expensive ball not very long ago at a well-known West -End hotel! - -Germany has a large army, and a considerable navy, but is leave -lavished with such prodigality on her officers as to make it worth -their while to have a special club of their own in the metropolis? -One can hardly imagine this to be the case. Why, then, were there -so many German officers in London? We may be sure that they were -not here for the benefit of _our_ country. The German Officers' -Club was no secret society, and was, therefore, winked at by the -sleepy British authorities. The War Office may have argued that it -enabled them to keep an eye on them, and there may be something in -that plea. But what possible justification could have been found for -allowing a considerable number of German officers to assemble near -Southborough--between Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells--not so very long -ago, and to carry out what practically amounted to a "Staff Ride" in -the "Garden of England" over a very important strategic position? Fancy -such a piece of espionage being attempted in Germany! It is even known -that the German Ambassador dined with the officers in question. - -Had the German Officers' Club been under observation, could this have -possibly been done without the cognisance of the authorities? The -authorities knew of all that was in progress, but calmly looked on, -and, as usual, did nothing. The downfall of England was being plotted, -but what did they care, so long as all went smoothly and they enjoyed -their own social standing and their own emoluments. - -There is an air of refreshing candour and simplicity in the official -statement that no alien enemy is permitted to reside in a prohibited -area without a special licence granted, after his case has been -carefully examined, by the police. - -Now, we know that proprietors and managers of hotels and licensed -premises, as well as prominent residents, are usually on good terms -with the police. It would surely be to their interest to cultivate good -relations with them. And as the Lord Chancellor has assured us that the -Germans are people of "greater astuteness," it is only reasonable to -suppose they would be particularly careful to entrust their spying work -in this country to only the smartest and most crafty emissaries. - -One can imagine that a really clever German spy "bent on business" has -had but very little difficulty in hoodwinking the honest man in blue, -and obtaining from him the "permit" required for his signalling, or -other work on the coast. - -The experiences of the last four months at Liége, Antwerp, Mons, -Rheims, Ypres, and other places, has taught us that it is not always -the alien who is the spy. In each of those towns men who had lived for -years as highly respectable and law-abiding citizens, and whom everyone -believed to be French or Belgian, suddenly revealed themselves as -secret agents of the invaders, acting as their guides, and committing -all sorts of outrages. - -In our own country it is the same. There are to-day many who have lived -among us for years, and are highly respected, only waiting for the -signal to be given to commence their operations. - -It is true that bombs from German air machines have been dropped on -English ground--one fell in a garden at Dover and damaged a cabbage, or -maybe two--also that Zeppelins flew over Norfolk and dropped bombs, but -so far no air fleet from Germany has given the signal for German spies -to start their arranged work of destruction in our midst, for the enemy -has declared with its usual cynical frankness that their army of spies -will only start their dastardly work when all is ready for the raid and -the fleet of Zeppelins sail over London and give the signal. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -HOW SPIES WORK - - -The German spy system, as established in England, may be classified -under various heads--military, naval, diplomatic, and also the _agents -provocateurs_, those hirelings of Germany who have, of late, been so -diligent in stirring up sedition in Ireland, and who, since the war -began, have endeavoured, though not successfully, to engineer a strike -of seamen at Liverpool and a coal strike. - -First, every German resident in this country may be classed as a spy, -for he is, at all times, ready to assist in the work of the official -secret-agents of the Fatherland. - -The military spy is usually a man who has received thorough instruction -in sketching, photography, and in the drafting of reports, and on -arrival here, has probably set up in business in a small garrison -town. The trade of jeweller and watchmaker is one of the most favoured -disguises, for the spy can rent a small shop, and though he cannot -repair watches himself, he can engage an unsuspecting assistant -to do so. Therefore, to all intents and purposes, his business is -a legitimate one. If he is a devout church or chapel-goer, and -subscribes modestly to the local charities, he will soon become known, -and will quickly number among his friends some military men from -whom he can obtain information regarding movements of troops, and -a-thousand-and-one military details, all of which he notes carefully in -his reports, the latter being collected by a "traveller in jewellery," -who visits him at regular intervals, and who makes payment in exchange. - -Every report going out of Great Britain is carefully tabulated and -indexed by a marvellous system in Berlin. These, in turn, are compared, -analysed and checked by experts, so that, at last, the information -received is passed as accurate, and is then indexed for reference. - -Now the military spy also keeps his eyes and ears open regarding the -officers of the garrison. If an officer is in financial difficulties, -the fact is sent forward, and some money-lender in London will most -certainly come to his assistance and thus ingratiate himself as his -"friend." Again, there are wives of officers who are sometimes a little -indiscreet, and in more than one known case blackmail has been levied -upon the unfortunate woman, and then, suddenly, an easy way out of it -all has been craftily revealed to her by a blackguard in German pay. - -From the wide-spread secret-service of Germany, nothing is sacred. The -German General Staff laughs at our apathy, and boasts that it knows all -about us, the military and civil population alike. In the archives -of its Intelligence Department there are thousands upon thousands -of detailed reports--furnished constantly throughout the past ten -years--regarding the lives and means of prominent persons in England, -with descriptions of their homes wherein, one day, the enemy hope to -billet their troops. - -These unscrupulous men who act as "fixed-posts"--and it is no -exaggeration to say that there are still hundreds in England alone, -notwithstanding all official assurances to the contrary--have all gone -through an elaborate system of training in signalling, in reducing -messages to code, and in decoding them, in map-making, in the use of -carrier-pigeons, and, in some cases, in the use of secret wireless. - -The naval spy works in a somewhat similar manner to his military -colleague. At every naval port in Great Britain it is quite safe to -assume that there are spies actively carrying on their work, though -it is quite true that one or two, who have long been under suspicion, -have now found it wise to disappear into oblivion. A favourite guise -of the spy in a naval port is, it seems, to pose as a hairdresser, for -in pursuance of that humble and most honourable calling, the secret -agent has many opportunities to chat with his customers, and thus learn -a good deal of what is in progress in both port and dockyard: what -ships are putting to sea, and the strength and dispositions of various -divisions of our navy. Cases in recent years of spies at Portsmouth, -Chatham, and Plymouth have revealed how active Germany has been in this -direction. - -In one case, at Plymouth, a salary of £500 a year was offered to a Mr. -Duff for information regarding naval matters, on the pretext that this -information was required by a Naval and Military journal in Germany. -Mr. Duff, however, communicated with the authorities, who promptly -arrested the spy--a man named Schulz, who lived on a yacht on the -river Yealm. He was tried at the Devon Assizes and, certain documents -being found upon him, he was sentenced to a year and nine months' -imprisonment. What, we wonder, would have been his fate if he had been -British, and had been arrested in Germany? - -Of diplomatic espionage little need be said in these pages. Every -nation has its secret service in diplomacy, a service rendered -necessary perhaps by the diplomatic juggling of unscrupulous -representatives of various nations. Many diplomatic spies are women -moving in the best society, and such persons abound in every capital in -the world. - -The means of communication between the spy and his employers are -several. Innocent sketches may be made of woodland scenery, with a -picturesque windmill and cottage in the foreground, and woods in -the distance. Yet this, when decoded in Berlin--the old windmill -representing a lighthouse, the trees a distant town, and so -forth--will be found to be an elaborate plan of a harbour showing the -disposition of the mines in its channel! - -Again, there are codes in dozens of different forms of letters or -figures with various combinations, key-numbers, cross-readings, etc. -There is the three-figure code, the five-figure code, and so on, all of -which, though difficult, can, if sufficient time be spent upon them, be -eventually deciphered by those accustomed to dealing with such problems. - -Far more difficult to decipher, however, are communications written as -perfectly innocent ordinary correspondence upon trade or other matters, -yet, by certain expressions, and by mentioning certain names, objects, -or prices, they can be rightly read only by the person with whom those -meanings have been prearranged. - -From the daring movements of the German Fleet in the North Sea it would -appear that, through spies, the enemy are well aware of the limit -and position of our mine-fields, while the position of every buoy is -certainly known. When the first attack was made upon Yarmouth, the -enemy took his range from certain buoys, and the reason the shells fell -short was that only the day before those buoys had been moved a mile -further out to sea. - -Again, for many years--indeed, until I called public attention to the -matter--foreign pilots were allowed to ply their profession in the -Humber, and by that means we may rest assured that Germany made many -surveys of our East Coast. - -The spies of Germany are to be found everywhere, yet the Home -Office and the police have shown themselves quite incapable of -dealing effectively with them. The War Office, under the excellent -administration of Lord Kitchener, has surely been busy enough with -military matters, and has had no time to deal with the enemy in our -midst. Neither has the Admiralty. Therefore the blame must rest upon -the Home Office, who, instead of dealing with the question with a firm -and drastic hand, actually issued a communiqué declaring that the spy -peril no longer existed! - -As an illustration of Germany's subtle preparations in the countries -she intends to conquer, and as a warning to us here in Great Britain, -surely nothing can be more illuminating than the following, written -by a special correspondent of the _Times_ with the French Army near -Rheims. That journal--with the _Daily Mail_--has always been keenly -alive to the alien peril in England, and its correspondent wrote:-- - - "Nowhere else in France have the Germans so thoroughly prepared their - invasion as they did in Champagne, which they hoped to make theirs. - In the opinion of the inhabitants of Épernay, the saving of the town - from violent pillage is only due to the desire of the Germans not to - ravage a country which they regarded as being already German soil. - The wanton bombardment of Rheims is accepted almost with delight, - as being a clear indication that the enemy has been awakened by the - battle of the Marne from those pleasant dreams of conquest which - inflamed the whole German nation with enthusiasm at the outset of the - war. - - "The spy system thought out in time of peace in preparation for - what is happening to-day has served Germany well, and every day the - accuracy of German gunfire pays a tribute to the zeal and efficiency - with which these loathsome individuals accomplish a task for which - they have sold their honour as Frenchmen. Hardly a week passes - without some fresh discovery being made. At the headquarters of - the different army corps along this section of the front, hardly a - day passes without the arrest and examination of suspect peasants - or strangers from other provinces. Elaborate underground telephone - installations have been discovered and destroyed. - - "One day a gendarme who wished to water his horse approached a well - in the garden of an abandoned house. At the bottom of the well there - was not truth but treason. Comfortably installed in this disused - shaft a German spy was engaged in making his report by telephone to - the German Intelligence Department. - - "The mentality of the spy can never be explained, for how can one - account for the mixture of the fine quality of bravery and the - despicable greed of money which will keep a man in a city like - Rheims, exposed every hour of the day and night to death from the - splinter of a shell fired at the town by his own paymasters? I do - not suggest for a moment that of the 20,000 people who still inhabit - the town of Rheims and its cellars there is any large proportion of - traitorous spies, but to the French Intelligence Department there is - no question whatsoever that there is still a very efficient spying - organisation at work in the city." - -Among us here in Great Britain, I repeat, are men--hundreds of -them--who are daily, nay hourly, plotting our downfall, and are -awaiting the signal to act as the German General Staff has arranged -that they shall act. To attempt to disguise the fact longer is -useless. We have lived in the fool's paradise which the Government -prepared for us long enough. We were assured that there would be no -war. But war has come, and thousands of the precious lives of our -gallant lads have been lost--and thousands more will yet be lost. - -We cannot trust the German tradesman who has even lived long among -us apparently honourable and highly respected. A case in point is -that of a man who, for the past twenty-six years, has carried on a -prosperous business in the North of London. At the outbreak of war he -registered himself as an alien, and one day asked the police for a -permit to travel beyond the regulation five miles in order to attend -a concert. He was watched, and it was found that, instead of going to -the concert, he had travelled in an opposite direction, where he had -met and conferred with a number of his compatriots who were evidently -secret agents. This is but one illustration of many known cases in the -Metropolis. - -Can we still close our eyes to what Germany intends to do? The -Government knew the enemy's intentions when, in 1908, there was placed -before them the Emperor's speech, which I have already reproduced. - -Perhaps it may not be uninteresting if I recount how I myself was -approached by the German General Staff--and I believe others must have -been approached in a like manner. The incident only serves to show the -"astuteness"--as Lord Haldane has so well put it--of our enemies. - -One day, in September, 1910, I received through a mutual friend, a -lady, an invitation to dine at the house of a prominent official at -the War Office, who, in his note to me, declared that he had greatly -admired my patriotism, and asked me to dine _en famille_ one Sunday -evening. I accepted the invitation, and went. The official's name, I -may here say, figures often in your daily newspapers to-day. To my -great surprise, I found among the guests the German Ambassador, the -Chancellor of the Embassy, the Military and Naval Attachés with their -ladies, and several popular actors and actresses. - -In a corner of the drawing-room after dinner, I found myself chatting -with a German Attaché, who turned the conversation upon my anti-German -writings. By his invitation, I met him at his club next day. He -entertained me to an expensive luncheon, and then suddenly laughed at -me for what he termed my misguided propaganda. - -"There will be no war between your country and mine," he assured me. -"You are so very foolish, my dear Mr. Le Queux. You will ruin your -reputation by these fixed ideas of yours. Why not change them? We -desire no quarrel with Great Britain, but we, of course, realise that -you are doing what you consider to be your duty." - -"It _is_ my duty," I responded. - -My diplomatic friend sucked at his cigar, and laughed. - -"As a literary man you, of course, write to interest the public. But -you would interest your public just as _easily_ by writing in _favour_ -of Germany--and, I tell you that we should quickly recognise the favour -you do us--_and recompense you for it_." - -I rose from my chair. - -I confess that I grew angry, and I told him what was in my mind. - -I gave him a message to his own Secret Service, in Berlin, which was -very terse and to the point, and then I left the room. - -But that was not all. I instituted inquiries regarding the official at -the War Office who had been the means of introducing us, and within a -fortnight that official--whose dealings with the enemy were proved to -be suspicious--was relieved of his post. - -I give this as one single instance of the cunning manner in which the -German Secret Service have endeavoured to nobble and bribe me, so as to -close my mouth and thus combat my activity. - -Another instance was when the Norddeutscher Lloyd Line, of Bremen, -kindly invited me to take a voyage round the world, free of expense, -so that I might visit the various German colonies and write some -descriptions of them. And, on a third occasion, German diplomats were -amazingly kind to me, both in Constantinople and in Belgrade, and -again broadly hinted at their readiness to win me over to their side. - -How pitiable, how absolutely criminal our apathy has been! - -Do not the souls of a million dead upon the battlefields of France -and Belgium rise against the plotters to-day? Does not the onus of -the frightful loss of the flower of our dear lads lie, not upon -our four-hundred-a-year legislators, but upon some of the golfing, -dividend-seeking, pushful men who have ruled our country through the -past ten years? - -Without politics, as I am, I here wish to pay a tribute--the tribute -which the whole nation should pay--to Mr. Lloyd George and his -advisers, who came in for so much adverse criticism before the war. -I declare as my opinion--an opinion which millions share--that the -manner in which the Chancellor of the Exchequer faced and grappled with -the financial situation at the outbreak of war, was an illustration -of British pluck, of coolness and of readiness that is unequalled in -our history. The poor suffered nothing, and to-day--even though we -are struggling for our very existence--we hear not a word of that -winter-cry "The Unemployed." - -I trust, therefore, that the reader will find my outspoken criticisms -just, and perfectly without prejudice, for, as I have already stated, -my only feeling is one of pure patriotism towards my King and the -country that gave me birth. - -Though I am beyond the age-limit to serve in the Army, it is in -defence of my King and country, and in order to reveal the naked truth -to a public which has so long been pitiably bamboozled and reassured, -that I have ventured to pen this plain, serious, and straightforward -indictment, which no amount of official juggling can ever disprove. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -SOME METHODS OF SECRET AGENTS - - -Some of the cases of espionage within my own knowledge--and into -many of them I have myself made discreet inquiry--may not prove -uninteresting. Foreign governesses, usually a hard-worked and -poorly-paid class, are often in a position to furnish important -information, and very serious cases have recently been proved against -them. These young women have lived in the intimacy of the homes -of men of every grade, Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament, -financiers, officers of both Services, and officials of every class. -By the very nature of their duties, and their extreme intimacy with -their employers, they are, naturally, in a position to gather much -valuable information, and often even to get sight of their employers' -correspondence, which can easily be noted and handed over to the proper -quarter for transmission to Berlin. - -Here is a case already reported by me. Not very long ago, in the -service of a very well-known Member of Parliament living in Essex, -lived a clever, good-looking, and intensely musical young German -governess, who was regarded by the Member's wife as "a perfect -treasure," and who took the greatest interest in her two little -charges. For over two years Fräulein had been in the service of this -pleasant household, being, of course, regarded as "one of the family." - -In the grounds of the big country house in question was a secluded -summer-house, and here Fräulein was in the habit of reading alone, and -writing her letters. One hot summer's afternoon she had gone there as -usual, when about an hour later one of the under-gardeners, in passing, -saw her lying back in her chair unconscious. She had been seized with -a fit. He raised the alarm, she was carried back to the house, and the -doctor was at once telephoned for. - -Meanwhile her mistress, greatly alarmed, went out to the summer-house -in order to see whether her unconsciousness could be accounted for. -Upon the table she noticed a number of documents which did not appear -to be letters which a governess might receive, and, on examination, -she found to her dismay that, not only were they carefully-written -reports of conversations between her husband and a certain Cabinet -Minister who had been their guest during the previous week-end, but -there were also copies of several confidential letters from one of the -Government departments to her husband. That the girl was a clever and -most dangerous spy was at once proved, yet, rather than there should be -any unpleasant publicity, the girl was, that same night, packed off -unceremoniously across to the Hook of Holland. - -In another instance a German governess in the employ of an officer's -wife at Chatham was discovered endeavouring to obtain confidential -information; and in a third, at Plymouth, a charming young lady was -caught red-handed. - -These three glaring cases are within my own knowledge; therefore, -there probably have been many others where, after detection, the girls -have been summarily dismissed by their employers, who, naturally, have -hesitated to court publicity by prosecution. - -It therefore behoves everyone employing a foreign governess--and more -especially anyone occupying an official position--to be alert and -wary. Many of these young ladies are known to have been trained for -the dastardly work which they have been so successfully carrying out, -and, while posing as loyal and dutiful servants of their employers, and -eating at their tables, they have been listening attentively to their -secrets. - -We have, of late, been told a good deal of the danger of secret agents -among the alien staffs of hotels, and, in deference to public opinion, -the authorities have cleared our hotels of all Germans and Austrians. -Though holding no brief for the alien servant, I must say, at once, -that I have never known one single instance of a hotel servant of -lower grade being actually proved to be a secret agent. It is a fact, -however, that among the hall-porters of some of the principal hotels -were, until the outbreak of war, several well-known spies. The class of -person who is much more dangerous is the so-called "naturalised" alien. -Among these are, no doubt, spies, men who have long ago taken out -naturalisation papers for the sole purpose of blinding us, and of being -afforded opportunities to pursue their nefarious calling. To-day, while -thousands of men who have for years worked hard for a living are in -idleness in detention camps, these gentry are free to move about where -they will because they are so-called British subjects. - -Surely the heart of a German is always German, just as the heart of -a true-born Briton is always British, whatever papers he may sign. I -contend that every German who has been "naturalised" during the last -seven years should be treated as other aliens are treated, and we -should then be nearer the end of the spy-peril. - -"Naturalised" foreign baronets, financiers, merchants, ship-owners, -and persons of both sexes of high social standing, constitute a very -grave peril in our midst, though Mr. McKenna has not yet appeared to -have awakened to it, even though the Press and the public are, happily, -no longer blind to the German preparations. In the month of November, -while spies were being reported in hundreds by the public themselves, -the Home Office was actually engaged in holding an inquiry _into -whether there had really been any atrocities committed by the German -soldiery in Belgium_! And I was officially asked to assist in this! - -As far as can be gathered from Mr. McKenna's reply in November to the -Parliamentary attack on the methods of dealing with the spy peril, -the position was still a most unsatisfactory one. Though he admitted -that we still have 27,000 enemy aliens at large among us, nobody is -assumed to be a spy unless he is an unnaturalised German. Even if he -fulfils this condition, he is then to be caught "in the act" of spying, -or if really strong suspicion be aroused, some evidence against him -may be "looked for." But until this is "found," and so long as he -complies with the posted-up registration orders, etc., he may continue -unmolested. In short, after the steed is stolen, our stable door may be -shut. - -One sighs in despair. Could anything be more hopeless? If the matter -were not so very serious, the position would be Gilbertian in its -comedy. - -Though we are at war, our sons being shot down and our national -existence threatened, yet there is yet another very strong factor in -favour of the German spy. According to Mr. McKenna, he himself is -only responsible for the London district, while elsewhere the County -Constabulary, under the Chief Constables of Counties, are "to pay every -attention to representations of the naval and military authorities," -in the matter of hostile espionage.[2] - -This strikes me as one of the finest examples of "how not to do it" -that we have heard of for some time, and it must indeed be a source of -delight to the secret "enemy within our gates." Fancy such a ridiculous -regulation in Germany! - -Of some of the hundreds of cases of undoubted espionage which have been -brought to my notice since the outbreak of war, I will enumerate a few. - -One was that of two Germans who--posing as Poles--rented a large -country house at £150 a year, bought a quantity of furniture, and -settled down to a quiet life. The house in question was situated at a -very important point on the main London and North Western Railway, and -the grounds ran down to a viaduct which, if destroyed, would cut off -a most important line of communication. The suspicion of a neighbour -was aroused. He informed the police, and a constable _in full uniform_ -began to make inquiries of the neighbours, the result being that the -interesting pair left the house one night, and have not since been -seen. - -Outside London, the county constabulary are making praiseworthy efforts -to find spies, but when men in uniform set out to make inquiries--as -they unfortunately do in so many cases--then the system becomes -hopeless. - -The same thing happened in a small coast town in Norfolk where -signalling at night had been noticed. Indeed, in two instances in the -same town, and again in Dunbar, the appearance of the police inspector -caused the flight of the spies--as undoubtedly they were. - -As regards the county of Norfolk, it has long received the most careful -attention of German secret agents. At the outbreak of war the Chief -Constable, Major Egbert Napier, with commendable patriotism, devoted -all his energies to the ferreting out of suspicious characters, spies -who were no doubt settled near and on the coast in readiness to assist -the enemy in case of an attempted landing. By Major Napier's untiring -efforts a very large area has been cleared, more especially from Cromer -along by Sheringham, Weybourne--a particularly vulnerable point--and -from Cley-next-the-Sea to Wells and King's Lynn. - -Major Napier engaged, at my instigation, a well-known detective-officer -who, for some years, had been engaged at the Criminal Investigation -Department at New Scotland Yard, specially attached to deal with -German criminals for extradition back to Germany. He was a Russian, -naturalised English, and spoke German perfectly, being born in -Riga--and an ideal officer to inquire into the whole German spy system -in Norfolk. - -Well, after Major Napier had asked him to go forth on his mission, I -saw him and wished him all success. Within a fortnight this shrewd -officer returned to me with a hopeless story. Wherever he went the -Coastguard refused to tell him anything, or any of their suspicions, -as they said they were sworn to secrecy, while the superintendents -and inspectors of the Norfolk Constabulary--with few exceptions--even -though he bore proper credentials signed by the Chief Constable -himself, actually _refused to give him any assistance or information -whatsoever_! - -This keen and clever detective-officer returned to the Chief Constable -of Norfolk and told him that he was certain spies still existed along -the coast, but expressed regret at the hopeless state of affairs. - -If any Government authority would like to question the officer upon his -experiences, I shall be pleased to furnish that department with his -private address. - -I had a curious experience myself in Norfolk. - -In a field, high upon the cliff between Cromer and Runton, I last -year established a high-power wireless installation. When in working -order--with a receiving range of 1,500 miles or more, according to -atmospheric conditions--I allowed visitors to inspect it. There came -along certain inquisitive persons with a slight accent in their speech, -and of these I believe no fewer than eight are now interned. It formed -quite an interesting trap for spies! - -From the great mass of authentic reports of German spies lying before -me as I write, it is difficult to single out one case more illuminating -than another. - -It may perhaps be of interest, however, to know that I was the first to -report to the authorities a secret store of German arms and ammunition -in London, afterwards removed, and subsequently seized after the -outbreak of war. Other stores have, it is said, been found in various -parts of the country, the secrets of which, of course, have never been -allowed to leak out to the public, for fear of creating alarm. - -That secret stores of petrol, in readiness for that raid upon us by -Zeppelins which Germany has so long promised, have been thought to -exist in Scotland, is shown by the reward of £100, offered by the -Commander-in-Chief in Scotland for any information leading to the -discovery of any such bases. - -But in connection with this, the situation is really most ludicrous. -Though, on November 8th, 1914, a London newspaper reproduced a copy of -the poster offering the reward--a poster exhibited upon hoardings all -over Scotland--yet the Press Censor actually issued to the London Press -orders to suppress all fact or comment concerning it! We may surely ask -why? If Scotland is told the truth, why may not England know it? - -Between Rye and Winchelsea of late, on four occasions, people have been -detected flashing lights from the most seaward point between those -places to German submarines. In fact, two of the spies actually had -the audacity to build a shanty from which they signalled! This matter -was promptly reported by certain residents in the locality to the -Dover military authorities, but they replied that it was "out of their -division." Then they reported to the Admiralty, but only received the -usual typewritten "thanks" in these terms:-- - - "The Director of the Intelligence Division presents to Mr. ---- his - compliments, and begs to acknowledge with thanks the receipt of his - letter of ----. - - "Admiralty War Staff: Intelligence Division." - -Now what happened? - -Early in the morning of December 10th, in the midst of a thick hazy -rain, half-a-dozen German submarines are reported to have made a daring -dash for the western entrance of Dover Harbour, where several of our -warships were lying at anchor. Fortunately they were discovered by -men working the searchlights, heavy guns were turned upon them, and -one submarine, if not more, was sunk. We have to thank spies in the -vicinity for this attempt, in which we so narrowly escaped disaster. -If not through spies, how could the enemy have known that, just at the -time the attack was made, Dover was without its boom-defence? And the -question arises whether the spies were those detected near Rye? - -In all probability there exists somewhere in the neighbourhood a secret -wireless station sufficiently powerful to send intelligence say five -miles to sea by day, and double that distance at night. By this means -the enemy's submarines could easily learn the truth. Therefore the -authorities should lose no time in making domiciliary visits to any -house where a suspect may be living. - -And if secret wireless exists near Dover, then there may be--as there -probably are, since small wireless stations are not costly to fit up, -and could, till the outbreak of war, be purchased without arousing the -least suspicion--other stations in the vicinity of other of our naval -bases, the peril of which will easily be recognised. - -The replies by the Admiralty to persons who give information are curt -and unsatisfactory enough, yet if a resident in the Metropolitan area -writes to the Chief Commissioner of Police upon a serious matter -concerning espionage--he will _not even receive the courtesy of a -reply_! At least, that has been my own experience. It is appalling to -think that the authorities are so utterly incapable of dealing with the -situation to-day, even though our men are laying down their lives for -us, and fighting as only Britons can fight. - -Existence of carefully-prepared concrete emplacements, in readiness -for the huge German Krupp guns, has been reported to me from a dozen -different quarters--sometimes they are concealed in the form of a -concrete carriage-drive, in others as a tennis-court, or a yard -enclosed by stables. Workmen who have actually been employed in -laying them down, and have given me the enormous thicknesses of the -concrete used, have communicated with me, and indicated where these -long-considered preparations of the enemy are to-day to be found. - -But as it is nobody's business, and as Mr. McKenna has assured us that -we are quite safe, and that the spy-peril has been snuffed-out, the -position is here again hopeless, and we are compelled to live daily -upon the edge of a volcano. - -Oh! when will England rub her eyes and awaken? - -As events have proved in Belgium and France, so here, in our own -dear country, I fear we have spies in every department of the public -service. I say boldly, without fear of contradiction--that if our -apathetic Home Department continues to close its eyes as it is now -doing, we shall be very rudely stirred up one day when the Zeppelins -come in force--as the authorities fear by the darkening of London. From -the lessons taught us in France, I fear that in every department of our -public services, the post-office, the railways, the docks, the electric -generating-stations, in our arsenals, in our government factories, and -among those executing certain government contracts--everywhere, from -Wick to Walmer--the spy still exists, and he is merely awaiting the -signal of his masters to strike: to blow up bridges and tunnels, to -destroy water-supplies, docks, power-stations and wireless-stations: -to cut telegraphs and telephones, and to create panic--a sudden and -fearful panic--which it would be to the interest of the invaders to -create. - -At my suggestion the Postmaster-General, at the outbreak of war, -ordered each letter-carrier in the Kingdom to prepare lists of -foreigners on their "walk," and upon those lists hundreds of -arrests of aliens took place. No doubt many spies were "rounded-up" -by this process, but alas! many still remain, sufficient of the -"naturalised,"--even those "naturalised" after the war,--to form a very -efficient advance-guard to our invading enemy, who hate us with such a -deadly, undying hatred. - -If Zeppelins are to raid us successfully they must have secret bases -for the supply of petrol for their return journey. Such bases can only -be established in out-of-the-way places where, on descending, air-craft -would not be fired upon. The moors, those of Yorkshire, Dartmoor, and -certain districts of Scotland and the Lake Country, are admirably -adapted for this purpose, for there are spots which could easily be -recognised from the air--by the direction of the roads, running like -ribbons across the heather--where considerable stores could easily be -secreted without anyone being the wiser. - -This is a petrol war, and if any raid is attempted upon the country, -petrol will be wanted in great quantities by the enemy. Is it -not, therefore, with our knowledge of Germany's long-completed -preparations at Maubeuge, Antwerp, along the heights of the Aisne, -and in other places, quite safe to assume that considerable--even -greater--preparations have already been made in our own country--made -in the days when the British public were lulled to sleep by the -Judas-like assurances of the Kaiser and his friendly visits to our -King, and when any honest attempt to lift the veil was met with abuse -and derision. If we assume that preparations have been made, it is, -surely, our duty to now discover them. - -Petrol and ammunition are the two things which the enemy will want -if they dare to attempt a dash upon our coast. Therefore it would be -very wise for the authorities to make a house-to-house visitation, -and search from garret to cellar all premises until lately occupied -by aliens in the Eastern Counties, and all houses still occupied by -"naturalised" foreigners, who, if they were honestly "British subjects" -as they declare, could not possibly object. - -There are many licensed premises, too, held by the "naturalised," -and the cellars of these should certainly be searched. Hundreds of -"naturalised" Germans and Austrians are living--immune from even -suspicion. They are of all grades, from watchmakers and hotel-keepers -to wealthy financiers. - -If only the Government would deal with the "naturalised," as any sane -system of Government would in these unparalleled circumstances, then -it would give a free hand to the Chief Constables of Lincolnshire, -Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and Kent to clear out, once and for ever, the -canker-worm of espionage which has, alas! been allowed to eat so very -nearly into Britain's heart. - -I am not affected by that disease known as spy-mania. I write only of -what I know, of what I have witnessed with my own eyes and have heard -with my own ears. - -I therefore appeal most strongly, with all my patriotism, to the -reader, man or woman, to pause, to reflect, to think, and to demand -that justice shall, at this crisis of our national life, be done. - -We want no more attempts to gag the Press, no evasive speeches in the -House--no more pandering to the foreign financier or bestowing upon him -Birthday Honours: no more kid-gloved legislation for our monied enemies -whose sons, in some cases, are fighting against us, but sturdy, honest -and deliberate action--the action with the iron-hand of justice in the -interests of our own beloved Empire. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[Footnote 2: Even at this moment of our peril, it is doubtful if the -public will find at New Scotland Yard a single detective able to -pass himself off as a German and thus be in a position to make close -investigation. There are, certainly, several who speak German, but -in a dozen words they betray their British nationality. Surely the -police cannot hope for good results without possessing agents competent -to carry out what is a difficult and delicate task. The Extradition -Department is no longer what it was under Chief-Inspector Greenham.] - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -MASTER-SPIES AND THEIR CUNNING - - -We shall probably never be able to realise a hundredth part of what -Germany has done by her spy system, but we know enough to realise -that, for years, no country and no walks of life--from the highest to -the lowest--have been free from the presence of her ubiquitous and -unscrupulous secret agents. Nothing in the way of espionage has been -too large, or too small, for attention. - -Her spies have swarmed in all cities, and in every village; her agents -have ranked among the leaders of social and commercial life, and -among the sweepings and outcasts of great communities. The wealthiest -of commercial men have not shrunk from acting as her secret agents. -She has not been above employing beside them the very dregs of the -community. No such a system has ever been seen in the world; I hope it -is safe to say that no such system will ever be seen again. Indeed, -so despicable is this German spy system that even the leader of the -Opposition in the Reichstag, Herr Richter, one day rose from his -seat and protested against "the more than doubtful morality of the -individuals employed." This protest was made because it was known that -the Secret Service of Germany countenanced rank immorality and vice, -the suborning of high officials, and the shameless engagement of women -of ill-fame in the search for information. The official feeling in -Germany concerning such debased methods was well illustrated by the -reply of Herr Von Puttkamer, the Minister for the Interior, who said:-- - - "It is the right and duty of the State to employ special and - extraordinary methods, and even if that honest and estimable - functionary, Police-Councillor Rumpff, has employed the methods of - which he is accused, in order to secure for the State the benefits of - useful intelligence, I here publicly express to him my satisfaction - and thanks." - -That statement is certainly informing. It reveals to us the low, vile -methods of our enemies. - -The German spy system, as we know it to-day, is the creation of one -Carl Stieber, and it dates back to about the year 1850. - -Stieber, who was an obscure Saxon, began his career of espionage by -betraying the revolutionary Socialists, with whom he pretended to -sympathise, and so successful was he in this respect that he very -soon obtained employment among the regular police, and was afterwards -created head of a department which finally worked quite independently, -and was beyond police control. - -Stieber could never have achieved the success he did but for the luck -or good management which, during his work among the revolutionaries, -brought him to the notice of Frederick William, the King of Prussia. -Under the royal patronage he was secure against counter-plotters among -the military and the police, both of whom hated him beyond measure -as an interloper who was seen to be dangerous to their interests. -Up to this time, it should be remembered, the game of espionage, so -far as military matters were concerned, had been a matter solely -for the military authorities, and they did not fail to resent -the new influence, which very speedily threatened to make itself -all-powerful--as, indeed, it ultimately did--in this particular field -of Prussian activity. - -It must not be supposed that Stieber--upon whose model the Russian -Secret Police was afterwards established--confined his activities to -either the enemies or the criminals of Prussia. He established a close -watch on persons even of high rank, and many a tit-bit of information -went to regale the mind of his royal master. In a sense, Frederick -William was, like the modern Kaiser, the master-spy, for without his -confidence Stieber could never have achieved the success he did, -against both the military and the police, influences which, even in -those days, were almost, but not quite, all-powerful in Germany. - -Stieber's greatest achievement in the field of actual spying was his -work which led to the crushing of Austria at Sadowa in 1866. At this he -laboured for years, and it is not too much to say that his work assured -the success of the campaign. By the time the Prussian armies were on -the move, Stieber had established such an army of spies and agents -throughout Bohemia, that it was a matter of absolute impossibility for -the unfortunate Austrians to make a single move without information -being promptly carried to their enemies. - -So successful was Stieber's method found, that it was only natural that -it should be tried in other countries. France was the next victim, and -the campaign of 1870-71 is so recent that it is hardly necessary to do -more than remind the reader how thoroughly the Germans were served by -their spy system. - -As in the present war, the advancing Germans found, in every town -and village, swarms of agents who were ready to provide them with -information and guidance, and it was even said that the German invaders -were better acquainted with the country they were attacking than -were the officers entrusted with its defence. We have seen the same -thing in the present war, when time after time the Germans have been -led into towns and districts by men who have lived there for years -and, in many cases, had even become naturalised Frenchmen the better -to carry on their work. It speaks volumes for the perfection of the -German military machine that, on the outbreak of hostilities, these men -should have been able, without the slightest difficulty, to join the -corps operating in the districts with which they had become perfectly -familiar by years of residence. - -And they were able, not merely to give topographical information, but -even to indicate where stores of food and petrol could be found, and -to point out to their comrades where the best prospects of loot and -plunder existed. - -All this was merely a natural development of the system which Carl -Stieber established, and which his successors have developed to the -highest pitch of unscrupulous perfection. - -After the war of 1870-71, the system which Stieber invented found -its place in German administration, and it has continued ever since -as a separate and highly-organised department, spending vast sums of -money--about £720,000 a year--and extending its ramifications to an -incredible extent. It may be mentioned, incidentally, that its workings -and methods have been copied by the German commercial world, and many -a British employer has, during the past few years, paid dearly through -his closest commercial secrets being given away to his keenest German -rivals by the patient, diligent and hard-working German clerk, who -was willing to work for a mere pittance for the advantage of "learning -English" and studying British methods. - -There cannot now be the slightest doubt that thousands of these German -employees were, before the war, really in the pay of German firms, and -were busily engaged in sending to Germany all the information they -could possibly pick up which would tend to help the German and injure -the British merchant and manufacturer. - -I hope they have over-reached themselves, and that when the war is over -we shall see a great deal less of the English worker being supplanted -by spying Germans, whose apparent cheapness has been the costliest -labour Englishmen have ever employed. - -"Never trust or employ a German, and always make him pay cash" ought to -be the British commercial motto for the future. - -Stieber died in the early nineties, but he was succeeded by others -quite as clever, and even more unscrupulous than himself, some -of whom--though by no means all--have become faintly known to us -through the revelations made in the too few cases of espionage where -prosecution has been undertaken by our sleepy authorities. I say "very -few," of course, in the comparative meaning of the phrase. Actually, -there have been a fair number of cases, but when we consider the -slyness of German methods we must come to the conclusion that not a -fraction of the whole have been dealt with, in spite of the amusing -claim of Mr. McKenna that he has succeeded in smashing the German spy -organisation in this country. Our leniency in this respect is a matter -of amazement to people in France, and other countries where, from -bitter experience, the German spy-peril is better understood, and it is -also a matter of some resentment. Every blow at England, it is argued, -injures the cause of the Allies as a whole, and the worst blows are -likely enough to be struck by the undetected and unpunished spy. - -In almost every case of espionage in England in recent years, the name -of Steinhauer, "of Potsdam," has figured prominently. He is, at the -moment, the chief of the Kaiser's spy-system, and there is no doubt -that he fully enjoys the confidence and friendship of his royal master. - -Steinhauer--as he is known to our Secret Service--is an officer in -the Prussian Guard, and is about forty years of age. Personally, he -is a man of charming manners, of splendid education, and of excellent -presence, capable of taking his place--as he has frequently done--in -the very best society. Steinhauer--the man of a hundred aliases--acting -under the direct instructions of the Kaiser, and with the closest -support and co-operation of the German military authorities, -established in England such a network of naval and military spies as, -when it was tardily discovered, fairly made our authorities aghast. - -The allegations I have made in these pages are borne out by Mr. -McKenna's own admission, that hardly anything was done in the matter -until about the year 1911; yet, as I have indicated, long before this -the Germans were actually plotting war against England, and were -preparing for it and looking forward to the day when they might hope to -wage it with every prospect of success. - -The following extract from a public statement by the Home Secretary -is worth quoting. It will be noticed that Steinhauer's name is -not mentioned, but there is no doubt that he was the head of the -organisation of which the Home Secretary speaks. - -Mr. McKenna stated in his remarkable and somewhat ludicrous communiqué -of October 9th, 1914:-- - - "The Special Intelligence Department ... was able in three years, - from 1911 to 1913, to discover the ramifications of the German - Secret Service in England. In spite of enormous effort and lavish - expenditure by the enemy, little valuable information fell into their - hands.... There is good reason to believe that the spy organisation, - crushed at the outbreak of the war, has not been re-established.... - How completely that system had been suppressed in the early days of - the war is clear from the fact disclosed in a German Army Order--that - on 21st August the German military commanders were ignorant of the - dispatch and movements of the British Expeditionary Force, although - these had been known for many days to a large number of people in - this country." - -Such an attempt as this to lull us into a false sense of security was -little short of criminal. - -If not from spies, asked a correspondent of the _Globe_, from whom did -Germany obtain, in 1912, the very valuable information that oil was -to be the sole source of motive power for the "Queen Elizabeth" (v. -_Taschenbuch der Kriegsflotten_, January, 1913)? Certainly not from -any English official source; for we were kept entirely in the dark as -to this momentous change until the _Morning Post_ announced in July, -1913, that the battleship in question would consume liquid fuel only. -Even minor details did not escape the notice of German spies during the -period specified by Mr. McKenna. For instance, the _Taschenbuch_ for -1914 contains this statement:-- - - "'Hermes,' at present tender to air-craft, and as such only carries - eight 6in. guns." - -Yet it was not until the "Hermes" had been sunk in the Channel by a -German submarine, that any official statement was made as to how she -had been employed and her armament reduced! - -Again, there is irrefutable evidence to show that German agents were -ready waiting in France for the disembarkation of at least some details -of the British Expeditionary Force, and the whole world knows that the -German Emperor's insolent reference to Sir John French's Army was made -_before August 21st_. - -Further evidence of the activity of German spies before and since -the outbreak of the war is to be found in the following extract from -a letter written by an English naval officer, and published in the -_Times_ of November 20th under the heading, "In the North Sea":-- - - "Their (_i.e._, the Germans') submarines are outside even now, and it - seems funny where they get their information. But, at any rate, they - are well served, as they knew where the Fleet was when we were at - Devonport, and we did not know ourselves." - -Taking all these facts into consideration, it is evident that the -German spy system is more than a match for the Intelligence Division of -the Admiralty War Staff. - -Steinhauer--the chief of German Espionage--was the author and -inspiration of these "enormous efforts," and of the lavish expenditure -of money. - -With unlimited means at his disposal from the German Secret Service -funds, a close personal friend of the Kaiser, a man of undoubted -ability, great charm of manner and unquestionable daring, the man -known as Steinhauer must be ranked as one of the most dangerous of our -enemies. I have met him more than once. He speaks English practically -like an Englishman, and, out of uniform, might well pass for an -Englishman in any cosmopolitan gathering. About eight years ago he -was appointed to look after the German Secret Service, with special -instructions from the Emperor to particularly devote himself to England. - -He made frequent visits to this country; he got to know many German -residents here of the better class, whose efforts might be of value to -him, and within twelve months--while our red-tape-tangled Government -Departments closed their eyes and dreamed--had actively at work a swarm -of agents in every dockyard town and garrison where the picking up of -information of value would be possible or likely. How he must have -smiled! Every important town and city, many villages on the coast, -every naval base had its agent or agents, and there can be no doubt -that it was the result of Steinhauer's wonderful activities that at -last aroused even the supine British Home Office, which for years had -jeered at me and reassured the public with official denials that there -were no spies in England, and had laughed at the numerous warnings to -them to "sit up and take notice." - -And all this in face of a great and terrible national peril! - -I would here like to pay a tribute to the thoroughness with which the -Confidential Department have all along done their work. Up to the -limits to which the staff were allowed to go, they did magnificently. -There can be no doubt that a good many of the most active German spies -were detected and accounted for. The trouble is that the Intelligence -officers were not allowed to go far enough--indeed, since the war the -director, who knew many of the spies personally, has actually been -relieved of his post. Why, we may well ask. Do not let us inquire, -however, but let us realise that after six months at war we still have -at large amongst us some 27,000 alien enemies who would, in any other -country, be safely under lock and key. This spy peril means the loss -of our sons and our loved ones, and a blow at our Empire. Even the -Department is subject to ordinary human limitations, and we shall never -be free from the spy-peril until we recognise with Sherman that during -war the military authority is superior to the civil; until we insist -with Sir Oliver Lodge that all foreign spies must be shot, and all -native ones hanged. - -This Steinhauer's crowning act of daring and cool "cheek" came in -1911, when it is stated upon the best authority that he actually paid -a visit to King George at Buckingham Palace, as a member of the German -Emperor's personal suite! In that year I met him. The Kaiser visited -London to attend the unveiling by the King of the Queen Victoria -Memorial. Steinhauer, the spy, was actually a member of his suite! - -Of the action of our false friend the Kaiser in this matter it -is difficult to speak with patience. At this time, it should be -remembered, he was professing the firmest friendship for England, -and more than one Cabinet Minister was full of his praise; yet this -pinchbeck Napoleon could find it within his notions of honour to -introduce to England the one man of all others who was most active in -the perfidious campaign against her. Can it be wondered that with such -an example of treachery to lead them, German diplomatists made small -ado about tearing up the solemn treaty which guaranteed the neutrality -of Belgium! - -At this time, of course, Steinhauer's real mission was unknown to our -Home Office, and, of course, Steinhauer is not his real name. It was -not until later in the year that the Confidential Department fixed his -identity and ascertained his true character. One sighs to realise the -farce of it all. - -Then began a campaign in which the Germans were badly outwitted. -Without giving the slightest indication that anything unusual was -on foot, or had been discovered, the Special Department--under the -director who is, alas! no longer there--set to work. - -One branch of their activities was revealed in a recent case, when they -calmly produced, in court, tracings of letters posted in London by -Steinhauer's agents. For once the spy had been met and beaten at his -own game. In the meantime, some of Steinhauer's chief agents had been -identified, and were kept under the closest but most unostentatious -surveillance. - -Arrests were made in a number of cases, and in many others information -was secured which bore prompt fruit when war was declared, and over two -hundred of the "master-spy's" tools were captured in different parts of -the country and interned. - -It is, however, beyond doubt that many of this man's agents, of greater -or less influence or ability, are to-day still at liberty, and there -is no doubt either that many have come over in the guise of Belgian -refugees; that, indeed, has been officially admitted. Of course, they -are now working under enormously greater difficulties in getting -information, owing to the increased severity of the watch kept at all -places of importance. And even to send it away when they have got it is -not easy, though no doubt it is arranged, through Italy, Denmark, or -Scandinavia. - -Here is an instance reported by me to the authorities, as I considered -it full of suspicion. Among the thousands of Belgian refugees arriving -in England just before the fall of Antwerp--a city infested by German -spies--there came among us a certain priest, with four other male -companions. The priest explained to the Relief Committee which received -him, that he was head of a certain college in Belgium. He and his -companions were, at their own request, passed on to a provincial Relief -Committee. There the priest's penurious position naturally aroused -much sympathy, and he and his companions were put into a good-sized -house, given money for their maintenance, and petted by many charitable -persons. - -The five were free to take observations in and around the place where -they were domiciled. That our enemy would be glad of any details -regarding it there can be no doubt. Then, of a sudden--in the first -days of January--the priest, to the surprise of the Committee, -announced the fact that as he had received a letter from the Cardinal -Archbishop of his diocese, stating that many of his old pupils had -returned, he must leave at once for home with two of his companions. -One of the latter declared that he had to go to "look after his -cows"--as though the Germans would have left him any cows! When -questioned, the priest admitted that he held monies of the college -which he must hand over. To say the least, their behaviour was highly -suspicious. - -By some persons who became acquainted with this curious request the -matter was viewed with considerable suspicion. There seemed no urgent -reason why the refugees in question should return, for their excuses, -when challenged, were of the flimsiest character. However, they were -able to obtain a sum of money, which went towards their travelling -expenses. - -I at once went to the proper authorities--with the usual result. -Officials "got busy" scribbling reports and writing polite -"acknowledgments," but nothing was done, and the priest and his -friends were allowed to cross to Flushing unmolested on January 5th. - -But while it may be true that the main spy organisation has been -partially broken up--as Mr. McKenna would have us believe--it should -not be supposed, by any means, that the peril is at an end. Letters -can still be smuggled out of the country. To test this, I myself have -communicated with friends in Germany since the war by sending my -letters to Italy, where they were re-addressed, and replies have come -by the same means. Signals can, and are still, undoubtedly being made -to German submarines lying within easy distance of our East Coast. -And there can be no doubt that the stream of secret German gold, part -of the £720,000 a year, has, alas! done its work all too well in -inducing at least a few renegade Englishmen to betray their country. -This thought leaves a nasty taste in one's mouth, but there are -black sheep in all nations, and the black sheep of this kind are the -master-spy's most precious instruments. Very few of them, fortunately -or unfortunately, as we may choose to think, have been discovered; but -an example was made of one--the ex-naval gunner, Parrott--who, perhaps, -was one of the worst examples. - -Much organising of the actual work of espionage in England is believed -to have been carried on by Count von der Schulenberg, who was recently -appointed Governor of Liége. A very interesting account of his clever -methods was published by the _Daily Mail_ soon after his appointment -was announced. Von der Schulenberg belongs to what is, unquestionably, -the most dangerous type of spy--the monied man of good family, of a -certain culture, enjoying the friendship of people in the better ranks -of life, and above all, able to plead many hobbies to account for his -presence in this country. We have many of a similar sort in our midst, -posing as naturalised persons. - -It was in 1909 that Schulenberg--whom I met at the Hotel Cecil, where -I was living--first settled in England. He took a flat in Jermyn -Street, where he spent a considerable time, probably in the work of -familiarising himself with the ramifications of the German spy system -in this country. He became well known among the German colony in the -West End, and he was in the habit of spending considerable periods on -some mysterious errands; at any rate he often disappeared for days from -his favourite haunts. - -About two years ago this Schulenberg left Jermyn Street--and the -Hotel Cecil, where he often came in to see his friends--and went to -live in Borough Green, Kent, a quiet village within easy reach of -Chatham Dockyard. Here he posed, of all things in the world, as a -poultry fancier! Here he spent a good deal of time, sparing no pains -to ingratiate himself with everybody in the district, and, to a great -extent, succeeding. - -We next hear of him as a "breeder of bulldogs" in the little village of -Hemley-on-Deben, in Suffolk, not far from Harwich. This was about the -middle of 1913. The amusing part of his pose here is that it was quite -obvious to everyone that he knew nothing whatever about the subject -which he made his hobby! He was utterly ignorant of bulldogs, and -everything pertaining to them. However, they served as the excuse he -wanted to cover his real operations. - -It is not thought that this Schulenberg did any actual spying; it is -more probable that he was merely an agent and a "cover" for the work of -others. That he may have been an organiser under Steinhauer is probable -enough, and it is known that he received visits from mysterious -Germans, to one of whom, in particular, he paid considerable deference. -After his departure, a very significant statement is said to have been -made by a young man who is now serving in our army at the front. This -man asserted that if he had been willing to do what von Schulenberg -asked him, he would, by this time, "have been a rich man, able to drive -his own motor-car." We can make a pretty good guess as to the class of -service that was sought. - -Many other cases of a similar nature that have come to light make -it plain that Great Britain was systematically divided out into -territories, for the purpose of espionage, each territory having a -head spy, or agent, to whom all others under him were responsible, and -to whom they gave their reports for transmission to the headquarters -of the German spy system in Brussels. These cases are too numerous to -mention individually, and it will be sufficient to quote one as an -example, that of Captain X----, of Manchester. - -The captain was originally arrested for having--needless to say he -was a German--travelled more than five miles from the city without -permission. When the case came on the magistrates took the view that -the offence was a mere oversight, and inflicted a small fine. Later, -however, certain facts came to light, and the captain was re-arrested -at the instance of the military authorities. Great importance was -attached to the case, as the authorities believed that through it they -would be able to lay their hands upon centres, not only in the North of -England, but also in London, through which the Germans were in receipt -of important information. - -Captain X---- was a man of the type who have done excellent service for -Germany among the too trustful English. Of charming manners, apparently -a rich man, and very "English" in his ways, he was able to move in -good society, and numbered among his friends many prominent Manchester -people. But there was another side to his character of which his -Manchester friends were not aware. - -One of his favourite haunts was a certain German club in the city. Here -he was seen almost nightly, and it was noticed that he seemed to have a -great friendship for certain hotel-waiters of German nationality, who, -like himself, were members. These club waiters, who evidently possessed -an amount of cash which is not common among men participating in the -"tronc," were constantly occupied with the captain in a private room. -They "did themselves well," and in course of time they attracted the -attention of certain Englishmen who were also members of the club. It -could not escape notice that German waiters were rather curious friends -for an apparently wealthy man moving in the best society in Manchester, -and there is only one explanation of their common activities. Of the -captain's ultimate fate I am ignorant, but we may assume that by this -time he is beyond the capacity of doing us further harm, at any rate -for a considerable time. - -"_Place aux dames!_" Among the "master spies" of the Kaiser we must -certainly include a proportion of the fair sex--those women of lax -morals discussed in the Reichstag. And of all the perplexing problems -with which our authorities have had to deal of late, there is none more -difficult than that of women who have been acting as agents of German -espionage. - -It is a popular jibe that a woman cannot keep a secret. Never was -a popular opinion worse founded. To the spy no quality is more -essential than the ability to hold his tongue--a casual word may be -enough to betray him under circumstances in which he might think -himself absolutely safe. And if some women, at any rate, could not be -trusted to set a very rigid seal on their lips, the Kaiser and other -spy-masters would be robbed of some of their most able and desperate -agents. - -History has shown us that the woman-spy is, if anything, far more -dangerous than the man, once she gives herself heart and soul to -the business. And the reason is obvious: she brings to bear subtle -influences--especially if she is of the half-world--which are far -beyond the capacity of the male spy. More often than not, she simply -works on a man's passions, and there are endless cases of men who have -given away important secrets not for mere sordid motives, but through -the wiles of a pretty little woman by whom they have been temporarily -enslaved. The woman-spy, as a rule, must be possessed of great personal -charm of manner, and more than a share of good looks--often they -are minor actresses or ladies of no profession. They are, indeed, -the aristocrats of the spy profession, for they can work with good -prospects of success in cases where the ordinary lure of money would -be rejected with scorn, and, probably, personal violence if it were -proffered. - -Now, it is absolutely foreign to the British character to take -any steps against women of whatever class unless there are very -clear grounds upon which to act. We may be quite sure that this -fact is fully recognised by the authorities at Potsdam. There are -to-day, in London--many around Piccadilly Circus, and practically -uncontrolled--hundreds of German women, clever and capable, who are -an unmistakable danger to our country. What to do with them is, -admittedly, not a problem easy of solution. We, as Britons, do not want -to inflict on women the unavoidable hardships of the concentration -camps if it can be avoided, but we certainly do want to protect -ourselves. The suggestion has been made that these women should be -compulsorily repatriated, and it seems as good a way of dealing with -the difficulty as any. - -One of the most notorious of the German woman agents is believed to -have come over to this country immediately after the fall of Brussels. -She is said to be an exceedingly accomplished woman, very good-looking, -and widely travelled, and speaking seven languages. The Confidential -Department are to-day keeping her under observation. A woman of this -kind is especially dangerous owing to her ability to pass in any class -of society, and it is to be hoped that the Department has been able to -curtail her opportunities for mischief. - -As I have, over and over again, stated in the course of these past few -years of Britain's slumber, the tremendous extent of the German spy -system cannot be over-estimated, nor can it be too strongly impressed -upon the public. Nothing is too large, or too small, for the net of -German espionage; no agent can be too highly, or too lowly, placed. -From the few chiefs who really control the dastardly work, designed -for our undoing, radiate channels which stretch into every department -of life, pouring in a constant stream of facts of greater or less -importance, but all having their proper place when correlated and -arranged by the keen brains in Berlin devoted to the work. - -Never let it be forgotten that an apparently trivial incident may -be the key for which the spy is patiently seeking, and that even a -seemingly baseless rumour transmitted by the humble German, as the -result of eavesdropping during his employment, may set the master-brain -at work upon some matter of overwhelming importance. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -THE SPY AND THE LAW - - -There is a vast amount of misconception in the public mind on the -subject of spying, and an almost complete ignorance of the law of -dealing with spies, military and civil, in time of peace and in time of -war. - -The subject is one which absolutely bristles with anomalies and -incongruities. In all times and in all countries, and by the great -majority of people, spying has been condemned as something essentially -dishonourable--to call a man a spy has always been regarded as one of -the deadliest insults. Yet here we have at once the first, and perhaps -the most striking, anomaly of the spy business--the men of unblemished -personal honour, who, unquestionably, would not descend to any act -which, in their views, was even tainted with meanness, have acted as -spies. I will mention a few of these cases presently; in the meantime, -it will be well to consider what international law has to say on the -subject. - -Naturally enough, the subject of spying met with a good deal of -consideration on the part of the members of the Hague Convention, and, -so far as there can be said to be international law in the matter, -it is expressed in the conventional laws of war drawn up by the -assemblage. The following Articles of the Convention dealing with the -subject may be usefully quoted:-- - - - ARTICLE XXIX. - - A person can only be considered a spy when, acting clandestinely, or - on false pretences, he obtains or endeavours to obtain information - in the zone of operations of a belligerent with the intention of - communicating it to the hostile party. - - Thus, soldiers not wearing a disguise who have penetrated into the - zone of operations of the hostile army for the purpose of obtaining - information are not considered spies. Similarly, the following are - not considered spies: Soldiers and civilians, carrying out their - mission openly, entrusted with the delivery of despatches intended - either for their own army or for the enemy's army. To this class - belong likewise persons sent in balloons for the purpose of carrying - despatches, and generally of maintaining communications between the - different parts of an army or a territory. - - - ARTICLE XXX. - - A spy taken in the act shall not be punished without previous trial. - - - ARTICLE XXXI. - - A spy who after rejoining the army to which he belongs is - subsequently captured by the enemy, is treated as a prisoner of war, - and incurs no responsibility for his previous acts of espionage. - -A very detailed and lucid exposition of the law dealing with spies is -given in Mr. J.M. Spaight's "War Rights on Land," perhaps the fullest -and most authoritative source of information on the work of the Hague -Convention in respect to war on land. - -Now, in the conduct of war early and accurate information is of supreme -importance. One of the best instances of this on record was the capture -of Marshal Macmahon's army by the Germans in the Franco-Prussian War -of 1870-71. This, of course, was not the work of a spy, but it was the -result of information which a spy might very well have obtained. - -A Paris paper published a statement indicating that Macmahon's army had -changed the direction of its march. This statement was telegraphed to -London and appeared in the papers here. It caught the attention of the -then German Ambassador, who, realising its value, promptly telegraphed -it to Berlin. For Moltke, of course, this was a heaven-sent opportunity -of which his military genius made the fullest use. A new movement was -at once set on foot, and the result was the surrender of Macmahon with -his entire force. - -Granting that information of equal value may at any moment be obtained -by a clever spy, it is obvious that commanders in the field are not -only entitled, but bound to take the most drastic measures to defend -themselves against spies. The work of a single spy may wreck a campaign -and settle the fate of a nation, and here we have the real reason why -the spy caught in the act is punished with relentless severity. "Kill -that spy" is, and should be, the rule of every commander in the field. - -Then arises another consideration of equal importance: every commander -is entitled and bound to do his utmost to secure the best possible -information as to the enemy's forces, their disposition, their size, -and, above all, their intentions. It is of even more importance to -understand what your enemy intends to do than to know the forces which -he has available to carry out his plans. How, then, are we to draw a -distinction between perfectly legitimate scouting and reconnaissance -work, which can involve no reprobation and no punishment, and the -"spying" properly so called, which justifies the infliction of the -death penalty? - -The answer lies in a couple of words--the spy acts under false -pretences, while the soldier or scout acts quite openly; though, of -course, concealing himself from observation and detection, he does not -adopt any disguise or discard his uniform. The result is, that under no -circumstances can a soldier wearing his uniform be treated as a spy. He -may dare and do anything; if he is caught his sole punishment is that -he is treated as a prisoner of war. So far as the soldier is concerned -(the case of the civilian spy will be dealt with presently) disguise is -the essence of spying. This point is clear beyond the possibility of -misconception, and the commander who shot a soldier in uniform on the -plea that he was acting as a spy would simply be committing a murder. - -Usually, a military spy is a soldier who has laid aside his own -uniform, and either adopted civilian dress, or clothed himself in the -uniform of the enemy, or a neutral, the better to escape detection. For -such, there is no mercy; the penalty of detection is death. The reason -is obvious: the soldier in disguise is a far more dangerous enemy -than the one who openly carries out his hostile acts. In war, as in -peace, the enemy in disguise is most dangerous; the false friend is the -soldier's as well as the civilian's worst peril. - -Here we come to another anomaly: spying in itself is not a criminal -act. That is clearly recognised by Article XXXI. of the Hague -Convention already quoted. Consequently, unless he is taken in the act -the spy is immune; once he has regained his own lines, and discarded -his disguise, he is exempt from the consequences of his espionage, even -though he were captured and identified ten minutes later. - -To constitute "spying" in the strict sense of the word, the offence -must be carried out clandestinely, and _in the war area_. As we all -know now, and as I and others pointed out years ago, the United Kingdom -for many years has been flooded with German agents busily engaged in -picking up information on naval and military subjects which would be of -value to Germany. It is important to recognise that these agents _are -not "spies" in the strict sense of the word_, since the United Kingdom -is, happily, not within the war zone. In time of peace they could not -be shot. When war began, however, they were guilty of "war treason" -and liable to the death penalty. The case of Carl Lody, with which -I deal fully elsewhere, is a case in point. Lody was not accused of -"spying," but of "war treason." The word "spy," however, is convenient, -and no doubt it will continue to be used without undue regard to the -technicalities. - -It is necessary, I think, to make it clear how eminent soldiers have -found it not beneath their dignity and honour to act as spies, even -in the face of the general opprobrium which attaches to the spy. In -the first place, the obtaining of information is essential to the -successful conduct of war. Secondly, it is recognised that no moral -guilt attaches to the spy, as is shown by the fact that he can only -be punished if he is taken in the act, and as a preventive measure. -Thirdly, we must remember that only a very brave man, ready to lay down -his life for his country, could bring himself to act as a spy in war -time. The spy, let it not be forgotten, is under no illusions; he takes -his life in his hands, and he knows it. If he is caught there is no -help for him; his doom is as certain as the rising of the sun. Only -a man to whom his life was as nothing if risking it would serve his -country's cause, would dare to undertake the perilous work of spying in -time of war. Whatever other attributes the spy may possess, and many -of them undoubtedly are individuals of a very undesirable kind, the -possession of courage must be granted to them. - -Naturally, it will be asked why the spy is so generally held in -contempt, and, indeed, in abhorrence. That this should be so is, in all -probability, due to a certain confusion of ideas between the soldier -spy who, risking his life in war, may be playing a truly heroic part, -and those miserable secret agents who, in time of peace and without -risk, abuse for gold a nation's hospitality with the deliberate -intention of working her ruin when war comes, or, still worse, the -traitor who is ready to sell the interests of his own country. And it -is one of the anomalies of the whole subject that the traitor who is -ready to sell his country's interests to a possible enemy should, in -time of peace, be punishable only by penal servitude, while the truly -brave and often heroic soldier who in time of war risks his life in his -country's cause, should meet certain death if he is detected. - -Let us assume for a moment that a man of the former class, the day -before the war broke out, had sold to Germany information of some -secret upon which the safety of the British Empire depended. There is -no such secret, but I assume it for the sake of argument. His maximum -punishment would have been penal servitude. Take next the case of a -German soldier who, the day after war was declared, crept disguised -into our lines and obtained information which might have enabled his -commander to capture fifty British soldiers. We should have shot -him without delay. Yet will anyone contend that there is anything -comparable in the moral turpitude of the two acts? It must not be -understood, of course, that I am pleading for clemency for the spy; my -plea is for greater severity for the traitor! - -We are now faced with another problem. If it is dishonourable to -spy--and many eminent authorities, as well as public opinion, generally -hold this to be the case--it is unquestionably dishonourable to -employ spies. Yet all commanders of all nations employ spies, and -if any nation failed to do so, it might as well--as Lord Wolseley -said--sheathe its sword for ever. We can take it for granted that, in -his many campaigns, Lord Wolseley made the fullest use possible of -spies, and yet his personal honour need not be questioned. We certainly -cannot say that he was dishonoured by the use of means often regarded -as dishonourable. - -Moreover, great soldiers themselves have not hesitated to act as -spies. The history of war is full of such cases. Catinat spied in the -disguise of a coal-heaver. Montluc disguised himself as a cook. Ashby, -in the American Civil War, visited the Federal lines as a horse-doctor, -while General Nathaniel Lyon visited the Confederate camp at St. Louis -in disguise before he attacked and captured it. Against the personal -honour of such men as these no word can be said, and, as Mr. Spaight -points out, it is surprising to find a military historian like Sir -Henry Hozier declaring that "spies have a dangerous task and not an -honourable one." - -The truth seems to be that as regards the military spy in time of -war, popular opinion stands in need of revision. In the face of the -instances quoted, it cannot be fairly said that the military spy is -necessarily a man of dishonour. The spy and the revolutionary, in some -respects, fall under the same category. If they succeed, well and good; -if they fail, they pay the inevitable penalty, and no mercy is shown -them. Yet the revolutionary as well as the spy may be a person of -blameless honour. - -As a matter of fact, the Germans themselves--whose sense of honour -no one will regard as being excessively nice--seem to recognise the -distinction between the military spy and the wretched agents of -espionage, of whom they have made abundant use, who in times of peace, -work, and can only work, by abusing the hospitality of the nation -among whom they live, and by tempting men to betray their honour and -their country's secrets. The Japanese, too, one of the proudest of -nations, and with a code of honour as strict as any in the world, have -recognised that there is nothing essentially dishonourable about the -military spy. During the war with Russia, Mr. Douglas Story relates, -they captured a Russian who was spying disguised as a Chinaman. They -shot him, of course, but they afterwards sent into the Russian lines a -message in which they hailed the spy as a brave man, and expressed the -hope that the Russian army held many others equally brave. - -Perhaps the most remarkable spy case on record is that of Major André, -which aroused the fiercest indignation during the American War of -Independence. André, who was born in London in 1751, joined the British -Army in Canada, and became aide-de-camp to General Clinton. Benedict -Arnold, an American commandant, had undertaken to surrender to the -British forces a fortress on the Hudson River, and André was sent by -Clinton to make the necessary arrangements. - -On the night of September 20th, 1780, Arnold and André met at a place -called Haverstraw, on the Hudson River. Then André changed his uniform -for plain clothes, and attempted to pass through the American lines by -means of a passport given him by Arnold in the name of John Anderson. -As he was approaching the British lines, however, he was captured by -a patrol of the enemy, who handed him over to the American military -authorities. - -Washington at once convened a board of officers, who found André -guilty of espionage, and declared that he ought to be put to death. -Curiously enough, André himself did not protest against this sentence; -all that he asked was that he should be shot instead of suffering the -ignominious death of hanging. This request, however, was refused, and, -accordingly, he was hanged on October 2nd, 1780. - -The case created an uproar in England. The essence of spying is that -the spy shall be caught while seeking information, and André was not -thus caught. The Americans contended that so long as he was captured -before he had returned to his own lines he was to be regarded as a spy, -and, therefore, liable to condemnation. Many people in England, and -elsewhere, regarded André as a martyr. George III. granted a pension -to his mother, a baronetcy was conferred on his brother, and, in 1821, -his remains were allowed to be exhumed, and were brought to England and -buried in Westminster Abbey! - -It is most important to recognise the distinction between spying, -properly so called, and "war treason." The inhabitants of an occupied -territory do not owe any allegiance to an invader, but they do owe -him the duty of remaining quiet and abstaining from acts which might -endanger his safety or success. They are subject to his martial law -regulations, and, under certain circumstances, they may be guilty of -war treason. War treason has been defined by the Germans as:-- - - "The act of damaging or imperilling the enemy's power by deceit, - or by the transmission of messages to the national army on the - subject of the position, movements, plans, etc., of the occupant, - irrespective of whether the means by which the sender has come into - the possession of the information be legitimate or illegitimate - (_e.g._, by espionage)." - -It is, of course, regarded as an act of perfidy when a person whose -rights as a non-combatant have been regarded abuses his position to -render aid to the national army. Non-combatants, save when the "levy in -mass" has been put in force, have no right, it is considered, to meddle -in any way with the operations of the contending armies. - -Bearers of despatches, whether military or civilian, are not spies so -long as they work openly. During the Franco-Prussian War, Bismarck -contended that all who attempted to pass out of Paris by balloon -were spies, and should be treated as such, and though those who were -caught were not put to death, they were very harshly treated. He was, -undoubtedly, wrong under international law as recognised at the present -day. - -Since those times, the aeroplane has placed in the hands of military -commanders a powerful weapon, not only of espionage or scouting, but -also of communicating information, and probably not even Bismarck, -were he still alive, could contend that the use of aeroplanes could be -regarded as bringing the airman within the laws of espionage. And there -is no difference in principle between the aeroplane and the balloon. -Obviously, there can be none of the concealment which is necessary to -establish spying. - -The invention of wireless telegraphy brought about a curious problem -in espionage during the Russo-Japanese War. A steamer, fitted with -a wireless installation, followed the movements of the rival fleets -in the interests of one of the London papers. She was boarded by a -Russian cruiser, and, as result, the Russian Government informed the -neutral Powers that should any neutral vessel be found within the -Russian maritime zone, having on board correspondents with apparatus -of this kind--which, obviously, was not foreseen in the then existing -Conventions--used for the purpose of transmitting information to the -enemy, the correspondents would be treated as spies, and the vessels -made prizes of war. That position is now untenable. - -Owing to the improvements made in wireless telegraphy, a very similar -situation might arise in a land war. It is possible, to-day, to -carry in an ordinary motor-car a wireless outfit capable of sending -messages a very considerable distance; indeed, there is good reason -for believing that such an apparatus is actually being used by German -agents for transmitting information from the east and north-east -districts of England, to enemy submarines lurking in the North Sea. -A rigorous search has been made for this mysterious car, which has -been reported in various districts. Naturally, when the apparatus is -not in use it is concealed within the body of the car, which would -then become, apparently, an ordinary touring vehicle, with nothing to -distinguish it from hundreds of others passing freely along the roads. - -In this case there would be little doubt about the fate of the -occupants of the car if they were caught. They would not be "spies" in -the strict sense of the word, as their offence was not committed within -the zone of the operations, but they would be guilty of "war treason," -and liable to the death penalty. - -This is a very real danger, and the offence is one that it would be -extremely difficult to detect. The popular idea of a wireless plant, -gained no doubt from the enormous "aerials" of the high-power stations -sending messages thousands of miles, is that wireless telegraphy is -something that cannot be carried on without employing huge plant that -it would be impossible to conceal. - -Now I can claim to know something of wireless telegraphy--I have -experimented for some years--and I can say, at once, that this is an -exceedingly dangerous fallacy. In recent years very great improvements -have been made in both transmitters and receivers, and to-day it is -quite possible to establish in almost any house, a small, but powerful -wireless plant, which would be utterly invisible from outside, but -quite capable of sending messages from any spot near the coast to enemy -vessels, such as submarines, lying a few miles away. - -Of secret installations there are, no doubt, to-day, many in various -parts of the country. Several stations have, indeed, been discovered. -The reason aliens were not allowed to possess a telephone was regarded -as curious by some people. But it was because telephone-wires, when -properly insulated and arranged, make quite a good "aerial." Further, -in any barn or long attic, aerial wires can be strung across, and -give excellent results. The spy does not need spidery wires upon -masts high above his house-top, or in his garden. If his instruments -are sufficiently delicate, and are connected with the underground -gas-pipe, or even to an ordinary wire-mattress, he will be able to -receive messages from any of the high-power stations within a radius -of, say, five hundred miles, while from a wire strung inside a -disused factory-chimney, and thereby hidden, a wireless message can -be despatched a couple of hundred miles. Therefore the peril of all -this will at once be realised, for any spy who knows sufficient to fit -up a wireless station inside his own house, and is acquainted with -the latest developments of the science, need not use lamp-signalling -at night, or pigeons, or any other antiquated modes of communication. -Indeed, he can flash at night a code-message direct to Norddeich or -any other place on the German coast, and receive back his answer in a -few moments, no one being able to detect, until after long search and -inquiry, whence the mysterious buzz has emanated. - -It ought to be said, however, that it is problematical how long such a -fixed station, established say in Yorkshire, could be worked without -detection, because its messages must--sooner or later--be picked up -by some of our own Post Office or naval operators. The messages would -be in cipher, of course, but the important thing would be to know -that such a plant was being used. An expert wireless-operator, with a -newly-invented instrument called a "direction-finder," can make a very -good guess at the distance of the point of origin of any message he -receives, and once the proper authorities were on the track of a secret -wireless station, the work of hunting it down would be only a matter -of time and trouble. Such a case was reported a few weeks ago from the -Pacific coast, where a wireless station established in the centre of a -remote district was giving the Germans valuable help. It was tracked -down and located, and it is said that a similar station was found -in the centre of Rome, and others in Paris and Antwerp. We might be -equally successful here, but, in the meantime, it is more than likely -that a good deal of damage might have been done. - -The case of a wireless installation used for a motor-car, however, -presents much more difficulty of detection. We might know perfectly -well that it was being used, and yet be unable to locate it on account -of its mobility. It is practically certain that it would never be -used twice from the same spot; indeed, it might operate along a line -running a couple of hundred miles north and south, and still convey its -messages to the enemy vessels. In such a case as this, we can only rely -upon vigilance and good luck to turn the trick in our favour. - -In my view, the Admiralty took an extremely unwise step when, at the -beginning of the war, they closed all the private wireless stations in -England. There are a great many of these stations--far more than the -general public realises--and the majority of them were being worked -by men whose loyalty and discretion stood absolutely above suspicion. -These installations--free from the heavy load of business thrown upon -the Government coast stations--are quite capable of doing excellent -work in constantly "listening" for illicit stations which might be -in the hands of German spies for the purpose of giving information -respecting our naval movements. The value of these small stations as a -means of detecting hostile messages has been entirely under-estimated -by the Admiralty, who seem to consider the risk of Englishmen being -either traitors or fools more than outweighs the possibility of -detecting secret wireless in the hands of our enemies. - -I have dwelt upon this matter at some length, because I am absolutely -convinced of the very serious danger to which we are exposed from the -use of wireless installations, small, but capable of working over any -distance up to, say, one hundred miles--and even less would be amply -sufficient--by German spies in Great Britain at the present moment. - -We now know quite enough of German methods to be aware that our enemy's -spies are not only singularly daring, but singularly resourceful. -I know what a small, compact, portable station can do in skilled -hands, and I am strongly of opinion that the risks we are running -in this respect are not sufficiently appreciated--perhaps are not -understood--by the authorities. Even to-day, in spite of the evidence -that I and others have been able to bring forward for some years, and -in spite even of numerous convictions during the past few months, there -is too much of a tendency on the part of the Government to try to "save -its face" by declaring that the spy peril is enormously exaggerated. -No doubt they will endeavour to refute my arguments in these pages. -They declared, for so long, that there were no German spies in England, -that even to-day they are reluctant to take the drastic steps which -the situation urgently demands. On no other supposition can we explain -the unparalleled liberty accorded to thousands of Germans, whether -naturalised or not, who are still permitted to live and move so freely -among us. Some, indeed, have been interned, and afterwards released. - -Returning to the legal position of spies (after a digression perhaps -not without its uses), it should be noted that the Hague regulations -distinguish between a member of the armed forces and a private citizen. -The soldier spy who has rejoined the army cannot, afterwards, be -punished for his act of espionage. The civilian who acts as a spy -enjoys, however, no such privilege. He has no business to meddle with -military affairs, and, should he be captured at any time, he is liable -to pay the penalty of his former deeds. Similarly, to harbour a spy is -also a criminal offence. - -A person found guilty of espionage may either be hanged or shot; -nowadays, the usual punishment is shooting, though the American code -still prescribes hanging. In earlier times, also, he was liable to be -executed on the spot, without formality of any kind. To-day, he must -first be tried by court-martial in accordance with the established -rules of martial law in the country in which the offence was committed. - -The position of civilians in an invaded territory who give or transmit -to their own side information respecting the enemy's movements is not -without interest to us now that threats of a German invasion are so -freely indulged in by the Press of Germany, and preparations to defeat -such an attack are being actively made by our own military authorities. - -There can be no doubt that if a resident of an occupied territory gives -such information, he is guilty either of spying, or of a hostile act -against the invader, amounting to war treason, and equally punishable -by death. The "American Instructions" are very emphatic on this point. -They say:-- - - "If a citizen or subject of a country or place invaded or conquered - gives information to his own Government from which he is separated - by the hostile army or to the army of his Government he is a _war - traitor_ and death is the penalty of his offence." - -Thus, a Belgian resident in Brussels, during the German occupation, -found sending information to the Belgian authorities in France, would -be shot out of hand by the Germans, and they would be within their -clear rights in shooting him. - -A more doubtful case would be that of an inhabitant of a district not -yet occupied, who entered the war zone, obtained information, and, -having sent it to his Government, returned home, only to be captured -later when the enemy occupied the district. The view is generally held, -though the Convention came to no very clear decision, that in such a -case he could not be punished, as he was not supposed to belong to an -occupied territory. Such a man owes no duty to the enemy, as in the -case of an occupied territory, and once he has completed his mission, -he is free. - -It should be noted that the nationality of a spy is not material; -neutrals found guilty may be punished as though they were the -enemy subjects. Many Chinese who spied for the Russians during the -Russo-Japanese War were executed by the Japanese. One of them was a -Chinese officer, and the Government of China demanded an explanation. -The Japanese reply was quite unequivocal, and insisted on the right to -punish spies, no matter of what nationality. - -As I have said, all nations spy in the interests of national -self-preservation. It is not the _fact_ of German espionage that has -roused the indignation of the civilised world against her. We have no -feelings even of resentment against such men as Carl Lody, though, -of course, we are entitled to protect ourselves against them. They -owe us nothing, and they are clearly doing their duty in trying to -help their country. What has aroused anti-German feelings--which are -not likely to die out for many years--is the baseness of the German -_method_: systematic "planting" of agents who, for years, have posed -as the friends of those among whom they lived, yet have not hesitated -to betray them in the first shock of war. Thousands of paid German -spies have deliberately become naturalised Frenchmen, Englishmen, and -Belgians, as a mere cloak for their efforts to betray the country of -their adoption. Hundreds of thousands of Germans accepted for years -as friends in this country, bearers even of British honours, have -abused our hospitality, and added the vilest treachery to the blackest -ingratitude. While posing as our friends, they have worked their best -for our undoing, and--worse still--they have suborned and made traitors -of poor men, to whom the lure of gold of this kind is simply that it is -"not cricket," and for the false friend, not for the open enemy, the -British people reserve their bitterest scorn and contempt. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -A REMARKABLE SPY - - -Of the many cases of espionage which have come before the British -public recently, surely none exceeds in interest and importance that -of Carl Hans Lody, who, after trial by court-martial, was shot in the -Tower of London early in November. Lody was the first secret-service -agent shot in England after the outbreak of war, and the first person -executed in the Tower since the middle of the eighteenth century. - -Lody, beyond all question, was a very remarkable man. Before going into -the details of the charge against him, it is well worth while to recall -some of the leading features of his career. - -Born in Berlin, he was only thirty-five, yet he had seen enough of life -and the world to have satisfied many men of double his age. There is -hardly a corner of the civilised world into which he had not travelled. -He had been much in America, and it was a considerable help to him, -in his work as a secret-service agent, that he spoke English with a -decidedly American accent. This, no doubt, explains the fact--of which -more presently--that he posed as an American, and used an American -passport, which really belonged to a certain Mr. Charles A. Inglis. - -It was as Mr. Charles A. Inglis that Lody arrived in England early in -August. He knew England and Scotland well, and he is believed to have -been in this country once or twice earlier in the year. Originally, he -served in the German Navy; after he left he became a steward on the -liner "Hamburg." In the meantime he married a very handsome American -woman, to whom, apparently, though the marriage did not turn out very -happily, he was very deeply attached. - -When the Hamburg-Amerika Line established a series of personally -conducted tours from Berlin, Lody secured an appointment to take charge -of a party of rich Americans who were going round the world. He made a -similar tour in 1913 and in the summer of 1914, and when the American -medical societies held an International Conference in London, Lody was -one of the guides who helped to show them round England. None of the -Americans, it may be mentioned, ever doubted that he belonged to their -country. - -It was in August, as I have said, that Lody came to England on the -mission that led him to his death. He travelled as Mr. Inglis, though -to an American acquaintance who chanced to meet him he was still Lody. -It was some weeks before the attention of the Confidential Department -was drawn to him, and then began a game of hide-and-seek, which was -not without a humorous side. - -From August till the middle of September, Lody was in Edinburgh, a -district prohibited to enemy aliens, though not, of course, to an -American. Thence he sent, to Stockholm, a telegram which aroused -suspicion. On September 7th he was followed from the neighbourhood of -Rosyth, and with magnificent "bluff" he went direct to the police and -complained. So well did he play the part of an injured and innocent -American citizen, that the police actually apologised to him. He -slipped away and, for a time, all trace of him was lost. - -Then he went to London and began an examination of the steps that had -been taken for the protection of the principal buildings. Again the -Intelligence Department got on his track, and from that moment his doom -was sealed. No doubt he thought he had shaken off all suspicion, but he -was soon to be undeceived. - -After a visit to Scotland about the end of September, Lody went to -Liverpool, no doubt to pick up all he could about the Mersey defences, -and then over to Ireland in the guise of an American tourist on a visit -to Killarney. But the police had their eye on him all the time, and -he was arrested and detained until the arrival of Inspector Ward of -Scotland Yard. His trial and conviction followed. - -The public will never know the full extent of Lody's doings as a spy, -but it is beyond question that he was a most daring and dangerous man. -The reports he made have not yet been published, but they were of such -a character that, in the interests of the State, much of the evidence -was taken in camera, and those who have been privileged to read them -declare that, in their keen observation and clear expression, they -are among the most remarkable documents that have ever come into the -possession of the War Office. The Confidential Department did its work -well, and it is worth noting here that after grave suspicion fell upon -Lody, he was so closely shadowed that none of his reports left the -country, and they were produced in evidence at the trial. - -Lody's task was to travel about England and to send to Germany news -about our naval movements, about our losses and the steps that were -being taken to repair them. One message he tried to send from Edinburgh -read:--"Must cancel. Johnson very ill last four days. Shall leave -shortly." Innocent enough! But to Berlin, as Lody admitted at his -trial, it meant that the British Fleet, in four days, would be leaving -the Firth of Forth. - -What, we may well wonder, was to be cancelled! - -There was a dramatic scene in the ancient Guildhall when the -court-martial assembled to try Lody for his life--a scene strangely -unfamiliar in a country which, for a generation, has had little -experience of military trials. The court was composed of Major-General -Lord Cheylesmore as President, and eight officers in uniform. In the -dock stood Lody, guarded by two khaki-clad soldiers with bayonets fixed. - -The following were the charges on which Lody was accused:-- - - The accused, Carl Hans Lody, alias Charles A. Inglis, an enemy - civilian, is charged--first charge--with committing a war crime, - that is to say, war treason, against Great Britain, in that he at - Edinburgh, on or about September 27, 1914, attempted to convey to a - belligerent enemy of Great Britain--namely to Germany--information - calculated to be useful to that enemy by sending a letter headed - Edinburgh 27/9/14, and signed Nazi, addressed to one Karl J. Stammer, - Berlin, which contained information with regard to the defence and - preparations for war of Great Britain. The second charge is that of - committing a war crime in that he on or about the 30th of September - attempted to convey to a belligerent enemy of Great Britain--namely - to Germany--information calculated to be useful to that enemy, by - sending a letter, headed Dublin and signed Nazi, and addressed to - Karl J. Stammer, which contained information with regard to the - defences and preparations for war of Great Britain. - -Lody's movements were very clearly traced at the trial by Mr. Bodkin, -who prosecuted for the Crown. It was shown, by the visé on the American -passport he was using, that he had been in Berlin as recently as August -4th. Another document found on him proved that he was in Bergen, in -Norway, on August 20th. In all his movements he passed as Charles A. -Inglis. It is not necessary to follow him in detail, but it may be -mentioned that apparently he reported both to a man named Burchard, -at Stockholm, and also to Stammer at Berlin. There were found in -his notebook not only a copy of the "Johnson" telegram, but also -particulars of British losses in battle and in the naval fight in the -North Sea, a list of German cruisers and German ships sunk up to date, -and also copies of four other communications to Burchard. - -Mr. Bodkin made it clear that, through the Post Office officials, -certain letters to and from persons abroad had been examined and -copied, and in some cases delivered; since August 4th letters for -Norway and Sweden posted in any part of the United Kingdom were sent -to London and there examined. Several of these were to and from the -prisoner. - -The main part of the evidence against Lody was taken in camera and -has never been made public, but that it was overwhelming there can be -no doubt; indeed, Lody himself admitted that he had had a fair trial, -and was quite justly dealt with. It was, however, mentioned that his -letters contained reports on such places as Queensferry, near the naval -base at Rosyth, and various other places round the coast. - -There was a very remarkable incident when Lody himself gave evidence, -an incident which gives us a good deal of insight into the real -character of this remarkable spy. - -Having admitted that his name was on the German Navy List, he said -that when he went to Berlin at the end of July he reported himself to -"a certain department," making a request that he should not be sent -on active service as he was an invalid, having undergone a serious -operation some years before and being unfit to do any fighting. -Narrating events in Berlin, Lody said, "A proposition was put before me -by a certain person." - -"Are you willing," counsel asked him, "to give the name of that person?" - -Then for the first time Lody's iron nerve broke down. He burst into -heavy sobs, and in a voice almost choked with emotion, replied: "I have -pledged my word of honour not to give that name, and I cannot do it. -Although names have been discovered in my documents, I do feel that I -have not broken my word of honour." - -"Are you unwilling," counsel asked, "to tell us the position in life -that person occupies?" - -Again Lody hesitated; then he added quietly that the person was a -superior naval officer. "I was summoned to see him," he said; "and I -had three or four interviews with him." - -Then came a question which provoked a very remarkable reply. "Are you -willing," asked counsel, "to tell the court what took place at those -interviews with your superior officer?" - -"I am willing to tell the court," said Lody. "And I am willing not to -conceal anything, but I should like it not to be in public, as I shall -certainly refer to very essential and important affairs." - -Lody was then asked to give the "principal instruction" that he -received, and he did so readily. He was to remain in England until -the first engagement had taken place between the two Powers, and send -information as regards the actual losses of the British Fleet. Then -he was at liberty to go on to New York; he had previously asked for -permission to do so. He was also told to get all the information he -could with regard to the movements of the Fleet, and what was going on -in England, but was specially warned not to go and "spy round," but to -see as much as every traveller could see. - -Lody added that he was very reluctant to undertake this work, as he -felt he was not well fitted for it. He pointed this out, he said. -It was put to him that pressure was applied to him to induce him to -undertake the mission, to which he replied: "There was no pressure, but -there is certainly an understanding. If they make a suggestion you feel -obliged to obey. I have never been a coward in my life, and I certainly -won't be a shirker." - -Let us give credit where credit is due--even in espionage. I think -everyone will admit that, whatever view we may take of this spy's -offence--and views on the subject of espionage will always vary -widely--Lody behaved as a brave man. He was, in the first place, -absolutely loyal to his chiefs; there was about him nothing of the -craven wretch as willing to sacrifice his own country as any other if -he could hope by so doing to win any favour for himself. Nor would he -even speak in open Court of matters which, as he thought, might have -been prejudicial to us. One cannot but recognise his chivalry. It is -not often that the man in the dock deserves all his counsel says about -him, but Lody was an exception, and the eloquent plea on his behalf -made by Mr. George Elliott, K.C., who defended him, deserves to be -remembered, not only for its references to Lody, but as a tribute to -British justice, which placed at the service of a dangerous adversary -the skill of one of the most brilliant members of the English Bar. - -Whatever his fate might be, said Mr. Elliott, he hoped the accused -would remember to the last hour of his existence that he had received -from the country whose interests he came to betray a trial which, for -fairness, was unrivalled in history. He said, quite frankly, that he -came to this country in the service of his own--as a German actuated by -patriotic German motives. He had told the Court all that he could tell, -refusing to speak only where it clashed with his word of honour as an -officer and a gentleman. He was not a man who had sold his country for -gold, and he had not attempted to corrupt a single British subject or -official. - -"I plead for him," said Mr. Elliott, admitting that a conviction -was unavoidable, but asking the Court whether they could not find -some extenuating circumstances, "not as a miserable coward, or as a -fear-stricken wretch, but as a man born of a land to which he is true, -whose history and traditions he cherishes. His own grandfather was a -great soldier who held a fortress against Napoleon, and it is in that -spirit he wishes to stand before you here to-day. He was ready to offer -himself on the altar of his country. I am not here to cringe for mercy; -my client is not ashamed of anything he has done. Many a man would do -for England what he did for Germany--may, in fact, be now doing it. -Whatever his fate, he will meet it bravely like a man." - -The verdict, as usual in the case of a court-martial, was not announced -until some days later, when an official statement told us that Lody had -been shot. He maintained his courage to the end, and died without a -tremor. Before he died he left a letter in which he admitted he had had -a fair trial, and expressed appreciation of the fact that he had been -treated, not as a spy, but as an officer. - -Now we come to the ugliest and darkest side of the Lody case. It will -be remembered that Lody was able to get about by the aid of an American -passport issued in the name of Charles A. Inglis. It was thought, at -first, that this was merely a passport obtained either by forgery or -by false pretences; as a matter of fact it was a perfectly genuine -document, but Lody had no right to it. How it came into his possession -shows the depth of degradation to which the German General Staff are -prepared to descend. - -Mr. Inglis, it was ascertained after the trial, was a _bona fide_ -American traveller holding a genuine passport. He left his passport -with the American Embassy in Berlin for registration with the German -Foreign Office, or some other department. The Embassy sent it in for -registration _and it was never returned_. Nor was it ever heard of -again until it turned up in the possession of Carl Lody--a spy in Great -Britain! - -The German explanation to the American Embassy was that the passport -had been mislaid. The same fate, it is said, has befallen no fewer than -_two hundred_ United States and British passports in Germany, and the -corollary of this astounding announcement is that at the present moment -there may be two hundred German agents wandering about equipped with -British and American passports which are perfectly genuine, and not in -the least likely to be suspected. - -The stealing of these passports by the German authorities has been the -subject of an official British communication, so that there can be no -doubt about the fact, whether the exact number had been stated or not. -"It has come to the notice of the Foreign Secretary," says the British -statement, "that some passports belonging to British subjects leaving -Germany have been retained by the German authorities. Such cases should -be reported to the Foreign Office." - -I say without hesitation that I do not believe any other country on -the face of the globe would descend to such methods as this. I say, -moreover, that no nation capable of such conduct can be regarded as -possessing a shred of public honour. It is comparable only to the -white flag treachery, or the mounting of machine guns in Red Cross -ambulances, which is a feature of German warfare, to the murder -by bombs of non-combatants in districts where there cannot be any -soldiers, to the sowing of mines on the high seas, to the making of -shields for soldiers out of the bodies of miserable civilians, to the -slaughter of women and children at Louvain and Aerschot. What will the -civilised communities of the world have to say in the future to Germans -convicted out of their own mouths of disregarding every law of God and -man that may operate to their disadvantage? - -But even out of the theft of the passports--no doubt regarded by them -as an excellent stroke of "kultur"--the Germans are not unlikely to -reap trouble. The United States is not a country to be played with, -and in this passport trick there lie the elements of serious trouble. -Americans will not be likely to lie down quietly while their passports -are used for espionage, and it is more than likely that the Germans -have stirred up a hornets' nest about their ears. In the meantime, it -is reported from Washington that the Government has instructed the -Embassy in Berlin to sift the Lody-Inglis incident to the very bottom. - -That incident, too, has brought about much more stringent rules with -regard to passports. Henceforth no American or British passport will -be recognised as valid which does not bear the certified photograph of -its rightful owner, and extra photographs for registration purposes -will have to be lodged with the Embassy or Consulate by which the -passport is issued. In the meantime we may be quite sure that American -passports in London will be the subject of very special attention. -What diplomatic action the United States may take in the matter it is -impossible to say, but we can be fairly sure that such a proceeding as -the stealing of neutral passports and using them for the purposes of -spying in Great Britain will hardly be allowed to pass without very -serious protest. - -The Lody case has had one good effect in bringing home to a public, -which is, alas! too liable to be careless in such matters, the reality -of the German spy-peril in the country. The public had been so -consistently deluded in this matter by those who were perfectly aware -of the real facts of German espionage that it was far too much inclined -to look upon everyone who insisted that there was a very real and very -urgent spy danger as a mere alarmist. It knows better now! Anyone who -glances at the columns of the daily Press must be aware that public -opinion is slowly awakening to the real urgency of the question, and, -though I and others have been bitterly disappointed that our warnings -have, to a great extent, gone unheeded, I am even now not without hope -that we shall yet see the public insist that adequate steps shall be -taken for our national safety in this respect. - -It is true we may offend Germany by the drastic action the position -demands. We may even, it is true, make the lot of Englishmen still, -unhappily, in Germany, harder and more disagreeable. We shall regret -either necessity. But the safety of the country has to come first. - -Germany has never shown the slightest regard for our feelings, and I -am sure that those of our countrymen who are prisoners in Germany, -military or civil, would cheerfully suffer any conceivable hardship -rather than that the safety of our beloved Empire should be jeopardised -in the hope of making better terms for them. - -To think otherwise would be to assume that patriotism had entirely -departed from us. - - - - -CHAPTER X - -SOME RECENT CASES - - -We can respect Lody; we can have no other feelings but the bitterest -scorn and contempt for such traitorous miscreants as the ex-naval -gunner, Charles Parrott, who, early in 1913, was sentenced to four -years' penal servitude, under the Official Secrets Act of 1911, for -selling official secrets likely to be useful to the enemy. - -The class of traitor to which Parrott belongs represents the spy in -his very lowest and most contemptible guise. About these wretched -agents among us there is no redeeming feature. Patriotism is, to them, -a word of no meaning; to their country they have no attachment: their -one idea is to make money, and to do this they are willing to risk the -very existence of the nation to which they belong. Show them gold, and -there is no work on earth too dirty for them to undertake! And we have, -I fear, many such men in our public services. It is men of this stamp -who have made the very name of "spy" a by-word in all countries and all -times--not the men who risk their lives in order to gain an advantage -for the cause to which they are attached by every sacred obligation of -honour. - -Parrott, up to August, 1912, was a gunner attached to H.M.S. "Pembroke" -at Sheerness. He was a warrant officer, and as such would have -opportunities of obtaining information which would be denied to those -of lower rank. The charge against him was, of course, not one of -spying, since the offence was not committed in time of war. It was -couched in the following terms:-- - - That he being a British officer did feloniously communicate at - Ostend to a person unknown certain information in regard to the - arms, armaments, dispositions and movements of ships and men of His - Majesty's Navy which was calculated, or intended to be, or might be - useful to an enemy. - -In considering Parrott's case we have to remember that he was an -Englishman, in the service of the Crown in the Navy, and a British -officer. He was in a position of responsibility, and his pay, with -allowances, would work out at about £260 a year, so that he had not -even the excuse of poverty to urge in mitigation of his horrible -offence. He had been in the Navy for a number of years, and he was -regarded as an efficient and trustworthy officer, so that he was able -to become acquainted with matters which it was his obvious duty to -guard with the most jealous care. He had been associated with the -building of the "Agamemnon" on the Clyde, so that he was intimately -acquainted with all those particulars of guns and armaments which, -in the event of war, it would be of the utmost interest to an enemy -to know. He knew, in fact, of confidential matters of the utmost -importance. - -Parrott, on July 11th, 1912, asked for and obtained leave of absence, -on the plea that he wanted to go to Devonport. On the same day he sent -a telegram, not from Sheerness, where he lived, but from Sittingbourne, -to "Richard Dinger," at an address in Berlin, saying, "Coming eight -o'clock Saturday, Seymour." The same day he left Sheerness by train. A -lady travelled with him as far as Sittingbourne, and then he went on -alone to Dover. - -Apparently he had already become an object of suspicion, for on the -Admiralty Pier at Dover he was questioned by Detective-Inspector Grey. -He was searched, and on him was found a piece of torn paper on which -were the words: "When there is a chance," "Coming over on Saturday of -that same week," "You telegraph probably Saturday, then I make all my -arrangements to leave the moment I get order." On the other side of -the paper were the words, "Richard Dinger, Esq.," and "With much love, -yours, R." - -Parrott's explanation of all this was that he had been writing to a -woman in the name of another man, and that he was going to meet her at -Ostend. In his pocket was found a naval signal-form, and in answer to -the Inspector he admitted that he was a naval officer, and asked that -his wife should not be told about the "lady." The Inspector decided to -let him go, but kept the paper. - -Parrott evidently thought that the detective had no suspicion as to -the real motive of his visit to Ostend, or he would surely have taken -the alarm. He crossed, however, to Ostend, carefully shadowed all -the time by no less acute an observer than ex-inspector Melville of -Scotland Yard. When the boat arrived at Ostend, Parrott went through -the station, and was joined by another man. There was no greeting, -no welcome, no handshaking, not a sign of recognition; the other man -simply sidled up alongside Parrott and they went off together. Mr. -Melville formed the opinion that the man was a foreigner, and probably -a German. They went about together for a time and then Parrott returned -to Dover. - -An inquiry followed, and ultimately Parrott's name was removed from the -Navy List. The case against him was not, however, complete, and it was -not until October that the police were able to lay him by the heels. -It was then found that he was having letters addressed to him in the -name of Couch delivered at a tobacconist's shop at Chelsea. Five or -six letters came to him, and on November 16th two police officers went -to the shop, where another letter had arrived. During the day Parrott -called, the letter was given to him, and he was at once arrested. - -In his presence the letter was opened. Inside were two £5 Bank of -England notes--which, it was afterwards shown, had been in circulation -in Germany--and a letter bearing the postmark "London, E.," which was -as follows:-- - - Dear Mr. Couch,--I am very much obliged to you for your prompt reply - to my last letter. Now I beg to place in your hands some questions - in addition to my last letter. Have the goodness to leave as soon as - possible for Firth of Forth, ascertaining about the following:--Which - parts of the Fleet are in or off the Forth since November 5. Only - the vessels of the First and Eighth Destroyer Flotilla, or which - other men-of-war of any kind else? Where is the Second Destroyer - Flotilla now? Have there been mobilising tests of the Flotillas and - coast defences in the Firth of Forth? What are the Flotillas doing or - proposing now? What number of Royal Fleet Reserve Class A are called - in now for the yearly exercise? Where do they exercise? Are any of - these men kept longer than a fortnight? I think it will be necessary - to stay some days at Firth of Forth for gathering information about - those questions. I should be much obliged if I could be informed as - soon as you have got satisfying statements about one or several of - these points. Do not wait to answer until you have found out all I - wish to know. - - Enclosed £10 as travel expenses for the last and this journey. Please - tell me in the next letter after having returned to London your - expenses that I can hand you the balance if the £10 should not do - it. I beg you to keep yourself ready, if possible also in the near - future, to run over immediately to any place as soon as rumours as - to extraordinary preparations of material and personal are running. - In such a case please do not wait until you have received an order - from me, but leave on your own accord, and at the same time send - your address and make your doings known to me with particulars of the - reason.--Yours truly, Richard. - -I have given this letter in full for several reasons. Parrott was -not definitely charged with giving information to Germany, but the -letter is obviously the work of a German, and, moreover, a German who -was working in London--for it was posted in the Eastern district! -It suggests, moreover, that the Germans suspected that some naval -movements were on foot, and were willing to pay handsomely to get -the news; it will be noted that Parrott was practically given _carte -blanche_ to spend what he liked without waiting for authority from -his master. A subsequent examination of his banking account showed -that he had paid in about fourteen £5 notes, some of which had been in -circulation in Germany. He had also been in Hamburg and Flushing, two -centres of German espionage. - -Parrott's own explanation of the affair was that he met a woman in a -London music hall and went over to Ostend to see her. While he was -there he failed to meet the woman, but a man came up to him and asked -him if he was expecting to meet anyone. He replied that he expected to -meet a lady, and the man then professed to know about her, and said she -was unable to come. After that he received a letter from the man he met -at Ostend. At that time he had been dismissed from the Service, and the -letter expressed the concern of the writer, and the lady had offered -to help him. He replied asking what assistance they could give, and had -a letter asking him to go to Hamburg. He went and met the man, who said -he was a newspaper correspondent, and asked him to write an article -once a week dealing with naval matters--a story curiously like that -told by the spy Schulz. He afterwards received a letter from "Richard" -outlining the kind of article required. The man said: "Let me know the -progress of warships building, ships launched, ships laid down, and -the movements of ships. Send me a specimen article dealing with the -subject." He then bought a copy of a naval paper and from it wrote an -article, which he sent. - -Then Parrott described how he got a letter from the lady asking him to -go to Rotterdam to see her. This he did, hoping, as he said, "to induce -her to come to England, as he wished to raise the question why he was -dismissed from the Service." Not unnaturally the lady declined to come, -but Parrott admitted that she told a man who was with her to pay his -expenses, and then gave him 100 francs. - -"I have little doubt but that you were entrapped by a woman," said Mr. -Justice Darling, in sending Parrott to four years' penal servitude. -"You have been long under suspicion," his Lordship added; "I do not -believe for a moment it was a first offence." - -Even the Liberal journals which had long insisted that there were no -German spies in England thought this sentence was inadequate. "It will -strike most people," said the _Daily Chronicle_, "as not erring on the -side of over-severity." The case was a flagrant abuse of a most sacred -trust, and deserved all the punishment the law allowed; as a matter of -fact, it deserved a good deal more, and Parrott was more than lucky -that he was on trial, not in Germany, but in England. - -The case of Karl Gustav Ernst is of very great interest, not only -as revealing some of the methods of the Kaiser's "master-spy," the -man Steinhauer, but also as showing the utter futility of relying on -"naturalisation" of Germans to protect us against spying. - -We are constantly told that it is impossible for us to take steps -against "naturalised" Germans, as we have solemnly undertaken to treat -them in all respects as Englishmen, and we have even "naturalised" many -Germans since the outbreak of war. The Ernst case ought to have been -sufficient warning of the danger arising from the naturalised alien, -but apparently there is no limit to the innocent trustfulness of our -sleepy Home Office. How long it will be before we learn that a German -no more changes his nature by adopting naturalisation than an ass does -if he clothes himself in a lion's skin I cannot say; I only hope it -will not be brought home to us by some terrible catastrophe which will -seriously affect our fighting power. Ernst, be it remembered, was not -even naturalised; he claimed to have been born in England, and posed as -an Englishman. Yet he was a spy; how much more, then, have we reason -to suspect the recently "naturalised alien" whose national sympathies -have not been blunted by birth and long residence in this country? The -leopard cannot change his spots, and "once a German, always a German," -is the only safe rule for us in the present crisis. - -Ernst, who was a hairdresser in the Caledonian Road, London, had been -for sixteen years in business there. His function was to act as a sort -of "post-office" for Steinhauer of Potsdam, by whom letters were sent -to him for distribution throughout England. In order to minimise risks -of detection, these letters were posted in various parts of London. -Ernst, of course, besides acting as "post-office," made inquiries on -his own account, and did some of the work of getting into touch with -other agents. He was paid all out-of-pocket expenses and a kind of -retaining fee, first of £1 a month, and then, when he pointed out that -the business was both risky and important, £1 10s. a month. - -Ernst first came under suspicion of the Nameless Department as long -ago as October, 1911, and we ought to admit with cheerful gratitude -that he was a very valuable ally to us! From the very commencement -the authorities were, I happen to know, alive to what was going on, -and the closest observation was kept on the hairdresser's shop. All -letters were opened by the postal authorities, their contents were -carefully copied, and a most useful accumulation of information thus -came into the hands of the astute director of the Department. It was -not specifically stated that Parrott was detected in this way, but as -letters were sent to him by Ernst we may well assume that by such means -the authorities were put on his track. - -One of the most useful pieces of information picked up was a list of -names and addresses of persons to whom letters from Germany were sent -for distribution, and who were spies at Chatham, Sheerness, Portsmouth, -Rosyth, and other places. An amusing feature of the case was that -after all these letters had been carefully examined and copied by the -Post Office they were delivered in the ordinary course with only a -very slight delay, and thus the suspicions of the spies, if indeed -they entertained any, were most effectually put to sleep. The Nameless -Department was not quite the fool the Germans had some excuse for -thinking it! - -An important discovery made early in the case was the _nom de guerre_ -of Steinhauer of Potsdam. He had at that time become "Mrs. Reimers." -"Mr. J. Walters, c/o K.G. Ernst" was soon found to be Ernst himself, -who had long before suggested the adoption of that name to avoid -suspicion. - -It will illustrate the thoroughness of German methods to mention that -most of the letters sent to Ernst were written on English paper, -so that when he posted them there would be nothing to call special -attention to them. One of the letters from Steinhauer read in court was -a request for English paper and envelopes, which Ernst duly forwarded -as "samples." Many of the letters intercepted by the Post Office -contained money, mostly in the shape of bank-notes. - -The work that Ernst was doing was sufficiently important to justify a -visit from the redoubtable Steinhauer himself, as we learn from Ernst's -own statement. During the time he was in custody Ernst made a statement -to a detective in which he said:-- - - I am sorry I was introduced into this business. Kronauer introduced - me. I thought it was only a private inquiry business. I have only - seen Steinhauer once. That was just before Christmas in 1911. - - He came to my shop on a Sunday morning. My shop was open and I had - several customers there. He said to me, "Are you Mr. Ernst?" and I - said, "Yes." He said, "Do you know me?" I said, "No." He said, "You - have heard of me, I am Steinhauer. I see you are busy now. I want - to have a quiet chat with you. I will come back after the shop is - closed. What time do you close?" I said, "Twelve o'clock." - - He said, "All right, I will come back after that, and went away. He - returned later and came into my parlour, where we sat down and had a - long talk." - -This statement is exceedingly interesting, as we know that Steinhauer, -as described in another chapter, was in London about this time, when he -actually went to Buckingham Palace as a member of the Kaiser's suite. -That he should be able to spare time to visit a man in Ernst's position -shows what work the latter was doing, and also throws a good deal of -light on the class of agent most useful to the Germans--the "small" -man, whose insignificant position does so much to guard him against -suspicion. - -In one of his letters Ernst represented himself as "a zealous stamp -collector," of course to explain, in the event of detection, the -constant remittances he was receiving from Germany. This letter, -addressed to "Miss Reimers," ran:-- - - Dear Mr. Steinhauer,--Best thanks for the 100 marks, which were - handed to me mid-day to-day. If you think it right you can in future - send my advance direct to me without having recourse to a third - person--namely, in the following way. I am a zealous stamp collector. - Many of my customers and also my assistants know this. On the - occasion of the next remittance copy the following letter:-- - - "Dear Mr. Ernst,--Your last parcel of stamps arrived just in time - to be included in last month's sale. Messrs. Kurt Moeser and also - Koehler, the Berlin stamp auctioneers, are realising good prices at - their sales. I have enclosed 100 marks on account, and will forward - balance later. A receipt for the enclosed by return will oblige." - -I have sent you last Sunday's paper. What I can see from the case -Henschel will go over to the British Secret Service just as the doctor -from Glasgow has done. It has also occurred to me that Henschel's -wife's maiden name was Miss Riley, and that one of Scotland Yard's -Special Service Inspectors, who had the case in hand, was also called -Riley. In conclusion, many greetings.--I remain, yours, J. Walters. - -It may be mentioned incidentally that the "doctor from Glasgow" was -Armgaard Carl Graves, a well-known spy. Henschel was a German who was -accused in London on his own confession of disclosing naval secrets -and of conspiring with the ex-gunner Parrott. It was suggested that -certain information he gave was communicated under the understanding -that he should not be prosecuted, and under the circumstances the Crown -withdrew the case, the accused giving an undertaking that he would not -in any way make known the matter with which he had become acquainted. - -Ernst's case was hopeless from the start; in fact, so complete was the -evidence, that as soon as Mr. Bodkin had opened the case for the Crown, -his counsel withdrew, explaining that the prisoner had assured him he -had had nothing to do with espionage, but that he (counsel) was sure -Mr. Bodkin would not make an opening statement he could not justify. - -Ernst was sent to seven years' penal servitude. "You are a mean, -mercenary spy," said Mr. Justice Coleridge in sentencing him, "ready to -betray your country to the enemy for money; equally ready, I dare say, -to betray Germany to us for an increased reward." The case could not -have been better summed up. - -I will now pass on to the case of Armgaard Carl Graves, which is -remarkable chiefly for its extraordinary sequel. Graves, who was -arrested in Glasgow, had been receiving letters at the Post Office -in the name of "John Stafford." When he was taken into custody a -memorandum-book found in his pocket was found to contain a number of -leaves gummed together at the open edges. When they were cut apart the -police found groups of figures opposite German phrases, apparently -constituting a code. In a pocket-case several more groups of figures -were found, the number 271 being subtracted from each. That afterwards -supplied the key to the code. There was also a note in German relating -to a new gun under construction by Beardmore and Company, and three -code telegrams from Amsterdam. There were also found a number of -maps covering the Firth of Forth and the vicinity, and a bundle of -cartridge cases, including two of the latest British Army pattern. The -description of the new gun was said to be practically accurate, and it -was also stated that Graves' code appeared to indicate every class of -ship in the Navy, and also such strategic points as Scapa Flow, Moray -Firth and Cromarty--the same code which is probably being used by the -naval spies still amongst us to-day. - -This code, used for the telegrams between the prisoner and his -Continental correspondents, was, said counsel for the Crown, a very -deadly one to be found in his possession. If the person utilising it -were in a certain place on a certain day and found that mines were -being laid, he would telegraph the figures 11,719 to 11,729. "He seems -to be the ideal character for a spy," counsel added; "he has a very -high intelligence, and is sociable, genial and affable, while his -moral character is not of a very high standard." He was sentenced to -eighteen months' imprisonment. "Well--exit Armgaard Carl Graves," was -the prisoner's only remark on hearing the decision. - -Graves was sentenced on July 23rd, 1912. On June 7th, 1913, came the -amazing announcement that he had been released. When, and why he -was set at liberty, no one outside official circles knows; all the -information given was that "Graves was released in due course of law, -but there is no further information to give." Graves's own story was -that he was released in order that he might join the British Secret -Service, but this fact, and even the fact that he had been released, -came to us from America. The sensational story of his release and -subsequent adventures was published by the _New York American_ in the -following narrative:-- - - Armgaard Carl Graves, former secret agent in the German service, - who was convicted of espionage in England last July and sentenced - to eighteen months' imprisonment, declares that shortly after his - sentence he was released in order that he might join the British - Secret Service. - - He was sent to America, and there discovered that envoys of Germany - and Japan had met in New York with the object of completing an - anti-American agreement. He succeeded in making a copy of the - document and cabling it to the British Foreign Office. - - He never got any payment from England, however, so has decided - to make the contents public. The agreement binds Germany not to - interfere in a great Japanese scheme of colonisation in the South - Seas. - -Graves afterwards published a book in which he professed to give away -many of the secrets of the German spy system. Information we have -received from other sources shows that a great deal of the book is well -founded, and it may well be that on the whole it is a fairly reliable -exposure of German methods. But the last thing one should do is to -trust or believe the spy! - -According to Graves--whose account we should accept with considerable -reserve--the heads of the departments of the spy-organisation in Berlin -are all German officers, recruited from "the old feudal aristocracy." -He declares that though they plan the work, they never execute it. "No -active or commissioned officer," he says, "does Secret Service work." -He shows, too, that whatever ethics they may hold about doing dirty -work themselves, the German officers wash their hands entirely of the -methods their subordinates may choose or find it necessary to adopt. -One of them explained the matter to him in terms which admit of no -misunderstanding. He said:-- - - We cannot afford to be squeamish. The interests at stake are too vast - to let personal ethical questions stand in the way. What would be - required of you in the first instance is to gain for us information - such as we seek. The means by which you gain this information will be - left entirely to your own discretion. We expect results. - -It was also made clear to him that he had only himself to depend -upon, and if he got into trouble he would get no help. "Be pleased to -understand," was the official warning given at the first interview, -"that this service is dangerous, and no official assistance could be -given in any circumstances." - -As to the agents employed in this work, Graves says the Personal -Branch, the most important, is managed from the Wilhelmstrasse, the -German Foreign Office, the Emperor in person, or his immediate Privy -Councillor. He adds:-- - - The personnel consists of all classes of men and women. Princes and - counts, lawyers and doctors, actors and actresses, mondaines of the - great world, demi-mondaines of the half-world, waiters and porters, - all are made use of as occasion requires. It may well happen that - your interesting acquaintance in the saloon of an express steamer, - or your charming companion in the tea-room of the Ritz, is the paid - agent of some Government. - -A sinister side of the profession is also revealed; grave risks are run -by the spy even from his own side. A woman named Olga Bruder, whose -death in a hotel on the Russian border was described as suicide, is -said to have been poisoned; a Lieutenant von Zastrov was compelled to -fight duels until he was at last killed. They knew too much, Graves -declares, and the death sentence came from their own employers. One can -well believe it, for the records of German espionage show that in their -own interests the Germans stick at nothing. - -One episode which Graves relates concerns a famous dancer, still -living, whom the Germans believed to be a Russian Government spy. They -suspected that she had an "affair" with a young officer in the Potsdam -garrison, and one night they became interested in a gold "vanity bag" -which the young officer had given to her; they believed it contained -some secret military intelligence. How they got possession of it was -very clever. - -The dancer was at supper at the Ice Palace in Berlin, and her bag lay -on the table. A "clumsy" waiter upset a glass of champagne on the -cloth. Instantly the cloth was whipped off, and, with the bag inside -it, was taken away. A moment or two later back came the waiter with -the bag and many apologies. The waiter was a clever spy, and in the -moment or two that he had been absent the incriminating letter had been -secured. The bag was offered to the dancer, who at once opened it, and -finding the letter had disappeared, promptly said the bag was not -hers. But she was put over the frontier just the same. - -Many more cases might be cited to show the ramifications of the German -spy system in England, but I have selected the foregoing as typical, -and most of the others follow more or less the same general outline. -They all point to the same conclusion: that the number of German agents -in England is endless, that they are to be found in all places and -in all ranks of society, that they are clever and daring to the last -degree, and that nothing is too large or too small for their attention. -Many of them, no doubt, have been interned; many of them, no doubt, are -still at work, risking everything in their ceaseless efforts to bring -about our undoing. There is only one effective protection--_to make -a clean sweep of all Germans and Austrians, naturalised or not_, and -confine them in the concentration camps until the war is over. Treat -them properly, by all means, but put them out of the way of doing us -harm. - -This drastic measure, it is true, will not protect us against the -traitor within our gates, but it would at least do much to remove the -greatest source of peril. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -27,000 ALIENS AT LARGE IN GREAT BRITAIN - - -We know, from official sources, that in spite of all the foolish -self-congratulation of Mr. McKenna and his friends--who are "getting -on" towards Birthday Honours,--and his attempt to gag the _Globe_, -there are some 27,000 alien enemies still at large in Great Britain, -and upon their activities on their country's behalf, until recently our -only check was the shadowy form of "registration" that we have adopted. -Even many of those interned are now being released upon bonds being -given by responsible citizens. - -Unfortunately, anyone who ventures to suggest that these people--whose -bonds may be signed by persons in German pay--may constitute a very -serious danger, is at once branded, officially, as an alarmist, and -accused of attempting to manufacture a "spy scare," whatever official -optimists may mean by that term. - -I am no alarmist, and the last thing I should wish to see in our -country would be a scare of any description. But as I have, for so -many years, made a special study of the spy question, as the evidence -I was able to lay before the Government caused the establishment of -our anti-espionage precautions, I think, without undue egotism, I may -claim to know something about the matter. I should have remained silent -unless I had been absolutely convinced that there is still a very real -and very grave peril of espionage owing to our supineness in this -matter of aliens living here practically uncontrolled, and certainly -owing to their great numbers not being under anything like effective -supervision. - -The popular idea of the spy still seems to be that he is, invariably, -an individual sent specially from Germany to wander about this country -picking up such scraps of information as he can. There could be no -more dangerous delusion. The Germans are far too acute to trust to -such methods; they know a great deal too much about the science of -espionage to dream of thinking that foreigners sent hap-hazard into -this country--obviously strangers and, therefore, most likely to invite -attention--are likely to be able to carry out safely the difficult -and dangerous work of espionage. Their secret agents are chosen, -invariably, with the utmost care and method. - -The "foreign" spy is not the worst peril; the real danger comes from -those who, for years, have made their homes among us, who have married -Englishwomen, and have become so familiar to their neighbours that they -are in little or no danger of being under the slightest suspicion. -This has been proved over and over again, both here and in France, -during the present war. - -The case of the barber Ernst was a good instance. This man had carried -on business at the same shop _for sixteen years_, and we can be quite -sure that the last thing his neighbours thought of him was that he was -a spy in German pay! No. He was a good Englishman like the rest of us. -Yet, it was shown that he was a secret agent of the most dangerous -character, and even worthy of a personal visit from the great and -distinguished Steinhauer himself! - -Now I hope that the many who have read my books over the last twenty -years will at least believe that I am one of the last men to be -suspected of any desire to belittle my own countrymen. I am simply an -Englishman who has tried to interest them. To-day I point a peril to -each and all of my million readers. But I wish to make it quite clear -that nothing I say in this connection should be taken as reflecting -on the work of our Confidential Department--a department which has -done magnificently and which in every way I respect. They have matched -brains against brains, and cunning against cunning, and the balance of -the account is decidedly in their favour. They have, indeed, fooled -Steinhauer's agents all through--examined their correspondence and -their reports, tracked the agents down by the information thus gained, -arrested a large number of them, and to a very great extent smashed -the organisation in its original form. So much I cheerfully admit, and -congratulate them heartily upon their success. My point is that the -work has not gone far enough, that what they have done has not been -adequately supplemented, that much yet remains to be done before we can -assume that a reasonable degree of security has been attained. - -On October 8th last, a very important statement was issued by the Home -Secretary, describing the steps that had been taken "to deal with the -system of espionage on which Germany has placed so much reliance." I -have shown elsewhere how the Confidential Department came into being, -and how it was able to "discover the ramifications of the German Secret -Service in England." In this statement Mr. McKenna says:-- - - The agents ... were watched and shadowed without in general taking - any hostile action or allowing them to know that their movements - were watched. When, however, any actual step was taken to convey - documents or plans of importance from this country to Germany, the - spy was arrested, and in such cases evidence sufficient to secure his - conviction was usually found in his possession. - - Proceedings under the Official Secrets Act were taken by the Director - of Public Prosecutions, and in six cases sentences were passed - varying from eighteen months to six years' penal servitude. At the - same time steps were taken to mark down and keep under observation - all the agents known to have been engaged in this traffic, so that - when any necessity arose the police might lay hands upon them at - once; and accordingly on August 4th, before the declaration of war, - instructions were given by the Home Secretary for the arrest of - twenty known spies, and all were arrested. - -This figure, it is added, does not cover over two hundred who were -under suspicion or noted to be kept under special observation, the -great majority of whom were interned at, or soon after, the declaration -of war. - -Now, although the spy organisation which had been established before -the war may have been partially broken up, Mr. McKenna admits that "it -is still necessary to take _the most rigorous measures_ to prevent the -establishment of any fresh organisation, and to deal with individual -spies who might previously have been working in this country outside -the organisation, or who might be sent here under the guise of neutrals -after the declaration of war." - -Here really we have the crux of the whole matter. It is easy enough to -deal with the known spy; it is easy enough in time of war for the Post -Office to watch very closely correspondence not only with Germany, but -also with neutral countries, from which letters can so easily be sent -into Germany--as I have sent them--and it is easy enough to censor -cables. Mr. McKenna says:-- - - This censorship has been extremely effective in stopping secret - communications by cable or letter with the enemy, but as its - existence was necessarily known to them, it has not, except in a few - instances, produced materials for the detection of espionage. - -I should think not, indeed! Would any sane person suspect the German -Secret Service of such imbecility as endeavouring to send important -reports by post or cable from this country in time of war, except as -a last desperate resort to deal with some unexpected situation in -an apparently harmless message? It was this very thing that brought -about the downfall of Lody, and the fact that he attempted to send -a cable-message shows how urgent he thought it was that his message -should reach its destination as soon as possible. He trusted to luck, -but luck failed him. If I thought our Confidential Department regarded -such a proceeding as normal, I should indeed be in despair. - -Remember one highly important fact. It is perfectly easy to-day to -travel from Holland or Denmark to Berlin, and there is no difficulty in -anyone with a British or American passport travelling from this country -to Holland. Some two hundred British and American passports have been -"mislaid"--in plainer language, stolen--by the German authorities. Can -we think for a moment that it would be impossible for the Germans to -find agents quite willing to run, as commercial travellers or what not, -the trivial risk of making the journey from England to Holland, where -their information could be handed over for conveyance to Berlin? - -Lody came to England as an American; I have no doubt he could have -gone back to Berlin in the same guise if he had wanted to. We know -perfectly well that every scrap of official news published here finds -its way to Berlin in a very short time--a distinguished British -General a few days ago stated that the German commanders had copies -of the London papers within a few hours of publication. Where, then, -assuming a spy in England has secured some useful information, lies the -difficulty of transmitting it to those who are ready and anxious to -receive it? - -Suspected passengers on the steamers, it may be said, can be searched, -and letters found upon them examined. Is it to be imagined that a spy's -reports would be written in copperplate on a large sheet of paper for -all and sundry to read? Need they even be written at all? - -Censorship on mails and on cables, and the close examination of -cross-Channel passengers are excellent precautions, but, after all, we -are only locking the door after the horse has been stolen. Admit that -the spy is here, grant that he has got hold of a piece of important -information, and I will wager that he finds means of transmitting it to -his Government, if he possesses an ounce of sense. - -The man Louis Trabbaut, sentenced at Marlborough Street, had passed -through the German lines nine times between London and Brussels. More -than this, it has been shown that the Kaiser, since the war began, -has been using a courier _to send letters to London_! On October -8th, Mr. H.L. Reiach, editor of the _Yachting Monthly_, received a -card from Vice-Admiral K. von Eisendecher, who is attached to the -Kaiser's suite, stating that he would no longer subscribe for that -journal. There is no reason, as the _Daily Mail_ pointed out, why this -particular communication should not have been sent by open post in -the ordinary way, but for some reason the Kaiser's Admiral preferred -to use the secret courier service. The letter, written at Karlsruhe, -was evidently brought over by a courier, stamped with an English penny -stamp, and posted in the South-West district of London. - -I wonder what else came over by that courier, and, still more, what -went back! - -"It is practically impossible," said a high police official discussing -this incident, "to prevent this smuggling of letters." The only certain -way to prevent it would be to detain and strip every passenger arriving -at our South and East Coast ports, and minutely examine every article -of their clothing. The authorities have power to detain and search -any suspected person, but that is very different from searching every -passenger--man, woman and child. The real remedy lies not in these -palliatives; the disease is desperate enough to call for drastic -remedies. We must stop so far as is humanly possible--and no one asks -more--the collection of information here. And there is only one really -effective way of doing this--intern or deport every individual of enemy -birth, naturalised or not, until the end of the war. - -Now I am not alone in holding this opinion; it has been expressed by -our judges, and by much more exalted individuals than my humble self. -So recently as October 27th, the Recorder of Pontefract said:-- - - All those who have not been naturalised at all should be deported - until the end of the war. Those who had been naturalised during the - past ten years, since when Germany has been competing navally with - England, should be interned under supervision but allowed to conduct - their business; men naturalised over ten years ago should be allowed - to live on their own premises under substantial bond for their good - behaviour under police supervision. - -This is the opinion, not of a layman, but of a judge, speaking with all -the authority and responsibility which must attach to his high office. -Must we write him down as a spy-maniac or an alarmist? - -Lord Leith of Fyvie is a nobleman who has been giving special attention -to the spy-peril, more particularly along the East Coast. Here is his -view, expressed at Torquay as recently as October 23rd:-- - - At last the chief spy has been removed from the neighbourhood of - Rosyth (it was late enough, I might remark!), and the Government has - recognised the necessity of making a wholesale sweep of aliens. There - cannot be any distinction between classes. The only exception ought - to be in favour of English women who have married aliens. All others - ought to be transported to a neutral country; out of Great Britain - they must go. Such a course would certainly be the most humane - course that could be taken. Originally the East Coast was the most - dangerous zone, but in view of the desire of the "Head spy and devil - Emperor William" to seize Calais, it was necessary to deal with the - whole coast. - -The Government recently decided to arrest all enemy aliens between the -ages of 17 and 45. This, of course, meant that all men of military age -were to be arrested, and it was a welcome step. No doubt this decision, -which was announced on October 22nd, considerably reduced the danger of -espionage arrangements that had previously been made, by removing many -of the agents. But are we to assume that the Home Secretary considers -that no German over 45 is capable of acting the part of a spy? Or is he -under the impression that 45 is the utmost age attained by Germans in -this country? - -"After this war," said Mr. Justice Ridley at Worcester Assizes on -October 22nd, "we must make an end of spies. The German nation appears -to think that it can conquer Europe by a system of espionage. We will -have no more of that." Most people will concur with the learned judge's -view, but will regard it as rather belated to wait till "the end of the -war" to make an end of the German espionage which is rampant _now_! - -It is often represented by well-meaning people that it would be unjust, -and not in accordance with British fair-play, to take steps against -aliens who have become naturalised. We are told that these people have -been promised the full liberty accorded to British-born subjects, and -that to treat them in a manner different from other Englishmen would be -to go back upon our solemn undertaking. - -I confess this argument leaves me unmoved. We have no use for the -unpatriotic get-rich-at-the-expense-of-your-neighbour arguments. We -are Britons, and Britons we will remain in spite of the puny leading -articles in unimportant papers. Naturalisation, in the great majority -of cases, means absolutely nothing; it is, indeed, usually adopted -purely for business reasons. Seldom does a German become so imbued -with profound veneration for our institutions and customs that nothing -short of citizenship of our Empire will satisfy his sacred feelings -of patriotism. Moreover, naturalisation is one of the spy's favourite -devices, and surely one of his best methods of disarming any possible -suspicion. - -But these are not ordinary times, and the requirements of the situation -as we see it cannot surely be met by ordinary methods. Nothing is more -jealously guarded in this country than the right to be protected from -arbitrary imprisonment. No one in England can be arrested and kept in -custody for more than a few hours without being fully informed of the -nature of the charge against him, and brought before a magistrate, -whose duty it is to decide whether there is a _prima facie_ case -against him, upon which he should be sent for trial. That, in ordinary -times, is the British practice. Yet, only a few days before I write, -the High Court refused an order, under the Habeas Corpus Act, that an -Englishman, who had been imprisoned for over a week without any charge -having been made against him, should be brought up for trial. - -The case was a remarkable one. A collision had occurred between a -submarine and a British steamer, and the captain of the steamer was -arrested. No charge being preferred against him, application was made -to the High Court. It was stated in Court that a charge might be made, -but that it was against the interests of the nation that it should be -stated. The application was therefore refused. - -Looking at the absolute stringency of English law on this subject at -ordinary times, that was a very remarkable decision, but I venture to -think it was absolutely correct, since the interests of the State must -at all times over-ride the rights of the individual. The question of -the guilt or innocence of the captain, it should be remembered, was not -before the Court, and was not even discussed. - -The same rule, I contend, should be applied to the naturalised alien. -It was Burke who said that it was not possible to frame an indictment -against a nation, but we can say with tolerable certainty that no -German loses his German sympathies simply because he takes out -naturalisation papers at the British Home Office. - -Undoubtedly, if it were determined to intern or deport all of alien -birth, whether naturalised or not, there would be many cases of -hardship, and many people who are good citizens and perfectly loyal to -the country of their adoption would suffer. Many such are suffering -to-day. I am not going to suggest for a moment that every one of the -thousands of aliens we have interned in the concentration camps is -dangerous, either as a spy or as a combatant. I do insist, however, -that many of them are, and to catch all the guilty we must necessarily, -though with regret, inflict hardship on some who are innocent. Exactly -the same conditions apply to the naturalised alien; in many cases they -apply with even greater force. - -In his published statement from which I have already quoted, Mr. -McKenna parades with intense satisfaction the absence, since the war -began, of any outrages traceable to aliens. He says:-- - - Another matter which has engaged the closest attention of the police - has been the possibility of conspiracies to commit outrages. No trace - whatever has been discovered of any such conspiracy, and no outrage - of any sort has yet been committed by any alien--not even telegraph - wires having been maliciously cut since the beginning of the war. - -As a dose of soothing-syrup administered in Mr. McKenna's "best -bedside manner" this is inimitable; as a contribution to the solution -of a very serious problem, it lacks finality. I wonder whether it has -ever occurred to the Home Secretary, or the sleepy Department over -which he presides, that, up to the present moment, there has not been -the slightest necessity for any alien to commit an outrage of any -description, and that to have done so before the time was ripe would -merely have meant rousing such an outburst here that, when the time did -come, there would probably not have been an alien left at liberty to -give help at the psychological moment? What, in the name of Johnson, -would it profit a German, or Germany, to blow up at the present moment -a tube station or one or two bridges on our main lines? The time for -that was when we were moving the Expeditionary Force, if at all, under -present conditions. But the movement of the Expeditionary Force was -carried out with such speed and secrecy that hardly anyone knew what -was going on, and in any case a slight delay to a few units of that -Force would not have been a vital matter. - -Now whether it is possible or not, whether it has a faint chance of -success or whether it is foredoomed to hopeless failure, an invasion -of England is at the present moment the dearest dream of every German -heart. To compass that, they are prepared to make any and every -sacrifice. Personally, I have no fear that to-day such an invasion -would have the remotest chance of success, but that is not the belief -of Germans, military or civilian. They believe that it is not only -possible, but that it must succeed, and we know that plans for carrying -it out have been carefully elaborated for years past. - -Suppose the Germans come. Troops will be instantly hurried towards the -scene of their landing by every railway in England. What, then, I ask, -would be the value of a few skilfully placed charges of explosive? -What, then, would be the value of a successful attempt to cut the trunk -telephone or telegraph wires running along one of our main lines of -communication? What would it mean to us if an important bridge on a -main line were shattered, and many trainloads of troops delayed for -hours? Remember that in the unlikely event of invasion time will be -calculated by minutes, for the Germans must rely upon the effects of a -desperate dash to strike us in a vital spot before we could overwhelm -them by accumulated reinforcements. - -But Mr. McKenna tells us "there is no evidence of a conspiracy to -commit outrages." Let us fold our arms and sleep! I wonder what the -War Office would tell him if he hinted that there was no evidence that -the Germans were planning to invade us, and that they had better cease -the arrangements they are very properly making to deal with such a -contingency, however remote or unlikely it may appear! - -It is not in the least degree likely that all the German arrangements -and plans have been made for outside operations only, and that every -internal device that could help to ruin us has been neglected; that -is not at all the German way. It has already been officially admitted -that there is reason for believing that the Germans have established -petrol stores in these islands. Is there any reason why they should -not equally have established depots of explosives for use in the same -contingency? - -Our naval authorities say quite plainly that, with the present -disposition of the Fleet, no invading force above the proportions of a -raiding party intended to create panic could ever hope to reach these -shores. To that, I think, the great majority of our people, supremely -confident in our splendid Navy, cordially subscribe. But in war no -chances can be taken, for the unexpected always happens, and though we -may not discuss the measures that have been adopted, it is known that -the War Office authorities have done everything possible to provide for -even such a remote contingency. Can we say that the Home Office has -done everything possible to cut the claws of the German plotters, when -so many potential enemies are still allowed to be at large amongst us? -And further, many enemy aliens are now being released, and returning to -their employment in hotels. - -Mr. McKenna has quite justifiably claimed that the Confidential -Department has broken up the organisation of spies that existed in -England before the war. For that, I desire quite sincerely to give -them every credit. The Home Secretary has admitted, however, the -necessity of taking every possible step to deal with those who have -come here since the war began. And in this connection a very serious -position has been created by the swarms of unhappy refugees from -Belgium who have been pouring into the country for several months past. -Among these thousands, it is absolutely certain, there must be many -clever German agents, possibly men who have long lived in Belgium, and -speak French or Flemish without a trace of German accent. - -What steps are being taken to guard against this peril? It must be -remembered that in the case of these unfortunate people there can be -no question of passports, or papers of any kind. The great majority of -them are quite glad enough to have escaped with their lives, without -troubling about their papers, even had they wished to do so. There -would not be the slightest difficulty in German agents slipping over -amongst these thousands without any risk of detection, and we can be -tolerably confident that many have done so. - -It has been suggested that some of the better educated Belgians, about -whose _bona fides_ there could be no question, should be given the work -of tracking down any possible impostors. They would probably be glad -of the work, and in this direction they could do much to help us. They -would be only too keen upon doing so, for most of them are filled with -a hatred of everything German, beside which our own growing dislike -is a mere nothing. To lay by the heels one of the German spies who -have contributed so powerfully to the ruin of Belgium would be, to the -average refugee, the keenest delight. I believe this plan would be well -worth a trial, and I should like to see it put into effect immediately. - -The trial and conviction on a charge of high treason of Mr. Nicholas -Emil Herman Adolph Ahlers, a naturalised German who, for some years, -acted as German Consul in Sunderland, is a remarkable and emphatic -corroboration of every word I have written as to the manner in which -the authorities are dealing with the alien peril. - -Mr. Ahlers was accused of assisting German reservists to return to -Germany after the declaration of war. It was alleged that he sought out -our enemies, impressed upon them the necessity of returning to Germany, -and gladly paid their fares. The striking feature of the affair was, it -is alleged, Ahlers' own statement, "Although naturalised, I am a German -at heart." - -On December 9th, the prisoner was convicted of high treason, and -sentenced to death. Yet anything more farcical could not well be -imagined, and was certainly well in keeping with the tactics of the -Home Office. Mr. Ahlers was prosecuted for having "adhered to the -King's enemies." Yet he had only, after all, succoured the King's -enemies to the extent _actually allowed to him by the Order in -Council_! As Mr. Justice Bankes justly observed at the appeal, it is -abhorrent to the mind that a man should be sentenced to death for doing -what the Home Secretary's circular expressly permitted. - -As exposed in the Court of Appeal, the whole prosecution was simply -another effort of the authorities to mislead and gull the public, and -to play to the gallery. - -When this amazing prosecution was undertaken, and the Solicitor-General -was sent down to Durham to invoke the majesty of the law, _the Home -Office must have known_ that the Order in Council, issued by that -same department, gave alien enemies--up to August the 11th--the right -to leave our shores! Therefore Mr. Ahlers ought never to have been -prosecuted and sentenced to death. What was presented to the public as -a grim and terrible tragedy, turned out to be an amusing, though hollow -comedy. Yet we find, even in the final scene at the Court of Appeal, -the Solicitor-General gallantly protesting that the Order in Council -had nothing to do with the case. - -Of course, as the Press pointed out, had the matter been anything -but the merest jest produced for the purpose of making the people of -this country believe that the Government were at last tackling the -spy peril in earnest, the Minister, or other official, who drew up -the Order in Council might have found himself in an awkward position. -It allowed alien enemies, without any distinction as to whether they -were combatants or not, to leave this country and join the King's -enemies _for a full week after war had been declared_, and whoever was -responsible for it was much more deserving of condemnation than the -unfortunate "German at heart." - -But a further fact seems to have escaped the notice of the public. -It is this. When the conviction for high treason had been obtained -against Mr. Ahlers--a conviction improperly obtained--the Government, -with their conscience awakened, hastened to prepare the public for the -comedy by issuing from the Press Bureau the following illuminating -communication:-- - - "The conviction of Ahlers is subject to appeal, the judge having - granted a certificate of appeal on certain points of law which arose - at the trial. The sentence of death was the only one which the judge - could pronounce in accordance with the law on a conviction for high - treason. If, on the appeal, the conviction is affirmed, the Secretary - of State for Home Affairs will consider the question of advising a - commutation of the death-sentence with a view to substituting a term - of penal servitude or imprisonment." - -The whole prosecution was a ghastly hoax, for Mr. Ahlers had committed -no legal offence. The proceedings, so dignified and realistic, which -resulted in him lying under sentence of death for a crime which he had -not committed, was merely a hollow pretence in order to give a sop to -the public. - -It reflects no credit upon our authorities, whoever was responsible, -and such proceedings are, surely, not in accordance with the high -morality of British justice. It is important, however, as serving as -yet another example of the pitiful rule-of-thumb methods which are -being adopted towards this grave peril. - -If the Home Department, in its wisdom, bestirs itself in future and -prosecutes dangerous aliens and spies, it is to be hoped that it will -not endeavour to further mislead us by presenting such a lamentable -spectacle as it has done in the case of Mr. Ahlers. - -Surely this is not the moment when the Department should be engaged -in trying to discover whether the German soldiery were guilty of any -atrocities in Belgium. The futility of the latter I pointed out to Mr. -McKenna in a letter I ventured to address to him at the Home Office on -December 11th, 1914. - -It ran as follows:-- - - "Sir,--Though seven days have now elapsed since my letter of December - 3rd, I am still awaiting a reply, as I am anxious--in the interests - of the public--to have an explanation of the matter to which it - refers. - - "I desire to point out to your Department--which, according to Mr. - Aitken's letter to me of November 16th, is making an inquiry into - allegations of outrages by German troops, and in which my aid is - requested--that any further waste of public time and public money may - be avoided if it will--as it no doubt can do if it wishes--obtain, - through the proper channels, a copy of General von Bülow's - Proclamation posted in Liége on August 22nd last. In this, the - General in question declares in reference to the destruction of the - town of Andenne:-- - - "'It is _with my consent_ that the General had the whole place burned - down, and about one hundred people shot.' - - "In addition, three official reports of the Royal Belgian Commission, - sent to me by His Excellency the Belgian Minister, are before me, and - I have interviewed M. Carton de Wiart, Belgian Minister of Justice, - regarding them. - - "Further, I would point out that your Department might, with - advantage, examine the proclamation of Field-Marshal Von der Goltz, - and also Major Deckmann's poster published at Grivegnée. - - "As these, no doubt, will be as available to you as they are to the - public Press, perhaps your Department may obviate further waste of - time by examining them. - - "Meanwhile, I await, with anticipation, a reply to my letter of - December 3rd." - -Let us hope that the Home Department--if only responsible for German -spies in London, as it is--will really rub its eyes and awaken, ere it -is too late. - -For five months the authorities had been continually warned by Lord -Leith of Fyvie, and others, of spies who were detected in the act of -signalling at night off the East Coast. The newspapers were flooded -with correspondence on the subject, while I myself received more than -a hundred letters asking me to urge the authorities to take up the -matter, and deal with it. - -On December 16th, Yorkshire had its first instalment of the fruits of -the extraordinary manner in which this signalling has been permitted -to continue, and the freedom given to spies. On the previous night it -was noticed, by reliable observers, that the night signallers were -specially active, and at eight o'clock next morning, the towns of -Scarborough, Whitby, and Hartlepool were bombarded by German ships, -resulting in over four hundred persons being injured, and over one -hundred killed, including many women and children. - -Information supplied by secret means to the German Navy had already -enabled shells to be flung at Yarmouth, but here, as in the attack -in Yorkshire, we have again very clear proof and evidence of spies. -Indeed, already orders have been issued to shoot at sight anyone found -signalling from the coast--but, alas! after so many innocent persons -have lost their lives! - -The daring adventure of the German ships show that they must have -received information concerning the distribution of our Fleet. - -According to the First Lord of the Admiralty, practically the whole -fast cruiser force of the German Navy, including some great ships vital -to their fleet and utterly irreplaceable, was risked for the passing -pleasure of killing as many English people as possible, irrespective of -sex, age, or condition, in the limited time available. - -Now we know sufficient of German thoroughness to be quite sure that -they would never have risked a journey of over four hundred miles -from their base, through a sea sown with mines, unless they were -well acquainted with the channels left open. Knowledge of the exact -positions in which we have placed our mines could only have been gained -through spies amongst us. - -Surely this should be sufficient answer to Mr. McKenna's communiqué to -the Press. - -A special correspondent of the London _Evening News_, who passed -between London and Berlin twice, unsuspected, during the month of -December, and even visited Vienna, writing on December 19th of what -he saw in the German capital, declared that he heard the raid upon -Scarborough discussed in certain circles in Berlin on December 16th, -_three days before it took place_! - -In the course of his comments he wrote:-- - - "I always thought the spy mania in England exaggerated, but now I am - absolutely persuaded that even those Englishmen who recognise this - peril do not realise the lengths to which it goes. They have been - suspecting waiters and servants, whilst the spies are in high social - positions; they have contented themselves with searching the houses - of German barbers and grocers, whilst neglecting the hands which - collect and forward to Berlin the information gathered by more humble - satellites. - - "It is very sad to have to say such things, but I think the most - dangerous spies still in England are not Germans, whether naturalised - or not, but are people belonging to neutral countries--even to - countries actually fighting Germany--and subjects of Great Britain - herself. - - "I would not have written this if I was not sure of it; the diplomat - from whom I got the information assured me that there are some - English and French of both sexes who come regularly to Berlin, or - to frontier towns through neutral countries, and have conversations - with officials and then return. The restrictions as to luggage and - passports, both in France and in England, are not half as severe as - they should be; _they are even slacker than at the beginning of the - war_. I know, personally, of a number of stolen American passports - under the shelter of which German spies are now travelling, and an - Italian Consul with whom I happened to travel a few days ago, said - he had discovered two fellows with false Italian passports almost - perfectly imitated. - - "In Berlin I heard people, well-informed people, saying that in every - English town of importance, and on every spot of strategical value on - the British coast, Germany has got _a few friends_ keeping their eyes - open and ready to receive an eventual German raid, and to give their - friends as strong a hand as possible." - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -HOW TO END THE SPY-PERIL - - -"After this war," said Mr. Justice Ridley, in a passage already quoted, -"we must make an end of spies." - -"After this war," however, may be too late. I contend we should make -an end of spies _now_, and with that end in view I would propose very -strong measures--so strong that, I willingly admit, only very grave -national peril would justify it. That peril, I contend, actually exists -to-day, _and no steps we can take to minimise it can be regarded as -excessive_. - -At the present moment it is perfectly easy for any German agent to -travel quite freely between England and the Continent. As we know, the -Germans have in their possession a large number of stolen British and -American passports. By means of these passports their agents can come -and go between England and the Continent practically as they please, -taking with them any information they can pick up. And, although the -collecting of information has been made much more difficult by the -additional precautions taken since the outbreak of war, information is -still to be obtained by those who know where and how to look for it. - -Now, the only channels by which this information can be conveyed abroad -at present are, first by correspondence in invisible ink beneath an -unsuspicious letter addressed to a neutral country--this was proved -at the court-martial of the prisoner of war, Otto Luz, at the Douglas -Internment Camp--secondly, by travellers between England and the -Continent, and thirdly, by secret wireless stations communicating -between our shores and the German ships--probably submarines--lying off -the coast. All three of these channels of leakage must be stopped. - -The first step should be the absolute closing of the sea routes from -these shores to all persons, excepting those who are vouched for by the -British Foreign Office. The second is a much closer and more persistent -search for concealed wireless plants, and a third, a closer censorship -upon outgoing mails to neutral countries. I happen to know that in -certain instances censorship upon both cables and correspondence is -quite inadequate. - -As to the second proposal, there will be no two opinions. Wireless is -already forbidden, and there is no hardship in taking steps to see that -the law is obeyed. With regard to the first suggestion, I am well aware -that many people will think it, as indeed it is, extremely drastic. -It would, of course, cause great inconvenience, not only to British -subjects, but to the subjects of neutral Powers with whom we are on -the best of terms. It would seriously interfere with business which we -have every wish should continue, and I should never suggest it unless I -were convinced of the urgent need. - -A correspondent who has just returned from Holland, where, says -the _Evening News_, he saw British tradesmen doing business with -German manufacturers, shows how easy it is for the Germans to send -professional spies to England _via_ Flushing. A German permit will pass -anyone over the Belgian frontier into Holland: a Belgian passport is -not necessary, but such passports are issued by the local authorities. -There is nothing to prevent a German commander getting a Belgian -passport and issuing it to a German if it suits his purpose, while the -present examination arrangements on the English side offer no obstacles -to spies landing, especially from boats containing five or six hundred -refugees. - -The remedy is to make the landing test far more stringent, and to use -responsible Belgians in the work. One can readily understand that the -average Englishman, even though he spoke French and Flemish, would not -be able to detect a German, speaking both languages, as being anything -but a genuine Belgian. Such a man, however, would be readily detected -by a Belgian; however well he spoke the languages, some trick of accent -or pronunciation would be sure to "give him away." Thus our Belgian -friends could do much to prevent the German spy getting into the -country. - -Assume that the spy is here; how are we to prevent him getting out? - -By closing the sea routes to all who could not produce to our Foreign -Office absolutely satisfactory guarantees of their _bona fides_. The -ordinary passport system is not sufficient; the Foreign Office should -demand, and see that it gets not only a photograph, but a very clear -explanation of the business of every person who seeks to travel from -England to the Continent, backed by unimpeachable references from -responsible British individuals, banks, or firms. - -In every single case of application for a passport it should be -personal, and the most stringent enquiries should be made. I see no -other means of putting an end to a danger which, whatever the official -apologists may say, is still acute, and shows no signs of diminishing. - -Under the best of conditions some leakage may take place. But our -business is to see, by every means we can adopt, that the leakage is -reduced to the smallest possible proportions. - -Now, a few words as to the future. Let us look forward to the time when -the war is over, and Europe is at peace again. Will it be necessary for -us to take steps to prevent a recrudescence of this German espionage, -or can we assume that there will be nothing of the kind again? - -In the language of Mr. Justice Ridley, we have got to "make an end of -spies" once and for all. - -The spy system has gained a firm and, I believe, quite unshakeable -footing in the German military system, and my own view is that directly -the war is over the old game will begin all over again. Whatever may -be the result of the war, we can take it for granted that Germany will -cherish dreams of revenge, more especially against the "treacherous -British," upon whom, at the present moment, she is pouring out all the -vials of her concentrated hatred and malignity. She has been spending -huge sums annually on her spy-system, and she will not readily give it -up. - -I certainly cherish the hope that after the war we shall be spared -the flood of German immigration that, quite apart from all questions -of espionage, has, in past years, done so much harm to England by -unloading on our crowded labour market a horde of ill-paid and -wage-cutting workers, many of whom were trade spies, and who have done -much to drive the British employee out of the positions which, by -every natural and political law, he ought to hold. This has been made -possible to a great extent by subsidies from German rivals anxious -to get hold of British trade secrets. The German clerk will never be -the welcome figure he has been in the past with certain British firms -who have regarded nothing but cheapness in the appointment of their -staffs. Still, we may be certain that, welcome or unwelcome, the German -will be with us again; as a rule, he is sufficiently thick-skinned to -care very little whether he is wanted or not, provided he "gets there." -He will be a potential danger, and his activities must be at once -firmly restricted. - -With this end in view the French system of the registration and -taxation of every alien coming to reside in this country ought to -be insisted upon. Many worthy people seem to think that there is -something highly objectionable in a precaution which is taken by every -European country except Britain. As a matter of fact, there is nothing -of the kind. Every Briton, in ordinary times, who goes to Germany is -registered by the police; there is no hardship and no inconvenience -about it, and no reason whatever why the person whose motives are -above suspicion should object to it. The same is true of Russia, where -the passport system is strict; yet, once you have registered, you are -free to do pretty much as you please, so long as you do not attempt -to interfere in political matters, which are surely no concern of the -foreigner. Germans should be the last people in the world to object to -a policy of registration and supervision in this country, and to do -them justice the reputable Germans would never think of protesting. - -Another essential precaution would be that every alien coming to reside -in this country must produce his papers. There is no hardship in -this; the honest foreigner never makes any trouble about showing his -papers at any time. In every country save Great Britain everyone has to -possess such papers, and there is no reason why he should not produce -them when he goes from his own to another country. By a system of -papers and registration, the police would be enabled at any moment to -lay their hands on doubtful characters, quite apart from spies. - -It is also to be sincerely hoped that the Lord Chamberlain's Department -will request, as the _Globe_ has justly demanded, that City financiers -who have been accustomed to make use in this country, without the Royal -licence or the King's permission, of German titles of nobility, will -discontinue this practice when they become "naturalised." We should -then have fewer pinchbeck "Barons" among us than at present. - -Evidence has been accumulating during the past few years, and came -to a head with the case of the German consul at Sunderland, that -naturalisation in the great majority of cases is a perfect farce. The -"naturalised" are still "Germans at heart." Naturalisation is usually -adopted either for spying or for business purposes, and to suppose that -the mere fact makes a German into anything else is to argue a pitiful -ignorance of human nature, and particularly of the German nature. There -is in this, of course, no reproach; we should think as little of a -German who forsook the cause of his country as of an Englishman who -turned renegade. The Germans are an intensely patriotic people, and -we may honour them for it, but we do not want to help them to further -exercise their patriotism at our expense. - -Notable changes in the law relating to the naturalisation of aliens -were made by the new British Nationality and Status of Aliens Act, -which came into force on January 1st, 1915. Among the most important of -these is the power given to the Home Secretary to revoke certificates -of naturalisation obtained by means of false declarations. - -The Naturalisation Act of 1870 is now repealed. That Act contained -no definition of the classes of people who are to be regarded as -natural-born British subjects. This omission is rectified in the new -Act, by which such persons are defined as follows:-- - - (a) Any person born within His Majesty's dominions and allegiance; and - - (b) Any person born out of His Majesty's dominions whose father was - a British subject at the time of that person's birth, and either - was born within His Majesty's allegiance, or was a person to whom a - certificate of naturalisation had been granted; and - - (c) Any person born on board a British ship, whether in foreign - territorial waters or not. - -I regard section (c) as far too sweeping; it seems to imply that -even the children of German emigrants born while their parents are -travelling, say to America, on board a British vessel become British -subjects, even though they may never set foot on British territory -during the whole of their lives! In such a case, naturalisation -will mean absolutely nothing to the person concerned, while it is -conceivable that his claim to be a British subject might involve us -in awkward entanglements. A person born on a foreign ship will not be -regarded as a British subject merely because the ship was in British -territorial waters at the time of the birth. - -Children of British subjects, whether born before or after the passing -of the Act, will be deemed to have been born within the King's -allegiance if born in a place where "by capitulation, grant, usage, -sufferance or other lawful means His Majesty exercises jurisdiction -over British subjects." - -The qualifications for naturalisation are extended under the new Act. -Section 2 provides that the Secretary of State may grant a certificate -of naturalisation to any alien who shows - - (a) That he has resided in His Majesty's dominions for a period of - not less than five years in the manner required by this section, or - been in the service of the Crown for not less than five years within - the last eight years before the application; and - - (b) That he is of good character, and has an adequate knowledge of - the English language; and - - (c) That he intends, if his application is granted, either to reside - in His Majesty's dominions, or to enter or continue in the service of - the Crown. - -Paragraph (b), which is new, is certainly very valuable and it will -be cordially approved. Hitherto, in the granting of naturalisation -certificates, character and a knowledge of English were entirely -disregarded. By means of the new provision we shall be able to shut out -from British citizenship a large and exceedingly undesirable class of -alien immigrants and render their deportation practicable in case of -misbehaviour. - -In the case of a woman who was a British subject before her marriage -to an alien, and whose husband has died, or whose marriage has been -dissolved, the requirements of this section as to residence are not to -apply, and the Secretary of State may, in any other special case, grant -a certificate of naturalisation, even though the four years' residence -or five years' service has not been within the eight years immediately -before the application for naturalisation. The provision as to the -women is both humane and just. It will alleviate the hard lot of many -Englishwomen who married Germans before the war, and whose cases under -the old Act involved much unmerited hardship. - -Section 3 of the Act is very noteworthy. It provides that - - (1) A person to whom a certificate of naturalisation is granted by a - Secretary of State shall, subject to the provisions of this Act, be - entitled to all political and other rights, powers and privileges, - and be subject to all obligations, duties and liabilities to which - a natural-born British subject is entitled or subject, and, as from - the date of his naturalisation, have to all intents and purposes the - status of a natural-born British subject. - -The 3rd Section of the Act of Settlement, which disqualifies -naturalised aliens from holding certain offices, is to have effect -as though the word "naturalised" were omitted. This section applies, -among other things, to membership of the Privy Council or either House -of Parliament, or to "any office or place of trust either civil or -military." - -The power given to the Secretary of State to revoke any naturalisation -certificate obtained by false representation or fraud is contained in -Section 7, which says:-- - - (1) Where it appears to the Secretary of State that a certificate - of naturalisation granted by him has been obtained by false - representations or fraud, the Secretary of State may by order revoke - the certificate, and the order of revocation shall have effect from - such date as the Secretary of State may direct. - - (2) Where the Secretary of State revokes a certificate of - naturalisation, he may order the certificate to be given up and - cancelled, and any person refusing or neglecting to give up the - certificate shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not - exceeding one hundred pounds. - -This is a very valuable provision, and it is one that, whenever fraud -or false representation is detected, should be summarily and rigorously -enforced. In the past our practice in the matter of naturalisation -has been decidedly too lax; I fear the granting of certificates had -become rather too much a matter of form, and possibly statements as -to residence, etc., had not been too closely scrutinised. There is -thus reason for believing that a good many individuals who are to-day -masquerading as "British citizens" would have extreme difficulty in -making good their claims to that honour if they were closely pressed -for evidence. - -It is important to remember that under the naturalisation law a -naturalised "undesirable alien" cannot be deported in the event of his -being convicted of a certain class of offence to which the alien of the -lower type is especially prone. These are just the men who most dread -deportation, since they are usually well known to the police of their -own country, and they are therefore most likely to resort to fraudulent -means to secure the protection afforded by naturalisation here. When -such individuals fall into the hands of the police in future, we may -be sure that their papers will be scrutinised with special care, and -should any evidence of fraud be detected we shall be able to strip them -of their too easily obtained British nationality, and relieve ourselves -of their presence. - -The taking out of naturalisation papers is one of the natural weapons -of the spy, and by the circumstances of his case he is very frequently -compelled to resort to devious means to secure his papers. Under the -new law it will be easier when he is detected to treat him as an enemy -subject, since inquiry of a close character will be likely, if not -practically certain, to reveal the deception of which he has been -guilty. - -It is to be hoped on every ground that the new law will be rigorously -enforced. I hold very strongly--and recent cases have justified my -belief--that the _naturalised alien_ is among our most dangerous -enemies. For this reason, if for no other, the acquisition of British -nationality should be made as difficult as possible in order to protect -our country against hordes of subjects whom we do not want and who, if -the truth were told, would be found to have but the most shadowy claim -to the honour they seek. - -But, as the _Globe_ has well described it, the Act is, at best, only a -piece of belated legislation. It is to be regretted that the Government -could not have seen their way to issue a proclamation postponing its -operation, so that Parliament could have some further opportunity of -discussing it before it is treated as settling the extremely difficult -and complicated questions which are inherent in the subject, questions -which have gained a new meaning in the last few months. It would be -satisfactory, for instance, to investigate the very curious problems -raised by the Third Section. Under this, certain disqualifications -which the Act of Settlement imposed upon naturalised aliens are again -made inoperative except as against aliens. Under the Act of Settlement -naturalised aliens were prohibited from becoming members of the Privy -Council, or of either House of Parliament, and from holding any office -or place of trust, "either civil or military." It is notorious that -naturalised aliens have sat on both sides of the House of Commons, -_are actually members of the Privy Council_, and have occupied places -of the most intimate trust in civil and military affairs. It is surely -time we reverted to the older methods. No naturalised alien should be -appointed a Privy Councillor. - -The whole Act is therefore belated and incomplete. It does not, -so far as one can understand it, provide for the one thing really -necessary--that the individual seeking naturalisation in this country -should divest himself altogether of any allegiance to the Sovereignty -under which he was born. Whether he can do so, or not, is his affair. -Germany, by her new Citizenship Law, as the journal quoted has pointed -out, has devised methods obviously designed to disguise the real nature -of the act of a German on seeking naturalisation in a foreign country. -Against such attempts to deceive the nation of which a German, for his -own ends, seeks to become a member, it may be difficult to continue -effective measures, but at any rate we should make the attempt. -Naturalisation is primarily a favour granted to the alien, and is only -in very rare and exceptional cases an advantage to the State which -grants it. Therefore it ought to be hedged about with such restrictions -as will make it as certain as any laws can do, that the individual -seeking it divests himself of all his former allegiance. - -It is perfectly certain, as the journal before mentioned has remarked, -that there are in this country to-day many naturalised Germans who, -if they had not taken out letters of naturalisation (which are in -effect letters of mark), would now be interned in some concentration -camp. They are chartered enemies, who can be compared to none so -justly as those German spies at the front who penetrate the Allies' -lines by wearing British uniforms. The French Government have, unlike -our own, been quick to see the danger that exists, and to cope with -it. A Bill has been introduced into the French Parliament empowering -the Government to withdraw naturalisation from persons who preserve -their original nationality, or who, by reason of their attitude to the -enemies of France, are judged unworthy of French nationality. The Stock -Exchange has taken similar action. British citizenship is a privilege -which in no case ought to be lightly conferred, and assuredly it should -never be relieved from the obligations which properly accompany its -great advantages. No man can serve two masters, at any rate when they -are at war with one another; and, to be just to the Germans, they have -not even tried. - -We know that the German espionage organisation in England was set -up some time about the year 1905, so that there has been plenty of -time for the German General Staff to get together quite a number of -agents who, under our present system, fulfil all the demands of our -naturalisation laws. We must make this more difficult in the future, -remembering that the naturalised German is at least as much an object -of suspicion as his non-naturalised brother. - -Residence of aliens, whether naturalised or not, in the immediate -vicinity of our dockyards, naval bases, and important strategical -positions should be stopped, once and for all. We know how in many -recent cases the activities of the German agent have been concentrated -upon these points, where the most valuable information is often to be -picked up, and if we are indeed to make an end of spies, this closing -of certain areas to aliens is one of the first and most important steps -to take.[3] - -I have just heard of a case in one of our most important garrison -towns, where, for years past, a shop overlooking the barracks has been -in German occupation without apparently any business whatever being -done; the stock was practically allowed to rot in the windows, and -certainly the volume of trade was not enough to pay the rent. We can -form our own conclusions as to the real object of such establishments. - -Not very long ago Captain Persius, the well-known German naval expert, -described, with his tongue in his cheek, the ease with which he was -able to get information at certain British dockyards, and we know -that many foreign visitors have been allowed practically free access -to many of our battleships and to the naval ports. The case of the -undergraduates who posed as foreign princes and were shown over one of -our Dreadnoughts will be well remembered. All this kind of thing must -certainly be put an end to in the future. - -The question of wireless is also another matter to which we shall have -to give considerable attention. It is very much a question whether -we should not, in future, adopt some stricter system of compulsory -registration of all wireless plant sold and worked in this country. We -all hope, of course, that after the present war we shall see a long -period of undisturbed peace, but not even that assurance ought to be -allowed to blind us to future danger, any more than the belief that a -German invasion of Great Britain is an impossibility should cause us -to relax, for an instant, our preparations to meet it should it come. -Wireless is likely to play a growing part in our world communications, -and the tremendous possibilities which attend its unauthorised use have -to be reckoned with. - -I confess that I should have hesitated to introduce even into a -novel such an incident as a German officer attempting to escape from -this country packed up in a large box. Yet such a case has just been -reported; the man was detected and arrested by no more than a lucky -accident just as the case was about to be placed on board the liner -which was to convey it to Rotterdam. Examination of the case showed -how carefully the plans for the escape had been made, and certainly -there is a very strong suggestion that the affair could not have been -undertaken without active assistance from persons outside the prison -from which the officer had escaped. And those persons were spies. - -It was stated, I see, that the man is believed to have been trying to -get over to Germany with important information, and in all probability -this is true; it is not at all likely that anyone would have adopted -such a desperate expedient merely to escape from custody. The incident, -in its practical bearings, is not of great importance, since it is -not a plan likely to be adopted except by someone who was absolutely -desperate, and obviously we cannot examine every packing case shipped -abroad, even in war time. For us the importance of the incident lies in -the light it throws upon the skill and resource of the German secret -agents, and the need for straining every nerve to cope with their -activity. One cannot but admire the courage and resource of a man who -was ready to take the risks involved in this particularly daring -adventure. - -Whatever system we decide to adopt to protect ourselves against -espionage in the future, there is no question that the entire matter -ought to be in the hands of one central authority, with very wide -powers of inquiry and action. We must put an end once and for all to -the idiotic--no other word is strong enough--position in which Mr. -McKenna is able to say that outside London the spy-peril is no concern -of his, and that he has no power of action. Whether we complete and -extend the operations of the Confidential Department, or whether some -new organisation is brought into being, the matter of espionage for the -country as a whole _ought to be centralised in the hands of a single -authority_. - -I know certain people are likely to raise a grumble that the cost -will be considerable. Supposing it is? No one suggests that we should -spend, as Germany has been spending, £720,000 a year on spying on our -neighbours; all that we need to do is to establish a complete system of -contra-espionage, and look after the people who want to spy on us. In -doing this, surely the expenditure of a few thousands a year would be -money well invested. - -In France a system has been adopted--too late, unfortunately, so far -as the present war is concerned--by which the public are invited to -co-operate in the work of checking the activities of the spies, by -giving to the proper authority information of any suspicious cases -coming to their notice. - -My view is that a somewhat similar procedure should be adopted here. -In this way public opinion would be educated up to the importance -of the subject, and a great deal of valuable information would be -acquired. It is certain, of course, that much of this information would -be valueless, but it would be the duty of the special department to -separate the chaff from the wheat, and to see that every suspicious -case was duly inquired into. Apart from anything else, this action by -the public would, in itself, give the spies to pause, for they would -realise how much more difficult it would be for them to carry on their -nefarious work undetected. - -I come now to perhaps the most unpleasant feature of the spy -problem--the possibility of our betrayal by traitors in our own ranks. -I am proud to think that, in this respect, we are perhaps better off -than any nation under the sun, but at the same time, there have been, -in recent years, one or two proved cases, and, as I have already said, -a good many where grounds existed for very grave suspicion. However -mortifying it may be to our national pride, we cannot overlook the -possibility of our secrets being sold to the enemy by men of our own -blood. - -In this connection, I cannot do better than quote an instructive -passage from Paul Lenoir's masterly book on "The German Spy System -in France," one of the most complete and fascinating exposures of -German machinations that has ever been written, and a veritable mine -of information on German aims and methods. Lenoir relates how, on one -occasion, he had a long conversation with a very distinguished member -of the German spy administration who had expressed the wish to meet -him. In the course of their conversation, the German said:-- - - "Ah! If only you knew how many of your politicians who shout and - declaim in France demanding the suppression of _your_ Secret Service - funds--if you only knew how many of those men are drawing thumping - good salaries out of _our_ Secret Service funds; if only you knew - what proportion of their election expenses is paid by us every four - years!" - -I do not suppose for a moment that we have in England anything of this -kind; the class of men who secure election to the House of Commons is -no doubt above temptation. I, however, mention this instance, revealed -be it remembered by a Frenchman working hard in his country's cause, -to show how very far the German espionage bureau is prepared to go to -seduce men from their natural allegiance, and convert them into the -most dangerous enemies of their country. And, with regret I confess it, -we have to face the fact that even in our own services there are some -whose honour is not proof against the lavish stream of German gold. - -How to detect and defeat them is indeed a difficult problem; all we -can say is that in this, as in other matters, eternal vigilance is the -price of liberty. But at least we can say that when they are caught -these men ought to be made to pay a terrible price for their treachery, -as an example and a deterrent to others. There must be no illegal -sentences of death, as in the Ahlers case. There must be no paltering -with this blackest of crimes, and no concession to the sentimentalists -of the cocoa-Press. - -In conclusion, I appeal to my readers to believe that I do feel, after -many years' study of this subject, that in German espionage lies one of -the greatest dangers our beloved country has to face. - -I earnestly appeal to them to do all in their power to assist in -forming a vigorous public opinion, that shall insist that, at whatever -cost, this canker in our public life shall be rooted out. We must--and -we can, if we devote our attention to it--make an end to the spy in our -midst, and make it impossible that our hospitality shall be abused by -those who are plotting our downfall. To do this a strong and healthy -public opinion, which shall drive supine officials to determined -action, is the first and greatest requisite. Without that--and it is -the purpose of this book to assist in rousing it--we shall drift back -into the old rut of contemptuous and incredulous neglect, and it is -more than probable that our last state will be worse than our first. - -We can rest assured that Germany will never willingly give up the -system that has paid her such enormous profits; it is for us to meet -craft with craft, to smash her spy organisation, to show her that we -are determined that we will put an end to an insidious form of attack -which in time of peace--whatever we may think of espionage in time of -war--is nothing short of moral and political corruption in its worst -and most hideous form. - -Another point which has apparently been overlooked by the public is the -fact that as recently as January 14th the United States Embassy, acting -for Germany and Austria, announced the astounding fact that German men -over 55, Austrian men over 50, with all those physically unfit for -military service, as well as all women of both countries, _may leave -Great Britain and return to the land of their birth_! The Ambassador -stated that anyone wishing to do so should apply to the Home Office -(Permits Department) for the necessary permission; and, further, that -the Austro-Hungarian Government were organising personally-conducted -parties to Vienna and Budapest! - -Now, it is to be sincerely hoped that the Home Office (Permits -Department) will not consider any man who has a weak heart, a faulty -leg, or bad teeth, or is over 50, incapable of acts of espionage. -Further, as alien women have been allowed to move freely about the -country, and as our Confidential Department knows that the enemy has -already made good use of the fair sex as spies, is it really too much -to expect that the Permits Department will--if aliens are allowed to -leave at all--grant the necessary passes with a very sparing hand, -and submit to severe examination anyone desirous of joining these -personally-conducted parties which sound so delightfully alluring? - -But to the man-in-the-street this official announcement of the United -States Embassy, especially after the prosecution of Mr. Ahlers, must -cause considerable dismay. Are we to allow these enemy aliens who have -been among us ever since the outbreak of war to return, and carry with -them all the information they have been able to gather? - -Surely this is a most important point to which public attention should -at once be directed! If the Home Office are actually about to issue -permits to enemy aliens to return home, then why bother any further -about espionage? We may just as well accept Mr. McKenna's assurances, -close our eyes, and fold our arms. - -Further, with the illuminating discussion in the House of Lords on -January 6th, 1915, the Briton--as apart from the politician, or -the supporter of the cocoa-Press--surely cannot be satisfied. The -Government spokesmen told us that we still had among us no fewer than -27,000 Germans and Austrians at liberty, and of this number 2,998 were -living in prohibited areas--an increase of 37 since November 7th! -The lack of organisation for dealing with these aliens is the most -deplorable feature of the administration. There are three separate -authorities. The navy, military and police all act according to their -own interpretations of the Defence of the Realm Act, and when one or -other takes drastic steps for the removal of alien enemies, somebody -who stands in the background reverses the process. A truly amazing -state of affairs. - -The splendid efforts of the Earl of Portsmouth, the Earl of Crawford, -Lord Leith of Fyvie, Viscount St. Aldwyn, Lord St. Davids, the Earl of -Selborne, Viscount Galway and Lord Curzon made in the House of Lords -seem, alas! to be of no avail, for, while on November 25th Mr. McKenna -gave details showing the distribution of male alien enemies, the latest -figures supplied in the House of Lords on January 6th by Viscount -Allendale show:-- - - Nov. 25th Jan. 6th - Aberdeen to Berwick 35 59 - Northumberland to the Wash 543 437 - The Wash to Thames Estuary 54 38 - Thames Estuary to Dorsetshire 136 } 161 - Devonport to Plymouth 3 } - ____ ____ - Total 771 695 - -Our authorities have actually admitted that from November 7th to -January 7th, 49 more alien enemies have gone to live on the East Coast -of Scotland and on the South Coast of England! And Mr. McKenna has -permitted them to do so! - -Surely by the official assurances of safety an attempt has been made to -lull us to sleep--and we are now being slowly lulled into the hands of -the enemy! - -In these same areas were 2,190 women alien enemies on November 25th, as -compared with 2,303 at the present time. - -The figures show that there has been a decrease of 106 in the -neighbourhood of the Yorkshire raid. But there has been an increase of -22 on the South Coast, and of 27 on the East Coast of Scotland. - -Under whose authority, one may surely ask, have 49 alien enemies been -permitted to settle on the Scotch and South Coasts? - -With these 27,000 alien enemies free to move five miles in each -direction from any area in which they may be living, and power to -make longer journeys if they can get a permit--not a very difficult -thing to do--the Home Office is adding to the danger by encouraging a -movement for the release of some of the 15,000 alien enemies interned -originally because they were held to be dangerous. The Chief Constables -who are being asked to certify such as might be released, may, I -quite think with the _Evening News_, be pardoned for giving a liberal -interpretation of the request. - -Surely every sane man must agree with the opinion expressed by the -same outspoken journal, namely, that with some 35,000 Germans and -Austrians, registered and naturalised, moving freely in our midst, a -Government which permits that freedom is taking risks which it ought -not to take. The German Government, in their wisdom, are not guilty of -such folly. Every British subject, even those who have lived there for -forty years, and can hardly speak their mother-tongue, is interned. - -Why, if a naturalised German is known to be an enemy of the country -of his adoption--be he waiter or financier--should any tenderness be -displayed towards him? - -He is an enemy, and whatever Lord Haldane or Mr. McKenna may say, he -must be treated as such. I write only as an Englishman fighting for his -own land. - -I repeat that I have no party politics, but only the stern resolve -that _we must win this war_, and that all who lean to the enemy in any -manner whatever must go, and be swept with their fine houses, their -wives and their social surroundings into oblivion. - -To-day we, as Britons, are fighting for our existence. To give our -alien enemies a chance of espionage is a criminal act. - -Sir Henry Dalziel advocates the constitution of an Aliens Board to -deal with the whole subject. He evidently has no faith in the present -indecision, for he has expressed himself in favour of moving all alien -enemies fifty miles from the coast. - -The flabby policy of indecision is, one must agree, a mistake. - -No one wants to embarrass the Government, who in so many ways have done -admirably, but, in the face of the serious dangers which must arise -from the presence of 27,000 alien enemies within our gates at this -moment, even implicit confidence must not stand in the way of a stern -and effective national defence. - -And the removal of the spy danger is, I maintain, eminently a matter of -national defence. - -It is for the public to make a stern and unmistakable demand. - - * * * * * - -The following lines, from an anonymous pen, appeared on December 10th -in the _Evening News_, which has performed a patriotic work in pointing -out the peril of spies, and demanding that they should be interned. -Though amusing, the words really contain a good deal of truth:-- - - _"Will you walk into my parlour?" said the Kaiser to the Spy, - "For I've lots of work to give you, and the pay is very high, - And you've only got to send me a report from day to day, - All about the English people, and the things they do and say._ - - _"There is Fritz and Franz and Josef, though their names you may not - know, You may write to them and see them, but as 'Number So-and-So,' - And should you meet your brother or your mother at the game, - You are not to recognise them; they're numbers just the same._ - - _"You will travel through the country in the name of Henry Jones, - Or as Donald P. McScotty, selling artificial stones; - You will rent a modest dwelling in the shadow of a base, - And when nobody is looking you will photograph the place._ - - * * * * * - _"Then 'Hoch' unto your Kaiser, 'Am Tag' your daily cry, - God bless our Krupps and Zeppelins, the victory is nigh. - God bless our shells! and dum-dums! Kultur shall fight her way; - God, Emperor, and Fatherland in one Almighty sway."_ - -FOOTNOTES: - -[Footnote 3: THIRTY MILES INLAND: MILITARY ORDERS TO EAST COAST -ALIENS.--Notices to quit coastal towns adjoining the Tyneside district -were yesterday served by the police on behalf of the military -authorities upon persons regarded as undesirable residents. The -people affected include enemy aliens and naturalised aliens of both -sexes, also British-born descendants of aliens, including even the -second generation. Exceptions have been made in cases of advanced -age and extreme youthfulness. New addresses must be approved by the -military. Notices were also served on German residents in Sunderland -to leave the town and district and move into an area approved by the -military authorities. The order applies to men, women, and children, -whether naturalised or not, and must be obeyed within eight days. The -approved area will be some inland place about thirty miles from the -coast.--_Daily Mail_, December 30th, 1914.] - -THE END - - -Printed by W. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: German Spies in England - An Exposure - -Author: William Le Queux - -Release Date: January 1, 2020 [EBook #61069] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GERMAN SPIES IN ENGLAND *** - - - - -Produced by Tim Lindell, Graeme Mackreth and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - - - - - -</pre> - - - - - -<p class="ph1">GERMAN SPIES IN ENGLAND</p> - - - - - -<p class="ph2" style="margin-top: 10em;">GERMAN SPIES<br /> -IN ENGLAND</p> - -<p class="ph3">AN EXPOSURE</p> - -<p class="ph6">BY</p> -<p class="ph4">WILLIAM LE QUEUX</p> - -<p class="ph6">AUTHOR OF<br /> -"LYING LIPS," "FATAL THIRTEEN,"<br /> -"THE FOUR FACES," ETC.</p> - -<p class="ph5" >TORONTO</p> - -<p class="ph5">THOMAS LANGTON</p> - -<p class="ph6">1915</p> - - - - - -<p class="ph6"><i>Printed in Great Britain</i></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2" style="margin-top: 10em;">CONTENTS</p> - - - - - - -<table summary="toc" width="65%"> -<tr><td align="right">CHAP.</td><td></td> <td align="right">PAGE</td></tr> - -<tr><td></td><td><a href="#TO_THE_READER"><span class="smcap">To the Reader</span></a></td> <td align="right"><a href="#Page_7">7</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td align="right">I.</td> <td><a href="#CHAPTER_I"><span class="smcap">How the Truth was Hidden</span></a></td> <td align="right"><a href="#Page_11">11</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td align="right">II.</td> <td><a href="#CHAPTER_II"><span class="smcap">The Kaiser's Secret Revealed</span></a></td> <td align="right"><a href="#Page_22">22</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td align="right">III.</td> <td><a href="#CHAPTER_III"><span class="smcap">How the Public were -Bamboozled</span></a></td> <td align="right"><a href="#Page_36">36</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td align="right">IV.</td> <td><a href="#CHAPTER_IV"><span class="smcap">Under the Kaiser's Thumb</span></a></td> <td align="right"><a href="#Page_57">57</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td align="right">V.</td> <td><a href="#CHAPTER_V"><span class="smcap">How Spies Work</span></a></td> <td align="right"><a href="#Page_66">66</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td align="right">VI.</td> <td><a href="#CHAPTER_VI"><span class="smcap">Some Methods of Secret -Agents</span></a></td> <td align="right"><a href="#Page_78">78</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td align="right">VII. </td><td><a href="#CHAPTER_VII"><span class="smcap">Master-Spies and Their -Cunning</span></a></td> <td align="right"><a href="#Page_93">93</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td align="right">VIII.</td> <td><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII"><span class="smcap">The Spy and the Law</span></a></td> <td align="right"><a href="#Page_116">116</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td align="right">IX.</td> <td><a href="#CHAPTER_IX"><span class="smcap">A Remarkable Spy</span></a></td> <td align="right"><a href="#Page_138">138</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td align="right">X.</td> <td><a href="#CHAPTER_X"><span class="smcap">Some Recent Cases</span></a></td> <td align="right"><a href="#Page_152">152</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td align="right">XI.</td> <td><a href="#CHAPTER_XI"><span class="smcap">27,000 Aliens at Large in -Great Britain</span></a></td> <td align="right"><a href="#Page_171">171</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td align="right"> XII.</td> <td><a href="#CHAPTER_XII"><span class="smcap">How to End the Spy Peril</span></a></td> <td align="right"><a href="#Page_196">196</a></td></tr> -</table> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="TO_THE_READER" id="TO_THE_READER">TO THE READER</a></p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">From</span> the outbreak of war until to-day I have hesitated to write this -book. But I now feel impelled to do so by a sense of duty.</p> - -<p>The truth must be told. The peril must be faced.</p> - -<p>Few men, I venture to think, have been more closely associated with, or -know more of the astounding inner machinery of German espionage in this -country, and in France, than myself.</p> - -<p>Though the personnel of the Confidential Department established at -Whitehall to deal with these gentry have, during the past six years, -come and gone, I have, I believe, been the one voluntary assistant who -has remained to watch and note, both here and in Belgium—where the -German headquarters were established—the birth and rapid growth of -this ever-spreading canker-worm in the nation's heart.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span></p> - -<p>I am no alarmist. This is no work of fiction, but of solid and serious -fact. I write here of what I know; and, further, I write with the true -spirit of loyalty. Though sorely tempted, at this crisis, to publish -certain documents, and make statements which would, I know, add greatly -to the weight of this book, I refrain, because such statements might -reveal certain things to the enemy, including the identity of those -keen and capable officials who have performed so nobly their work of -contra-espionage.</p> - -<p>Yet to-day, with the fiercest war in history in progress, with our -bitterest enemy threatening us with invasion, and while we are -compelled to defend our very existence as a nation, yet Spies are -nobody's business!</p> - -<p>It is because the British public have so long been officially deluded, -reassured and lulled to sleep, that I feel it my duty to now speak out -boldly, and write the truth after a silence of six years.</p> - -<p>Much contained within these covers will probably come as a complete -revelation to many readers who have hitherto, and perhaps not unjustly, -regarded spies as the mere picturesque creation of writers of fiction. -At<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span> the outset, however, I wish to give them an assurance that, if -certain reports of mine—which now repose in the archives of the -Confidential Department—were published, they would create a very -considerable sensation, and entirely prove the truth of what I have -ventured to write within these covers.</p> - -<p>I desire, further, to assure the reader that, since 1905, when I -first endeavoured to perform what I considered to be my duty as an -Englishman, I have only acted from the purest patriotic motives, while, -from a pecuniary point of view, I have lost much by my endeavour.</p> - -<p>The knowledge that in the past, as now, I did what I conceived to be -but my duty to my country, was, in itself, an all-sufficient reward; -and if, after perusal of this book, the reader will only pause for a -moment and reflect upon the very serious truths it contains, then I -shall have accomplished all I have attempted.</p> - -<p>We have, since the war, had a rude awakening from the lethargy induced -by false official assurances concerning the enemy in our midst.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span></p> - -<p>It is for the nation to now give its answer, and to demand immediate -and complete satisfaction from those who were directly responsible for -the present national peril, which, if unchecked, must inevitably result -in grave disaster.</p> - -<p style="margin-left:45%;"> -WILLIAM LE QUEUX.</p> -<p style="margin-left:25%;"> -Hawson Court,<br /> -Buckfastleigh, Devon.<br /> -<i>February, 1915.</i> -</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2">GERMAN SPIES IN ENGLAND</p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I</a></p> - -<p class="center">HOW THE TRUTH WAS HIDDEN</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">The</span> actual truth regarding Germany's secret and elaborate preparations -for a raid upon our shores has not yet been told. It will, however, I -venture to think, cause considerable surprise.</p> - -<p>A few curious facts have, it is true, leaked out from time to time -through the columns of the newspapers, but the authorities—and more -especially the Home Office, under Mr. McKenna—have been most careful -to hide the true state of affairs from the public, and even to lull -them into a false sense of security, for obvious reasons. The serious -truth is that German espionage and treasonable propaganda have, during -past years, been allowed by a slothful military administration to take -root so deeply, that the authorities to-day find themselves powerless -to eradicate its pernicious growth.</p> - -<p>Unfortunately for myself—for by facing the British public and daring -to tell them<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> the truth, I suffered considerable pecuniary loss—I was -in 1905 the first person to venture to suggest to the authorities, by -writing my forecast "The Invasion of England," the most amazing truth, -that Germany was secretly harbouring serious hostile intentions towards -Great Britain.</p> - -<p>The reader, I trust, will forgive me for referring to my own personal -experiences, for I do so merely in order to show that to the grievous, -apathetic attitude of the Government of the time the present scandalous -state of affairs is entirely due.</p> - -<p>I had lived in Germany for a considerable period. I had travelled up -and down the country; I had lived their "home life"; I had lounged in -their officers' clubs; and I had indulged in the night-life of Berlin; -and, further, I had kept my eyes and ears open. By this, I had gained -certain knowledge. Therefore I resolved to write the truth, which -seemed to me so startling.</p> - -<p>My daring, alas! cost me dearly. On the day prior to the publication of -the book in question, Sir Henry Campbell Bannerman, then Premier, rose -in the House of Commons and—though he had never had an opportunity of -seeing my work—deliberately condemned it, declaring that it "should -never have been written" because it was calculated to create alarm. -Who, among the readers of this book, would condemn anything he had not -even seen? Now the last thing the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span> Government desired was that public -attention should be drawn to the necessity of preparing against German -aggression.</p> - -<p>Once the real fear of the German peril had taken root in our islands, -there would instantly have been an irresistible demand that no money -should be spared to equip and prepare our fighting forces for a very -possible war—and then good-bye to the four-hundred-a-year payments to -Members, and those vast sums which were required to bribe the electors -with Social Reform.</p> - -<p>In the columns of the <i>Times</i> I demanded by what right the Prime -Minister had criticised a book which he had never even seen, and in -justice to the late Sir Henry Campbell Bannerman I must here record -that he apologised to me, privately, for committing what he termed a -"political error."</p> - -<p>Political error! If there had been no further "political errors" in -this dear old country of ours, we should have no war to-day.</p> - -<p>The Government was bent upon suppressing the truth of my earnest -appeal; hence I was held up to derision, and, in addition, denounced on -all hands as a "scaremonger."</p> - -<p>Now, at the outset, I wish to say that I am no party politician. -My worst enemy could never call me that. I have never voted for a -candidate in my life, for my motto has ever been "Britain for the -British." My appeal to the nation was made in all honesty<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> of purpose, -and in the true sense of the patriotism of one who probably has the ear -of a wide public. The late Lord Roberts realised this. Our national -hero, who, like myself, was uttering words of solemn warning, knew what -pressure the Government were endeavouring to place upon me, and how -they meant to crush me; therefore on November 29th, 1905, he wrote the -following:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>"Speaking in the House of Lords on the 10th July, 1905, I said:—'It -is to the people of the country I appeal to take up the question -of the Army in a sensible practical manner. For the sake of all -they hold dear, let them bring home to themselves what would be -the condition of Great Britain if it were to lose its wealth, its -power, its position.' The catastrophe that may happen if we still -remain in our present state of unpreparedness is vividly and forcibly -illustrated in Mr. Le Queux's new book, which I recommend to the -perusal of <i>every one who has the welfare of the British Empire at -heart</i>."</p></blockquote> - -<p>But alas! if the public disregarded the earnest warnings of "Bobs," it -was scarcely surprising that it should disregard mine—especially after -the Prime Minister had condemned me. My earnest appeal to the nation -met only with jeers and derision, I was caricatured at the music halls, -and somebody wrote a popular song which asked, "Are we Downhearted?"</p> - -<p>Neither the British public, nor the authorities, desired the truth, -and, ostrich-like,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> buried their heads in the sand. Germany would never -dare to go to war, we were told, many wiseacres adding, "Not in our -time."</p> - -<p>The violent storm of indignation sweeping upon my unfortunate head, -I confess, staggered me. The book, which had cost me eighteen months -of hard work, and a journey of ten thousand miles in a motor-car, was -declared to be the exaggerated writing of a Jingo, a sensationalist, -and one who desired to stir up strife between nations. I was both -puzzled and pained.</p> - -<p>Shortly afterwards, I met Mr. (now Lord) Haldane—then War Minister—at -dinner at a country house in Perthshire, when, in his breezy way, -he assured me over the dinner-table that he knew Germany and German -intentions better than myself, and that there would never be war. And -he waxed humorous at my expense, and scorned Lord Roberts's warnings.</p> - -<p>The Kaiser's cleverness in ingratiating himself with certain English -Statesmen, officers, and writers is really amazing, yet it was—though -at that time unsuspected—part of the great German plot formed against -us.</p> - -<p>As an instance how the Emperor was cleverly misleading the British -Cabinet, Lord Haldane, speaking on June 29th, 1912, at a public dinner, -at which Baron Marschall von Bieberstein, the German Ambassador, was -present, said:—</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span></p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>"I speak of one whom we admire in this country and regard as one of -ourselves.</p> - -<p>"He (the Kaiser) knows our language and our institutions as we do, -and he speaks as we do.</p> - -<p>"The German Emperor is something more than an Emperor—he is a man, -and a great man. He is gifted by the gods with the highest gift that -they can give—I use a German word to express it—<i>Geist</i> (spirit). -He has got <i>Geist</i> in the highest degree. He has been a true leader -of his people—a leader in spirit as well as in deed. He has guided -them through nearly a quarter of a century, and preserved unbroken -peace. I know no record of which a monarch has better cause to be -proud. In every direction his activities have been remarkable.</p> - -<p>"He has given his country that splendid fleet that we who know -about fleets admire; he has preserved the tradition of the greatest -army the world has ever seen; but it is in the arts of peace that -he has been equally great. He has been the leader of his people in -education, and in the solution of great social questions.</p> - -<p>"That is a great record, and it makes one feel a sense of rejoicing -that the man who is associated with these things should be half an -Englishman. I have the feeling very strongly that in the last few -years Germany and England have become much more like each other than -they used to be. It is because we have got so much like each other -that a certain element of rivalry comes in.</p> - -<p>"We two nations have a great common task in the world—to make the -world better. It is because the German Emperor, I know, shares that -conviction profoundly that it gives me the greatest pleasure to give -you the toast of his name."</p></blockquote> - -<p>The Government, having sought to point the finger of ridicule at my -first warning, must have been somewhat surprised at the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span> phenomenal -success which the book in question attained, for not only were over -a million copies sold in different editions in English, but it -was translated into no fewer than twenty-six languages—including -Japanese—and, further, was adopted as a text-book in the German -Army—though I may add that the details I gave of various vulnerable -points around our coasts were so disguised as to be of little use to -the enemy.</p> - -<p>I had had a disheartening experience. Yet worse was to come.</p> - -<p>A couple of years later, while making certain inquiries in Germany with -a view to continuing my campaign, and my endeavour to disclose the -real truth to the British public, I discovered, to my surprise, the -existence of a wide-spread system of German espionage in England.</p> - -<p>Just about that time Colonel Mark Lockwood, the Member for Epping, -asked a question in the House of Commons regarding the reported -presence of spies in Essex. For his pains he was, of course, like -myself, promptly snubbed.</p> - -<p>A week later, I ventured to declare, at a meeting in Perth, that in -our midst we were harbouring a new, most dangerous, and well-organised -enemy—a horde of German spies.</p> - -<p>German spies in England! Who ever heard such wild rubbish! This -completed the bitterness of public opinion against me. The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> Press -unanimously declared that I had spoken wilful untruths; my statements -were refuted in leading articles, and in consequence of my endeavour -to indicate a grave national peril, a certain section of the Press -even went so far as to <i>boycott my writings altogether</i>! Indeed, more -than one first-class London newspaper which had regularly published my -novels—I could name them, but I will not—refused to print any more of -my work!</p> - -<p>I was, at the same time, inundated with letters from persons who -openly abused me and called me a liar, and more than one anonymous -communication, which I have still kept, written in red ink and probably -from spies themselves, for the caligraphy is distinctly foreign, -threatened me with death.</p> - -<p>Such was my reward for daring to awaken the country to a sense of -danger. It caused me some amusement, I must confess, yet it also taught -me a severe lesson—the same bitter lesson which the British public, -alas! taught Lord Roberts, who was so strenuously endeavouring to -indicate the danger of our unpreparedness. It told me one plain truth, -a truth spoken in the words of the noble General himself, who, with a -sigh, one day said to me, "Nothing, I fear, will arouse the public to a -sense of danger until they one day awaken and find war declared."</p> - -<p>On the day following my speech, the German Press, which published -reports of it,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> called me "the German-hater," by which epithet I am -still known in the Fatherland. The editor of a certain London daily -newspaper told me to my face: "There are no spies in England"; adding, -"You are a fool to alarm the public by such a statement. Nobody -believes you."</p> - -<p>I, however, held my own views, and felt that it was my duty to act in -one of two ways. Either I should place the confidential information -and documents which I had gathered, mostly from German sources, in the -hands of the Press, and thus vindicate myself; or give them over to -the Government, and allow them to deal with them in a befitting and -confidential manner. The latter attitude I deemed to be the correct -one, as an Englishman—even though I have a foreign name. At the War -Office the officials at first sniffed, and then, having carefully -examined the documents, saw at once that I had discovered a great and -serious truth.</p> - -<p>For this reason I have never sought, until now, to vindicate myself in -the public eye; yet I have the satisfaction of knowing that from that -moment, until this hour of writing, a certain nameless department, -known only by a code-number,—I will refer to it as the Confidential -Department,—has been unremitting in its efforts to track down German -secret agents and their deadly work.</p> - -<p>Through six years I have been intimate with its workings. I know -its splendid staff,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span> its untiring and painstaking efforts, its -thoroughness, its patriotism, and the astuteness of its head director, -who is one of the finest Englishmen of my acquaintance.</p> - -<p>There are men who, like myself, have since done work for it both at -home and abroad, and at a considerable expenditure—patriotic men who -have never asked for a single penny to cover even their expenses—men -who have presented reports which have cost them long journeys abroad, -many a watchful night, much personal danger, and considerable outlay. -Yet all the time the Home Office ridiculed the idea of spies, and thus -misled the public.</p> - -<p>The archives of the secret department in question, which commenced -its activity after the presentation of my array of facts, would be -an amazing revelation to the public, but, alas! would, if published, -bring ignominy, disaster, and undying shame to certain persons among us -towards whom the Kaiser, the Master-Spy, has, in the past decade, been -unduly gracious.</p> - -<p>I could name British spies. I could write things here, shameful facts, -which would, like my first allegations, be scouted with disbelief, -although I could prove them in these pages. But, as a Briton, I -will not reveal facts which repose in those secret files, records -of traitorous shame, of high-placed men in England who have lived -for years in the enjoyment of generous allowances from a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span> mysterious -source. To write here the truth I feel sorely tempted, in spite of the -law of libel.</p> - -<p>But enough! We are Englishmen. Let us wipe off the past, in the hope -that such traitorous acts will never be repeated, and that at last our -eyes are open to the grave dangers that beset us.</p> - -<p>To-day we have awakened, and the plain truth of all for which I have -contended is surely obvious to the world.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II</a></p> - -<p class="center">THE KAISER'S SECRET REVEALED</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Before</span> proceeding further with this exposure of the clever and -dastardly German plot against England, the reader will probably -be interested in a confidential report which, in the course of my -investigations, travelling hither and thither on the Continent, I was -able to secure, and to hand over to the British Government for their -consideration.</p> - -<p>It was placed, in confidence, before certain members of the Cabinet, -and is still in the archives of the Confidential Department.</p> - -<p>The report in question, I obtained—more fully than I can here -reproduce it—from an intimate personal friend, who happened to be a -high functionary in Germany, and closely associated with the Kaiser. -Germany has spies in England; we, too, have our friends in Germany.</p> - -<p>Shortly after the Zeppelin airship had been tested and proved -successful, a secret Council was held at Potsdam, in June, 1908, at -which the Emperor presided, Prince Henry of Prussia—a clever man whom -I know personally—the representatives of the leading<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span> Federal States, -and the chiefs of the army and navy—including my informant—being -present.</p> - -<p>I regret that I am not at liberty to give the name of my informant, -for various reasons. One is that, though a German of high position, -he holds pro-British views, and has, in consequence, more than once -furnished me with secret information from Berlin which has been of the -greatest use to our Intelligence Department. Suffice it to say that his -identity is well known at Whitehall, and that, although his report was -at first regarded with suspicion, the searching investigation at once -made resulted in its authenticity being fully established.</p> - -<p>That the Kaiser had decided to make war, the British Government first -knew by the report in question—notwithstanding all the diplomatic -juggling, and the publication of Blue Books and White Books. The French -Yellow Book published in the first week of December, 1914, indeed, came -as confirmation—if any confirmation were necessary—from the lips of -King Albert of Belgium himself.</p> - -<p>Now at this secret Council the Kaiser appeared, dressed in naval -uniform, pale, determined, and somewhat nervous and unstrung. For more -than two hours he spoke of the danger confronting the German Empire -from <i>within</i> and without, illustrating his speech by many maps and -diagrams, as well<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> as some well-executed models of air-craft, designed -for the war now proceeding.</p> - -<p>At first, the Emperor's voice was almost inaudible, and he looked -haggard and worn.</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p><a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a>"Gentlemen," the Emperor, in a low, hoarse voice, commenced, -"in calling this Council this evening, I have followed the Divine -command. Almighty God has always been a great and true ally of the -House of Hohenzollern, and it is to Him that I—just as my august -ancestors did—look for inspiration and guidance in the hour of need. -After long hours of fervent prayer light has, at last, come to me. -You, my trusted councillors and my friends, before whom I have no -secrets, can testify that it has been, ever since I ascended the -throne, my most ardent desire to maintain the peace of the world and -to cultivate, on a basis of mutual respect and esteem, friendship -and goodwill<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> with all the nations on the globe. I am aware that the -course followed by me did not always meet with your approval, and -that on many an occasion you would have been glad to see me use the -mailed fist, rather than the silken glove chosen by me in my dealings -with certain foreign nations. It was a source of profound grief to -me to see my best intentions misunderstood, but bulletproof against -public censure and criticism, and responsible only to the Lord above -us for my acts, I calmly continued to do what I considered to be my -holy duty to the Fatherland. True to the great traditions of Prussia, -and the House of Hohenzollern, I believed in the necessity of -maintaining a great army and an adequate navy as the best guarantee -of peace. In our zeal for the preservation of peace we were compelled -to keep pace with the ever-increasing armaments of our neighbours, -until the limit seems now to have been reached.</p> - -<p>"We find ourselves now face to face with the most serious crisis in -the history of our new German Empire. Owing to the heavy taxation, -and the enormous increase in the cost of living, the discontent of -the masses is assuming alarming proportions, and even infecting the -middle and upper classes, which have, up to the present time, been -the strongest pillar of the monarchy. But worst of all, there are -unmistakable signs that the discontent is spreading even among the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> -troops, and that a secret well-organised anti-military movement is -afoot, calculated to destroy all discipline, and to incite both -my soldiers and sailors to open disobedience and rebellion. As, -according to the reports of my Secret Service, a similar movement -is making itself felt in nearly all the states of Europe; all -indications point to the fact, which admits, indeed, no longer of -any doubt, that we have to deal with an international revolutionary -organisation whose voiced object is the overthrowing of throne and -altar, and the establishment of a Republican government.</p> - -<p>"The gravity of the situation can, in no way, be underrated. In the -last session of the Reichstag it was openly admitted that never -before had there been among the German population so many friends of -a republican form of government as at the present time, and the idea -is rather gaining ground, not only among the masses, but also the -classes, though I have given the strictest orders to my Government -for its suppression. The fact, however, remains, and I cannot afford -to ignore it.</p> - -<p>"'Breakers ahead!' is the call of the helmsman at the Imperial ship -of state, and I am ready to heed it. How to find an honourable and -satisfactory solution of the problem is a question to which I have -devoted the closest attention during these last months. The outlook -is, I admit, dark, but we need<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> not despair, for God, our great ally, -has given into our hands the means of saving our Empire from the -dangers which are threatening its happiness and welfare. You know -what I mean. It is that wonderful invention which His Excellency -Count Zeppelin was enabled, through the grace of the Lord, to make -for the safeguarding and glory of our beloved Fatherland. In this -invention God has placed the means at my disposal to lead Germany -triumphantly out of her present difficulties and to make, once and -for all, good the words of our poet, '<i>Deutschland, Deutschland über -alles!</i>' Yes, gentlemen, Germany over everything in the world, the -first power on earth, both in peace and war; that is the place which -I have been ordered by God to conquer for her, and which I will -conquer for her, with the help of the Almighty.</p> - -<p>"This is my irrevocable decision. At present we are, thanks to our -airships, invincible, and can carry at will war into the enemy's -own country. It goes without saying that if we want to maintain our -superiority and to use it to the best advantage, we cannot postpone -the necessary action much longer. In a few years our good friend, the -enemy, may have a fleet of airships equal—if not superior—to our -own, and where should I be then? Great Britain has thrown down the -gauntlet by declaring that she will build to each German, two English -Dreadnoughts, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> I will take up the challenge. Now is our time. The -attack has always been the best defence, and he who strikes the first -blow generally comes triumphant out of the fray. To find an outlet -for the discontent of the nation; to nip the growing republican -sentiment in the bud; to fill our treasury; to reduce the burden of -taxation; to gain new colonies and markets for our industries across -the seas; to accomplish all this and still more, we simply have to -invade England.</p> - -<p>"You do not look at all surprised, gentlemen, and I see from the -joy on your faces that my words have found an echo in your hearts. -At last this idea, which is so popular with the greater part of my -people, and to the propagation of which I am so much indebted to -the untiring efforts of my professors, teachers, and other loyal -patriots, is to become a fact—a fact certainly not anticipated by -the English panic-mongers when first creating the scare of a German -invasion. Our plans have been most carefully laid and prepared by our -General Staff.</p> - -<p>"Another von Moltke will, true to his great name, demonstrate to the -world at large that we have not been resting on our laurels of 1870 -and 1871, and that, as the first condition of peace, we have been -preparing all the time for war. The glorious deeds of our victorious -armies will, I fear me not, be again repeated if not surpassed on the -battlefields of Great Britain and France, assuring in their ultimate<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> -consequences to Germany the place due to her at the head of nations. -I need not go into details at the present moment. Suffice it to say -that preparations have been made to convey, at a word, a German army -of invasion of a strength able to cope with any and all troops that -Great Britain can muster against us. For the safe transport of the -army of invasion we shall, to a considerable degree, rely on the -fleets of fast steamers belonging to the Hamburg-Amerika Line and -the North-German Lloyd, two patriotic companies, whose officials, -employees, and agents have—throughout the world—proven their -zeal and devotion to the cause of the Empire, and whose tact and -discretion have already helped my government in many an embarrassing -position. Herr Ballin, Director-General of the Hamburg-Amerika Line, -whom I received but a few days since on board my yacht 'Hohenzollern' -at Swinemünde, is truly a great man and verily deserves something -better than to be nicknamed 'the Napoleon of German Shipping'—as -his enthusiastic compatriots call him. His activity, his energy, and -his brains accomplish the most difficult things, and when the day of -invasion arrives, he will reveal his plans.</p> - -<p>"Of course it is too early yet to fix the exact date when the blow -shall be struck. But I will say this, that we shall strike as soon -as I have a sufficiently large fleet of Zeppelins at my disposal. I -have given orders<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> for the hurried construction of more airships of -the improved Zeppelin type, and when these are ready we shall destroy -England's North Sea, Channel, and Atlantic fleets, after which -nothing on earth can prevent the landing of our army on British soil, -and its triumphant march to London. Do you remember, my Generals, -what our never-to-be-forgotten Field-Marshal Gebhard Lebrecht von -Blücher exclaimed, when looking from the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral -upon the vast metropolis at his feet. It was short, and to the point. -'What a splendid city to sack!'</p> - -<p>"You will desire to know how the outbreak of hostilities will be -brought about. I can assure you on this point. Certainly we shall -not have to go far to find a just cause for war. My army of spies -scattered over Great Britain and France, as it is over North and -South America, as well as all the other parts of the world, where -German interests may come to a clash with a foreign power, will take -good care of that. <i>I have issued already some time since secret -orders that will, at the proper moment, accomplish what we desire.</i> -There is even now, as you are all aware, a state of private war -existing between our country on the one side, and Great Britain and -France on the other, which will assume an official character as -soon as I give the word. It will become the starting point of a new -era in the history of the world, known<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span> to all generations as the -Pan-German era. I once pledged my word that every German outside of -the Fatherland, in whatever part of the globe he might live, had a -just claim to my Imperial protection. At this solemn hour I repeat -this pledge before you, with the addition, however, that I shall not -rest and be satisfied until all the countries and territories that -once were German, or where greater numbers of my former subjects now -live, have become a part of the great Mother-country, acknowledging -me as their supreme lord in war and peace.</p> - -<p>"Even now I rule supreme in the United States, where almost one -half of the population is either of German birth, or of German -descent, and where three million German voters do my bidding at the -Presidential elections. No American administration could remain -in power against the will of the German voters, who through that -admirable organisation, the German-American National League of the -United States of America, control the destinies of the vast Republic -beyond the sea. If man ever was worthy of a high decoration at my -hands it was Herr Dr. Hexamer, the president of the League, who may -justly be termed to be, by my grace, the acting ruler of all the -Germans in the United States.</p> - -<p>"Who said that Germany did ever acknowledge the Monroe doctrine? The -answer to this question was given by the roar of German<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span> guns at the -bombardment of the Venezuelan fort, San Carlos, by our ships. The -day is not far distant when my Germans in the Southern States of -Brazil will cut the bonds now tying them to the Republic, and renew -their allegiance to their former master. In the Argentine, as well -as in the other South American republics, a German-Bund movement -is spreading, as is the case in South Africa, where, thanks to the -neighbourhood of our colonies, events are shaping themselves in -accordance with the ultimate aims of my Imperial policy. Through my -ally, the Emperor-King of Austria-Hungary, I have secured a strong -foothold for Germany in the Near East, and, mark my word!—when -the Turkish 'pilaf'-pie will be partitioned, Asia Minor, Syria and -Palestine—in short, the overland route to India—will become our -property, and the German flag will wave over the holy shrines of -Jerusalem.</p> - -<p>"But to obtain this we must first crush England and France. The -war will be short, sharp and decisive. After the destruction of -the English fleets through our Zeppelins, we shall meet with no -serious resistance on the British Isles, and can, therefore, march -with nearly our whole strength into France. Shall we respect the -neutrality of Holland? Under the glorious Emperor, Charles V., both -Holland and Belgium formed part of the German Empire, and this they -are this time to become again. We shall have two or three battles in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span> -France, when the French Government, recognising the impossibility of -prevailing with their disorganised, mutinous regiments against my -German 'beasts,' will accede to my terms of peace. After that, the -map of Europe will look somewhat different from what it does now. -While our operations are going on in England and France, Russia will -be held in check by Austria-Hungary.</p> - -<p>"The Empire of the Tsar is still suffering from the effects of its -unfortunate war with Japan, and is, therefore, not likely to burn -its fingers again, the more so as it is conscious of the fact that -any warlike measures against Germany would at once lead to a new -outbreak of the revolutionary movement—the end of which no man could -possibly foresee. Thus, you will agree with me, we have no real cause -to fear Russia. After the war, it will be time to set things right in -America, and to teach my friends over there that I have not forgotten -the object-lesson which Admiral Dewey saw fit to give me some years -since, when we had the little altercation with Castro.</p> - -<p>"<i>If God will help us, as I am convinced He will, I trust that at -the end of the coming year the Imperial treasury will be filled to -overflowing with the gold of the British and French war indemnities</i>, -that the discontent of our people will have ceased, that, thanks to -our new colonies in all parts of the world, industry and trade will -be flourishing as they<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span> never were before, and that the republican -movement among my subjects, so abhorrent to my mind, will have -vanished.</p> - -<p>"Then—but not before—the moment will have come to talk of -disarmament and arbitration. With Great Britain and France in the -dust, with Russia and the United States at my mercy, I shall set a -new course to the destinies of the world—a course that will ensure -to Germany for all time to come the leading part among the nations -of the globe. That accomplished, I shall unite all the people of -the white race in a powerful alliance for the purpose of coping, -under German guidance, with the yellow peril which is becoming more -formidable with every year. Then—as now—it must be 'Germans to the -front!'"</p></blockquote> - -<p>The notes before me describe, in vivid language, the effect which this -speech of the Emperor had upon his devoted hearers.</p> - -<p>The old white-headed General von K—— even knelt before his Majesty to -kiss the hand which was gracefully extended to him.</p> - -<p>"It is truly the voice of God that has spoken out of your Majesty," he -cried in deep emotion. "God has chosen your Imperial Majesty as His -worthy instrument to destroy this nightmare of British supremacy at -sea, from which Germany has suffered all these many years—and God's -will be done!"</p> - -<p>The blasphemy of it all! In the subsequent Council, which lasted nearly -five hours through<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span> the night, the Kaiser arrived with his advisers at -a perfect understanding regarding the best ways and means to be adopted -for a successful carrying out of his Majesty's secret campaign for war.</p> - -<p>And Prince Henry of Prussia soon afterwards organised a British -motor-tour in Germany and throughout England. And he became the idol of -the Royal Automobile Club!</p> - - - -<div class="footnotes"><p class="ph3">FOOTNOTES:</p> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> The German Government, by some means, learnt that I was -in possession of a report of this secret speech of the Kaiser's, and a -curious incident resulted. It was my intention, in September, 1908, to -write a book pointing out that Germany meant war. With that object I -gave to my friend Mr. Eveleigh Nash, the publisher, of Fawside House, -Covent Garden, the opening chapters of the manuscript, together with -the speech in question. He locked them, in my presence, in a drawer -in his writing-table in his private room. Two days later, when Mr. -Nash opened that drawer he found they had been stolen! German Secret -Agents undoubtedly committed the theft—which was reported in certain -newspapers at the time—for I have since learnt that my manuscript is -now in the archives of the Secret Service in Berlin! This, in itself, -is sufficient proof as showing how eager the Kaiser was to suppress -his declaration of war. It was fortunate that I had kept a copy of the -Emperor's speech.</p></div></div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span></p> - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III</a></p> - -<p class="center">HOW THE PUBLIC WERE BAMBOOZLED</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Though</span> the foregoing has been known to the British Cabinet for over -six years, and through it, no doubt, to the various Chancelleries of -Europe, not a word was allowed to leak out to the world until December -2nd, 1914—after we had been at war four months.</p> - -<p>The determination of the War Lord of Germany—whose preparations -against Great Britain had been so slyly and so cunningly made—was -at last revealed by the publication of the French Yellow Book, which -disclosed that in a dispatch dated November 22nd, 1913, M. Jules -Cambon, the French Ambassador in Berlin, reported a conversation -between the Emperor and the King of the Belgians in the presence of -General von Moltke, the chief of the General Staff. King Albert had -till then believed, as most people in Great Britain had believed, that -the Emperor was a friend of peace.</p> - -<p>But at this interview King Albert, according to an excellent summary of -the dispatches published in the <i>Star</i>, found the Emperor completely -changed. He revealed himself as the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span> champion of the war party which he -had hitherto held in check. King Albert learned that the Emperor had -"come to think that war with France was inevitable, and that things -must come to that sooner or later." General von Moltke spoke to King -Albert "exactly as his Sovereign." He, too, declared that "war was -necessary and inevitable." He said to King Albert: "This time we must -settle the business once and for all, and your Majesty can have no idea -of the irresistible enthusiasm which on that day will sweep over the -whole German people."</p> - -<p>King Albert vainly protested that it was a travesty of the intentions -of the French Government to interpret them in this fashion. He found -the Emperor "over-wrought and irritable."</p> - -<p>M. Cambon suggested that the change in the Emperor's attitude was due -to jealousy of the popularity of the Crown Prince, "who flatters the -passions of the Pan-Germans." He also suggested that the motive of the -conversation was to induce King Albert to oppose no resistance in the -event of war. The French Ambassador warned his Government that the -Emperor was familiarising himself with an order of ideas once repugnant -to him. In other words, as long ago as 1913 the Kaiser was no longer -working for the peace of Europe, but was already in the hands of the -Prussian gang of militarists, who were working for war.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span></p> - -<p>The French Yellow Book proves up to the hilt the guilt of Germany, in -shattering the last hopes of peace at the end of July, 1914. Russia -had proposed a formula for a direct agreement with Austria, but on -July 30th Herr von Jagow, without consulting Austria, declared that -this proposal was not acceptable. When Germany discovered that Austria -was wavering and becoming more conciliatory, she threw off the mask, -and suddenly hurled her ultimatum at Russia. M. Cambon reminded Herr -von Jagow of his declaration that Germany would not mobilise if -Russia only mobilised on the Galician frontier. What was the German -Minister's reply? It was a subterfuge. He said: "It was not a definite -undertaking." The German Government, in its White Paper, suppressed its -despatches during the crucial period to Vienna. It did not publish them -because, we now know, it did not dare to reveal the truth.</p> - -<p>Germany, as I have shown, had for a long time planned the attack on -France through Belgium. So long ago, indeed, as May 6th, 1913, von -Moltke said: "We must begin war without waiting, in order to brutally -crush all resistance." The evidence of the Yellow Book proves that the -Emperor and his <i>entourage</i> had irrevocably resolved to frustrate all -efforts of the Allies to preserve the peace of Europe. It confirms the -Kaiser's secret intentions revealed in the previous chapter, and it -establishes—fully and finally—<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span>the guilt of the Kaiser and of the -German Government.</p> - -<p>Those British newspapers which were most active and resolute in keeping -the country unprepared for the war that has come upon us, and which, -if they had had their way, would have left us to-day almost naked to -our enemies, are now suddenly rubbing their eyes, and discovering that -Germany had premeditated war for <i>quite a long time</i>. And this is -up-to-date journalism! The public, alas! reposed confidence in such -journals. Happily, they do not now. What the country will never forget, -if it consents to forgive, is the perversity with which they so long -refused to look facts in the face.</p> - -<p>It is surely a damning coincidence that when the Kaiser and von Moltke -were telling King Albert that war was inevitable, was the very time -chosen by the National Liberal Federation to demand the reduction of -our Navy Estimates, and to threaten the Government with a dangerous -division in the party unless the demand were complied with!</p> - -<p>Reduction in armaments, forsooth!</p> - -<p>The Government knew the facts, and did indeed resist the demand; but -for weeks there was a crisis in the Cabinet, and even in January, 1914, -as the <i>Globe</i> pointed out, a Minister took the occasion to declare -that a unique opportunity had arrived for revising the scale of our -expenditure on Armaments!</p> - -<p>While Mr. McKenna was, as late as last<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span> November, endeavouring in an -outrageous manner to gag the <i>Globe</i>, and to prevent that newspaper -from telling the public the truth of the spy-peril, Lord Haldane—the -scales from whose eyes regarding his friend the Kaiser appear now -to have fallen—made a speech on November 25th, 1914, in the House -of Lords in which he, at last, admitted the existence of spies. The -following are extracts from this speech:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>"With the extraordinary intelligence system which Germany organised -in this country <i>long before the war</i>, no doubt they had certain -advantages which they ought not to have even of this kind.... If he -were to harbour a suspicion it would be that the most formidable -people were not aliens, but probably people of British nationality -who had been suborned.... He wishes he were sure that when really -valuable and dangerous pieces of information were given they were not -given by people of our own nationality, but some of the information -which had been given, could only have been given by people who had -access to it because they were British. His belief was that we had -had very little of this kind of thing, but that we had some, and that -it was formidable he could not doubt. In seeking these sources of -communication with the enemy it was desirable to go about the search -in a scientific way, and to cast suspicion where it was most likely -to be founded."</p></blockquote> - -<p>Such a contribution to the spy question was really very characteristic. -It, however, came ill from one whose legal <i>confrère</i> was, at that -moment, being referred to in the House of Commons as having a German<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> -chauffeur who had been naturalised after the war broke out, and <i>had -gone for a holiday</i> into Switzerland! Switzerland is a country not in -the Antarctic Ocean, but right on the border of the land of the Huns -in Europe, and the Lord Chief Justice, according to Mr. Asquith at the -Guildhall, is in close association with Cabinet Ministers in these days -of crises.</p> - -<p>Perhaps, as a correspondent pointed out, it never struck our Lord -Chancellor that the Lord Chief Justice's "now-British" chauffeur -might—though I hope not—have gone through Switzerland into Germany, -and might, if so disposed, quite innocently have related there -information to which he had access, not only because he was British, -but because he was in the service of a highly-placed person. Or, -perhaps, he did realise it, and his reference to information given -by persons of British nationality was a veiled protest against the -action of some of his colleagues—against that other who also has a -"now-British" chauffeur, or to a third, whose German governess, married -to a German officer, left her position early in November, but has left -her German maid behind her. Perhaps he did not know these things, or he -would also have known that other people may have access to information, -not because they are British, but because they are in the employ of -British Cabinet Ministers.</p> - -<p>Hitherto, the security of our beloved Empire had been disregarded by -party<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> politicians, and their attendant sycophants, in their frantic -efforts to "get-on" socially, and to pile up dividends. What did "The -City" care in the past for the nation's peril, so long as money was -being made?</p> - -<p>In the many chats I had with the late Lord Roberts we deplored the -apathy with which Great Britain regarded what was a serious and most -perilous situation.</p> - -<p>But, after all, were the British public really to blame? They are -discerning and intelligent, and above all, patriotic. Had they been -told the hideous truth, they would have risen in their masses, and men -would have willingly come forward to serve and defend their country -from the dastardly intentions of our hypocritical "friends" across the -North Sea, and their crafty Emperor of the <i>volte-face</i>.</p> - -<p>It is not the fault of the British public themselves. The blame rests -as an indelible blot upon certain members of the British Government, -who now stand in the pillory exposed, naked and ashamed. The apologetic -speeches of certain members of the Cabinet, and the subdued and altered -tone of certain influential organs of the Press, are, to the thinker, -all-sufficient proof.</p> - -<p>In the insidious form of fiction—not daring to write fact after -my bitter experiences and the seal of silence set upon my lips—I -endeavoured, in my novel "Spies of the Kaiser" and other books, time -after time, to warn the public of the true state of affairs which<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span> was -being so carefully and so foolishly hidden. I knew the truth, but, in -face of public opinion, I dared not write it in other fashion.</p> - -<p>Naturally, if the Government jeered at me, the public would do -likewise. Yet I confess that very often I was filled with the deepest -regret, and on the Continent I discussed with foreign statesmen, and -with the Kings of Italy, Servia, Roumania and Montenegro in private -audiences I was granted by them, what I dared not discuss in London.</p> - -<p>Our national existence was certainly at stake. Lord Roberts knew it. -He—with members of the Cabinet—had read the Kaiser's fateful words -which I have here printed in the foregoing pages, and it was this -knowledge which prompted him to so strenuously urge the peril of our -unpreparedness until the outbreak of war.</p> - -<p>The hypocrisy of the Kaiser is sufficiently revealed by the fact that -two months after his declaration at the Secret Council at Potsdam he -made a public speech at Strasburg on August 30th in which he assured -the world that the peace of Europe was not in danger.</p> - -<p>In the same month, however, that the German Emperor disclosed his -secret intentions towards Great Britain, some important military -manœuvres took place in Essex and were watched most closely by the -German authorities. The spy-peril had then commenced. It would seem -that the Kaiser took the keenest interest in the matter.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span> Despite the -fact that there was an officially accredited German military attaché, -a number of German agents were also present, and among the number -was Count Eulenburg, a Secretary of the German Embassy in London. A -military correspondent of the <i>Daily Mail</i> wrote that the Count's -taking of notes and making of sketches had excited a good deal of -adverse criticism among the British officers who were familiar with -the fact. The reports of all these secret agents were apparently to be -laid before the Kaiser, who was well aware of the significance of the -operations in Essex to both the German Army and Navy.</p> - -<p>The only organ of the Press which recognised the spy-peril in its -earliest stages was the <i>Daily Mail</i>, which never ceased to point out -the imminent and serious danger, and to warn the public that Germany -meant us harm. Because of this open policy, it was from time to time -denounced by the deluded public—deluded because of official lies—for -what was termed its "scaremongerings." But recent events have surely -shown the world that that journal spoke the open truth, while all -others, and more especially a certain dear old delightful London daily -paper, so glibly told us that "there will be no war with Germany," -while even three days before the outbreak of war this same journal -actually made a plea for "German Culture."</p> - -<p>Culture indeed! Have not the modern Huns now revealed themselves? -What must<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> readers of that paper now think? It has truly been said -that the influence of the half-naked barbarians who swept over the -Thuringian forests soon after the birth of Christianity has never been -totally eradicated. There is, <i>au fond</i>, an inherent brutality in the -German character which the saving grace of the art of music has never -destroyed, the brutality which caused the destruction of Louvain, of -Rheims, of Ypres, of Termonde, of Malines, the wreck of cathedrals and -churches, and the wholesale savage butchery of innocent men, women, and -even tiny children.</p> - -<p>And this is the gallant and "cultured" nation which has been so admired -and eulogised by certain well-known papers: the nation which has so -cleverly spread its spies through every phase of our national life, and -made such elaborate plans for her conquest that, in her arrogance, she -has now risen to defy civilisation.</p> - -<p>Here is one of many equally ridiculous extracts from that same journal -which pleaded for "German culture." It was published after a Zeppelin -had flown 610 miles, on January 1st, 1909:</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>" ... as far as national danger goes, the thing is not yet within -sight. 'Dirigibles' may, in the future, be useful for scouting and -collecting intelligence when war has once begun, ... but talk about -invasion by airship, or bombardment from the sky, need not, for a -long time, be considered by ourselves or any other nation."</p></blockquote> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span></p> - -<p>Again, a few days later, this same pro-German journal wrote:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>"It is maintained by some of our contemporaries that Germany is -struggling to regain her position of predominance in Europe, such as -she held more than thirty years ago. That is not our reading of the -situation."</p></blockquote> - -<p>I will not quote more. There are dozens of such expressions of opinions -in the files of that unreliable organ of "public opinion."</p> - -<p>Where should we have been to-day, I ask, had we suffered ourselves to -be led by the nose by this "patriotic" organ of the Press, which, with -its sinister commercialism on the declaration of war, urged upon us to -keep out of the fighting, and to capture the trade of our friends the -Belgians, French, and Russians?</p> - -<p>This self-proclaimed organ of "humanitarianism" actually urged us to -stand aside and make capital out of the agonies of those countries at -war. I will quote the following from the article in its actual words on -August the 4th—the day upon which war was declared:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>"If we remained neutral we should be, from the commercial point of -view, in precisely the same position as the United States. We should -be able to trade with all the belligerents (so far as the war allows -of trade with them); we should be able to capture the bulk of their -trade in neutral markets; we should keep our expenditure down; we -should keep out of debt; we should have healthy finances."</p></blockquote> - -<p>And this same organ of humanitarianism<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span> has assured us, for years, that -no spies of Germany existed in England, and that war was utterly out of -the question. And the British public have paid their half-pennies for -such bamboozle! One sighs to think of it!</p> - -<p>Times without number—even to-day as I write—this journal has sought -to ridicule those who attempt to tell the nation the truth concerning -the underground peril existing in every part of our islands. Its motive -for so doing may be left to the inquisitive.</p> - -<p>Probably few men have travelled so constantly up and down Europe as -I have done, in search of material for my books. In the course of my -wanderings, and perhaps a somewhat erratic life on the Continent, I -have—ever since I recognised the spy-peril—made it my practice to -seek out the spies of Germany, and I know a good many of them.</p> - -<p>An incident which may interest the reader occurred on October 29th, -1914:</p> - -<p>I was on the platform of Waterloo Station buying a paper, and chatting -with the bookstall clerk, when I noticed a group of men, mostly in -shabby overcoats and presenting a woebegone appearance, surrounded -by a cordon of police in silver-trimmed helmets—county constabulary -from the North. An excited crowd had surrounded them, and as I glanced -across my attention was attracted by a man slightly better dressed than -the others, though his well-cut grey overcoat was somewhat shabby. As -his dark, narrow-set<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> eyes met mine, he lifted his grey plush hat to -me, and smiled across in recognition.</p> - -<p>For a moment I halted, puzzled. I had not realised that the group -of men were prisoners. The fellow's face was familiar, and the next -instant I recognised him. We had met a dozen times in various places -in Europe—the last time at Salvini's, in Milan, early in the previous -year. He was a well-known agent of the German General Staff, though I -had never met him before on British soil.</p> - -<p>I crossed over to him, arousing the distinct suspicion of the -constables and the curiosity of the crowd of onlookers.</p> - -<p>"You recollect me, Mr. Le Queux—eh?" he asked in good English, with a -laugh.</p> - -<p>"Of course," I said, for I could not help a grain of sympathy with him, -for, usually a resident of the best hotels, he was now herded with the -scum of his compatriots. "Well, what's the matter?"</p> - -<p>"Matter!" he echoed. "You see! They've got me at last!"</p> - -<p>"Speak French," I said in that language. "The police won't understand"; -for the constable near him looked at me very suspiciously, and I had no -desire to be arrested on Waterloo platform.</p> - -<p>"<i>Bien!</i>" said my friend, whom I will call by his assumed name, von -Sybertz, "I am arrested. It is the fortune of war! I am simply detained -as an alien, and we are<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span> going to Frimley, I hear. Do not say anything; -do not make it worse for me. That is all I ask, M'sieur Le Queux. You -know me—too well—eh?" and he grinned.</p> - -<p>"I shall say nothing," was my reply. "But, in return, tell me what -you know. Tell me quickly," I urged, for I saw that the constables -were preparing to move the prisoners towards the train. "What is the -position?"</p> - -<p>He shrugged his shoulders.</p> - -<p>"Bad. My friends are frantic," he replied. "All their plans have -gone wrong. It is, I fear, our downfall. The Kaiser is mad. I have -no money. I came to England in the middle of August. I have been to -Portsmouth, to Rosyth, Hull, and Liverpool; now I am deserted. I was -arrested yesterday near Manchester, though I had registered as German -and thought myself safe. I was, as I have always been when in England, -a teacher of languages. It covers so much," and he smiled. "Is not this -meeting strange, eh? We have chatted together—and laughed together, -too—in Nice, Florence, Rome—in many places. And now, monsieur, you -have the laugh of me—eh? We must be beaten. Germany begins to know the -truth."</p> - -<p>"No, not the laugh," I protested. "It is, as you say, the fortune of -war that you have been taken."</p> - -<p>"Pass on, please," commanded the big constable gruffly at my elbow.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span></p> - -<p>"And you?—you will say nothing? Promise me, M'sieur Le Queux," von -Sybertz urged again in French.</p> - -<p>"I have promised," was my reply. "You are arrested—for me, that is -sufficient. I wish you no ill-will, though you are my enemy," I added.</p> - -<p>"Ah, yes, you are English!" exclaimed the spy. "I knew—I have known -always that the English are gentlemen. <i>Au revoir</i>—and a thousand -thanks for your promise."</p> - -<p>And my friend the spy—a man who, on account of his refined and -gentlemanly bearing, and the money which had, for years, been at -his command, was a particularly dangerous secret-agent of the -Kaiser—lifted his shabby grey hat politely, and then passed dolefully -on, with the big constable at his elbow, to the train which stood -waiting to convey him to that barbed-wire enclosure high upon Frith -Hill.</p> - -<p>I watched him pass out of my sight, while the crowd, on their part, -watched me in wonder. I knew I had aroused the suspicions of the police -by speaking in a foreign tongue. That meeting had been a strangely -dramatic one. In those moments there came up before me visions of past -meetings. Five years before, I had first known him living in a pretty -white villa, with palms in front, on Mont Boron, outside Nice, and -taking his lunch daily at the Reserve, at Beaulieu, one of the most -expensive luncheon-places in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span> Europe. I had met him in the Russie in -Rome, in Doney's in Florence, and in the Pera Palace in Constantinople. -He was a gay, merry companion, and half a dozen times I had been to -variety theatres with him and to garish night-cafés afterwards. Yet -I knew him to be a German international spy, and so intimate had we -become that he had scarcely taken the trouble to conceal the fact from -me.</p> - -<p>In those few brief moments there had been enacted before me, at that -busy London terminus, the dénouement of a great life-drama, and, as the -spy disappeared, there arose before me recollections of the gay places -of Europe where we had before met—the Rooms at Monte Carlo, the Casino -at Trouville, and other places where he had been such a well-known -figure, always exquisitely dressed, always the acme of correctness, and -always a great favourite with the fair sex. What would the latter think -could they see him now?</p> - -<p>In silence and in sorrow I have watched the proceedings of many a -German spy in this country—watched while the public have been lulled -to slumber by those who rule. Ah! it has all been a fearful comedy, -which has, alas! now ended in tragedy—the tragedy of our dead sons, -brothers and husbands who lie in unnumbered graves in France and in -Belgium.</p> - -<p>My thoughts revert to individual cases<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span> which I have investigated -during recent years.</p> - -<p>At Rosyth, I lived in an obscure hotel in Queensferry under the name of -William Kelly, enduring three weeks of wearisome idleness, boating up -and down the Firth of Forth, and watching, with interest, the movements -of two Germans. They had arrived in Edinburgh from a tourist-ship which -had touched at Leith. The first suspicion of them had been conveyed to -me by my friend Mr. D. Thomson, proprietor of the <i>Dundee Courier</i>, and -I sped north to investigate. In passing I may say that this journal -was one of the first—with the <i>Daily Mail</i>—to point out the danger -of German spies. My journey was not without result, for I waited, I -watched, and I returned to the Intelligence Department with certain -important details which proved to be the beginning of a long campaign. -Those two Germans, unsuspicious-looking professors with gold-rimmed -spectacles, were making elaborate maps. But these maps were not -ordnance maps, but maps of our weaknesses. Our secret agents followed -them to Plymouth, to Milford Haven, to Cromarty, and afterwards on a -tour through Ireland.</p> - -<p>Surely it is betraying no confidence to say that one of our secret -agents—a man whose remarkable career I hope to some day record in the -guise of fiction—acted as their guide on that curious tour!</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span></p> - -<p>I know I have written times without number of spies in the form of -fiction. Many people have asked me, "Is it true?" To such I will say -that the dramas I have written, short and long, have been penned solely -with one single purpose—in order to call public attention to our peril.</p> - -<p>Many of the stories I have written have been based upon actual fact. -Half a life spent in travelling up and down Europe has shown me most -conclusively how cleverly Germany has, with the aid of her spies, made -elaborate preparations to invade us.</p> - -<p>So intimate have I been with Germany's secret agents that, during this -last Christmas, I had the <i>dis</i>pleasure of sending Compliments of the -Season to two of them!</p> - -<p>I have dined at the Ritz in Paris on more than one occasion with the -yellow-toothed old Baroness X——, an Austrian, high-born, smart, and -covered with jewellery. With her she has usually one and sometimes two -pretty "nieces," who speak French, and pose as French. Perhaps they -are, but one may be forgiven if one is suspicious. The Baroness X—— -always has on hand a goodly supply of these "nieces." I have met them -at Doney's in Florence, at Ciro's at Monte Carlo, at Maxim's in Paris, -at Shepheard's at Cairo. I have chatted with these young ladies at the -Hotel Hungaria in Budapest, at the Royal at Dinard, at the Grand in -Rome, and in the aviary at the Métropole at Brighton.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span> But these merry -little "nieces" are always different! Baroness X—— and myself are in -entire agreement. She knows what I know, and she sent me a Christmas -card this season and dated from The Hague! She is certainly the ugliest -old lady I have ever met, a figure well known in every European -capital. Her speech is like the filing of brass. As a linguist, -however, she is really wonderful. I believe she speaks every European -language perfectly, and Arabic too, for she once told me, while we were -together on a steamer going down the Mediterranean, that she was born -in Smyrna, of Austrian parents.</p> - -<p>As a spy of Germany she is unique, and I give her her due. She is -amazingly clever. To my certain knowledge, she and her nieces, two -years ago, while living in Nice beneath the same roof as myself, -obtained through a young artillery officer a remarkable set of plans -of the defences of the Franco-Italian frontier near the Col di Tenda. -Again, I know how she and her attendant couple of "nieces" were in -Ireland "on a tour" during the troubles of last year. And, further, I -also know how many a military secret of our own War Office has been -"collected" by one or other of those pretty cigarette-smoking flapper -"nieces," with whom I, too, have smoked cigarettes and chatted in -French or Italian.</p> - -<p>How often have I seen one or other of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span> these sirens—daughters of a -foreign countess as their dupes have believed them to be—driving about -London in private cars or in taxis, or supping at restaurants.</p> - -<p>On a day in last November I found one of these interesting young -ladies, dark-haired and <i>chic</i>—Parisienne, of course—enjoying a -tête-à-tête luncheon at the Hut at Wisley, on the Ripley road, her -cavalier being a man in khaki. I wondered what information she was -trying to obtain. Yet what could I do? How could I act, and interrupt -such a perfectly innocent <i>déjeuner à deux</i>?</p> - -<p>Yes, to the onlooker who knows, the manœuvres are all very intensely -interesting, and would be most amusing, if they were not all so grimly -and terribly tragic.</p> - -<p>And who is to blame for all this? Would it be suffered in Germany?</p> - -<p>The law of libel, and a dozen other different Acts, are suspended over -the head of the unfortunate man who dares to risk ridicule and speak -the truth. Therefore, with my own personal experience of the utter -incapability of the Commissioner of Metropolitan Police to deal with -spies, or even to reply to correspondence I have addressed to his -hopeless department, and to the still greater discourtesy and amazing -chaos existing in his ruling department, the Home Office, I ask myself -whether it is of any use whatever <i>to trouble, or even exert oneself -further in the matter</i>? It is for my readers,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> the public themselves, -to demand the truth. The public are assuredly not blind to the fact -that air raids have been made upon us directed by spies.</p> - -<p>I can only address these serious words to my circle of readers -throughout the Kingdom, and to make my bow, assuring them that while -they were being gulled and bamboozled by those whom they have so -foolishly trusted, I have, at personal loss to myself—which need not -be counted—done my level best to counteract the evil which Germany has -spread in our midst.</p> - -<p>And my only request is that, by my works, constant and earnest as they -have been, I may be judged.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV</a></p> - -<p class="center">UNDER THE KAISER'S THUMB</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">By</span> every subtle and underhand means in her power Germany has prepared -for her supreme effort to conquer us.</p> - -<p>Armies of her spies have swarmed, and still swarm, over Great Britain, -though their presence has been, and is even to-day, officially denied.</p> - -<p>The method adopted at the outset was to scatter secret agents -broadcast, and to allot to each the collection of certain information. -Men, and women too, in all walks of life have made observations, -prepared plans, noted the number of horses locally, the fodder -supplies, the direction of telegraph-lines, the quickest method of -destroying communications, blowing up tunnels, etc.; in fact, any -information which might be of use in the event of a raid upon our -shores.</p> - -<p>Each group of spies has acted under the direction of a secret-agent, -termed a "fixed post," and all have been, in turn, visited at -periods varying from one month to six weeks by a person not likely -to be suspected—usually in the guise of commercial-traveller,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span> -debt-collector, or insurance-agent, who collected the reports and made -payments—the usual stipend being ten pounds per month. Some spies in -the higher walks of life were, of course, paid well, as much as one -thousand pounds a year being given in one case—that of a lady who, -until recently, lived in Kensington—and in another to a German who, -until a few weeks ago, was highly popular in the diplomatic circle. -The chief bureau, to which all reports from England were sent, was an -innocent-looking office in the Montagne de la Cour, in Brussels—hence -Ostend was so often made a rendezvous between spies and traitors.</p> - -<p>It is certainly as well that the authorities have already taken -precautions to guard our reservoirs. As far back as five years ago, -a large number of the principal water supplies in England were -reconnoitred by a band of itinerant musicians, who, though they played -mournful airs in the streets, were really a group of very wide-awake -German officers. They devoted three months to the metropolis—where -they succeeded in making a complete plan of the water-mains supplying -East London—and then afterwards visited Manchester, Glasgow, -Birmingham, Liverpool, Leeds, and Newcastle. At the latter place they -were detected, and being warned by the authorities, fled. They were -"warned" because at that time there was no Act to deal with them.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span></p> - -<p>Just at this juncture a most fortunate incident occurred, though -probably it will be met with an official denial. A young German who -had been making observations around Rosyth and beneath the Forth -Bridge, was detected, and fled. The police sought him out and he was -compelled to again fly without paying his rent, leaving his suit-case -behind. After a month the landlady took this bag to the police, who, -on opening it, found a quantity of documents, which were sealed up -and sent to London. They were soon found to be most instructive, for -not only was there a list of names of persons hitherto unsuspected of -espionage, but also a little book containing the secret code used by -the spies! Needless to say, this has been of the greatest use to those -engaged in the work of contra-espionage. Of the good work done by the -latter, the public, of course, know nothing, but it may be stated that -many a confidential report destined for Berlin was intercepted before -it reached the spy's post-office, the shop of the barber Ernst, in -London—to which I will later on refer—and many a judicious hint has -been given which has caused the suspect to pack his, or her, belongings -and return by the Hook of Holland route.</p> - -<p>East Anglia has, of course, been the happy hunting ground of spies, -and the counties of Lincoln, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex have, long -ago, been very thoroughly surveyed, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span> every preparation made for a -raid. It was found—as far back as four years ago—that next door, or -in the vicinity of most village post-offices near the coast-line of -those counties, a foreigner had taken up his residence, that German -hairdressers and jewellers were everywhere setting up shops where -custom did not warrant it; that Germans took sea-side furnished houses -or went as paying guests in the country, even in winter; while, of -course, the number of German waiters—usually passing as Austrians—had -increased greatly.</p> - -<p>When the Kaiser rented Highcliffe Castle, in Hampshire, under the -pretext that he was ill, he brought with him no fewer than thirty -secretaries. Why? A foreigner who comes here to recuperate does not -want thirty secretaries—even though he may be an Emperor! Napoleon -never wanted such a crowd of scribblers about him.</p> - -<p>But the truth was that these thirty secretaries were engaged with their -Imperial master-spy in reorganising and perfecting the various sections -of his amazing spy-system in this country—a system that the British -Government were with culpable untruthfulness declaring only existed in -the imagination of a novelist—myself. I wrote pointing out this, but -only execrations again fell upon my unfortunate head. I was laughed at -as a "sensationalist," scorned by the Party of Criminal Apathy, and a -dead set was made<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> at me by a certain section of the Press to jeer at, -and crush myself and all my works into oblivion.</p> - -<p>Let us go a step further. Mr. Anthony Nugent, who writes with -considerable authority in the <i>Globe</i>, shall here speak.</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>"The oddest situation in England," he says, "was just before the -outbreak of the war. We had then, not only an Ambassador's cloak in -London covering Prince Lichnowsky, but a real Ambassador in Herr -Kühlmann, Companion of the Victorian Order. [I wonder if he still -wears the honourable insignia?] The Ambassador was an honest man, and -believed that he had a free hand in trying to improve our relations -with Germany. He was only here to give us 'taffy'—as the Yankees -say. All his speeches at Oxford and at City banquets were sincere -enough from his point of view, but he knew nothing of what was going -on in the Chancelleries at Berlin, or downstairs in the Embassy -residence at Carlton House Terrace.</p> - -<p>"Those who descend the Duke of York's steps in Pall Mall, will see -a common, unpretentious door on the right hand side, part of the -way down. That was one of the entrances to the Embassy, and quite a -different class of people used it from those gay folk who came boldly -in motor-cars to the front door, which sported the decoration of the -Imperial eagle. It was by the lower door there passed the principals -in the espionage system, and it was in the lower rooms that Herr -Kühlmann interviewed his 'friends.' He was a tall, good-looking man, -with a specious suggestion of being straightforward and open dealing, -but probably there never was so tortuous-minded a person at the -Embassy. He was there for many years, and knew all who were worth -knowing. He it was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span> who furnished the reports on which the Emperor -and the Crown Prince acted.</p> - -<p>"Prince Lichnowsky, for instance, foresaw that in the event of war, -the Unionists in Ulster would support the Government. Herr Kühlmann -had sent over spies who masqueraded as journalists, and they came -back from Belfast believing that civil war was inevitable. Herr -Kühlmann accepted their view, and thus deceived the Kaiser and the -German Chancellor. The same gentleman was much interested in the -Indian movement, and I remember discussing with him the causes that -led to the murder of a great Anglo-Indian official at the Imperial -Institute. He was convinced that India was ripe for revolt. Again -he deceived the Emperor on the subject. The German spy system was -wide, and it was thorough, but its chief lacked imagination, and took -niggling and petty views. In a word it is efficient in signalling, -prying into arrangements, spreading false news, and securing minor -successes, and that it can still do here, but had it realised how the -whole world would be opposed to it, there would have been no war."</p></blockquote> - -<p>The gross licence extended to our alien enemies in peace-time has, -surely, been little short of criminal. Fancy there having been a -"German Officers' Club" in London, close to Piccadilly Circus! Could -anyone imagine an "English Officers' Club" in Berlin—or in any other -Continental capital, for the matter of that? In the first place, there -would not have been a sufficient number of English officers to run a -club, even if it had been allowed by the German authorities, which -would have been most unlikely. But, on the other hand, there were -enough German<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span> officers in London, not only to support a club, but to -give a large and expensive ball not very long ago at a well-known West -End hotel!</p> - -<p>Germany has a large army, and a considerable navy, but is leave -lavished with such prodigality on her officers as to make it worth -their while to have a special club of their own in the metropolis? -One can hardly imagine this to be the case. Why, then, were there -so many German officers in London? We may be sure that they were -not here for the benefit of <i>our</i> country. The German Officers' -Club was no secret society, and was, therefore, winked at by the -sleepy British authorities. The War Office may have argued that it -enabled them to keep an eye on them, and there may be something in -that plea. But what possible justification could have been found for -allowing a considerable number of German officers to assemble near -Southborough—between Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells—not so very long -ago, and to carry out what practically amounted to a "Staff Ride" in -the "Garden of England" over a very important strategic position? Fancy -such a piece of espionage being attempted in Germany! It is even known -that the German Ambassador dined with the officers in question.</p> - -<p>Had the German Officers' Club been under observation, could this have -possibly been done without the cognisance of the authorities?<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> The -authorities knew of all that was in progress, but calmly looked on, -and, as usual, did nothing. The downfall of England was being plotted, -but what did they care, so long as all went smoothly and they enjoyed -their own social standing and their own emoluments.</p> - -<p>There is an air of refreshing candour and simplicity in the official -statement that no alien enemy is permitted to reside in a prohibited -area without a special licence granted, after his case has been -carefully examined, by the police.</p> - -<p>Now, we know that proprietors and managers of hotels and licensed -premises, as well as prominent residents, are usually on good terms -with the police. It would surely be to their interest to cultivate good -relations with them. And as the Lord Chancellor has assured us that the -Germans are people of "greater astuteness," it is only reasonable to -suppose they would be particularly careful to entrust their spying work -in this country to only the smartest and most crafty emissaries.</p> - -<p>One can imagine that a really clever German spy "bent on business" has -had but very little difficulty in hoodwinking the honest man in blue, -and obtaining from him the "permit" required for his signalling, or -other work on the coast.</p> - -<p>The experiences of the last four months at Liége, Antwerp, Mons, -Rheims, Ypres, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span> other places, has taught us that it is not always -the alien who is the spy. In each of those towns men who had lived for -years as highly respectable and law-abiding citizens, and whom everyone -believed to be French or Belgian, suddenly revealed themselves as -secret agents of the invaders, acting as their guides, and committing -all sorts of outrages.</p> - -<p>In our own country it is the same. There are to-day many who have lived -among us for years, and are highly respected, only waiting for the -signal to be given to commence their operations.</p> - -<p>It is true that bombs from German air machines have been dropped on -English ground—one fell in a garden at Dover and damaged a cabbage, or -maybe two—also that Zeppelins flew over Norfolk and dropped bombs, but -so far no air fleet from Germany has given the signal for German spies -to start their arranged work of destruction in our midst, for the enemy -has declared with its usual cynical frankness that their army of spies -will only start their dastardly work when all is ready for the raid and -the fleet of Zeppelins sail over London and give the signal.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V</a></p> - -<p class="center">HOW SPIES WORK</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">The</span> German spy system, as established in England, may be classified -under various heads—military, naval, diplomatic, and also the <i>agents -provocateurs</i>, those hirelings of Germany who have, of late, been so -diligent in stirring up sedition in Ireland, and who, since the war -began, have endeavoured, though not successfully, to engineer a strike -of seamen at Liverpool and a coal strike.</p> - -<p>First, every German resident in this country may be classed as a spy, -for he is, at all times, ready to assist in the work of the official -secret-agents of the Fatherland.</p> - -<p>The military spy is usually a man who has received thorough instruction -in sketching, photography, and in the drafting of reports, and on -arrival here, has probably set up in business in a small garrison -town. The trade of jeweller and watchmaker is one of the most favoured -disguises, for the spy can rent a small shop, and though he cannot -repair watches himself, he can engage an unsuspecting assistant -to do so. Therefore, to all intents and purposes, his business is -a legitimate one. If he is a devout church or<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> chapel-goer, and -subscribes modestly to the local charities, he will soon become known, -and will quickly number among his friends some military men from -whom he can obtain information regarding movements of troops, and -a-thousand-and-one military details, all of which he notes carefully in -his reports, the latter being collected by a "traveller in jewellery," -who visits him at regular intervals, and who makes payment in exchange.</p> - -<p>Every report going out of Great Britain is carefully tabulated and -indexed by a marvellous system in Berlin. These, in turn, are compared, -analysed and checked by experts, so that, at last, the information -received is passed as accurate, and is then indexed for reference.</p> - -<p>Now the military spy also keeps his eyes and ears open regarding the -officers of the garrison. If an officer is in financial difficulties, -the fact is sent forward, and some money-lender in London will most -certainly come to his assistance and thus ingratiate himself as his -"friend." Again, there are wives of officers who are sometimes a little -indiscreet, and in more than one known case blackmail has been levied -upon the unfortunate woman, and then, suddenly, an easy way out of it -all has been craftily revealed to her by a blackguard in German pay.</p> - -<p>From the wide-spread secret-service of Germany, nothing is sacred. The -German General Staff laughs at our apathy, and boasts that it knows all -about us, the military and civil<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> population alike. In the archives -of its Intelligence Department there are thousands upon thousands -of detailed reports—furnished constantly throughout the past ten -years—regarding the lives and means of prominent persons in England, -with descriptions of their homes wherein, one day, the enemy hope to -billet their troops.</p> - -<p>These unscrupulous men who act as "fixed-posts"—and it is no -exaggeration to say that there are still hundreds in England alone, -notwithstanding all official assurances to the contrary—have all gone -through an elaborate system of training in signalling, in reducing -messages to code, and in decoding them, in map-making, in the use of -carrier-pigeons, and, in some cases, in the use of secret wireless.</p> - -<p>The naval spy works in a somewhat similar manner to his military -colleague. At every naval port in Great Britain it is quite safe to -assume that there are spies actively carrying on their work, though -it is quite true that one or two, who have long been under suspicion, -have now found it wise to disappear into oblivion. A favourite guise -of the spy in a naval port is, it seems, to pose as a hairdresser, for -in pursuance of that humble and most honourable calling, the secret -agent has many opportunities to chat with his customers, and thus learn -a good deal of what is in progress in both port and dockyard: what -ships are putting to sea, and the strength and dispositions of various -divisions<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span> of our navy. Cases in recent years of spies at Portsmouth, -Chatham, and Plymouth have revealed how active Germany has been in this -direction.</p> - -<p>In one case, at Plymouth, a salary of £500 a year was offered to a Mr. -Duff for information regarding naval matters, on the pretext that this -information was required by a Naval and Military journal in Germany. -Mr. Duff, however, communicated with the authorities, who promptly -arrested the spy—a man named Schulz, who lived on a yacht on the -river Yealm. He was tried at the Devon Assizes and, certain documents -being found upon him, he was sentenced to a year and nine months' -imprisonment. What, we wonder, would have been his fate if he had been -British, and had been arrested in Germany?</p> - -<p>Of diplomatic espionage little need be said in these pages. Every -nation has its secret service in diplomacy, a service rendered -necessary perhaps by the diplomatic juggling of unscrupulous -representatives of various nations. Many diplomatic spies are women -moving in the best society, and such persons abound in every capital in -the world.</p> - -<p>The means of communication between the spy and his employers are -several. Innocent sketches may be made of woodland scenery, with a -picturesque windmill and cottage in the foreground, and woods in -the distance. Yet this, when decoded in Berlin—the old windmill -representing a lighthouse, the trees<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span> a distant town, and so -forth—will be found to be an elaborate plan of a harbour showing the -disposition of the mines in its channel!</p> - -<p>Again, there are codes in dozens of different forms of letters or -figures with various combinations, key-numbers, cross-readings, etc. -There is the three-figure code, the five-figure code, and so on, all of -which, though difficult, can, if sufficient time be spent upon them, be -eventually deciphered by those accustomed to dealing with such problems.</p> - -<p>Far more difficult to decipher, however, are communications written as -perfectly innocent ordinary correspondence upon trade or other matters, -yet, by certain expressions, and by mentioning certain names, objects, -or prices, they can be rightly read only by the person with whom those -meanings have been prearranged.</p> - -<p>From the daring movements of the German Fleet in the North Sea it would -appear that, through spies, the enemy are well aware of the limit -and position of our mine-fields, while the position of every buoy is -certainly known. When the first attack was made upon Yarmouth, the -enemy took his range from certain buoys, and the reason the shells fell -short was that only the day before those buoys had been moved a mile -further out to sea.</p> - -<p>Again, for many years—indeed, until I called public attention to the -matter—foreign pilots were allowed to ply their profession in the -Humber, and by that means we may rest assured that Germany made many -surveys of our East Coast.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span></p> - -<p>The spies of Germany are to be found everywhere, yet the Home -Office and the police have shown themselves quite incapable of -dealing effectively with them. The War Office, under the excellent -administration of Lord Kitchener, has surely been busy enough with -military matters, and has had no time to deal with the enemy in our -midst. Neither has the Admiralty. Therefore the blame must rest upon -the Home Office, who, instead of dealing with the question with a firm -and drastic hand, actually issued a communiqué declaring that the spy -peril no longer existed!</p> - -<p>As an illustration of Germany's subtle preparations in the countries -she intends to conquer, and as a warning to us here in Great Britain, -surely nothing can be more illuminating than the following, written -by a special correspondent of the <i>Times</i> with the French Army near -Rheims. That journal—with the <i>Daily Mail</i>—has always been keenly -alive to the alien peril in England, and its correspondent wrote:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>"Nowhere else in France have the Germans so thoroughly prepared their -invasion as they did in Champagne, which they hoped to make theirs. -In the opinion of the inhabitants of Épernay, the saving of the town -from violent pillage is only due to the desire of the Germans not to -ravage a country which they regarded as being already German soil. -The wanton bombardment of Rheims is accepted almost with delight, -as being a clear indication that the enemy has been awakened by the -battle of the Marne from those pleasant dreams of conquest which -inflamed the whole German nation with enthusiasm at the outset of the -war.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span></p> - -<p>"The spy system thought out in time of peace in preparation for -what is happening to-day has served Germany well, and every day the -accuracy of German gunfire pays a tribute to the zeal and efficiency -with which these loathsome individuals accomplish a task for which -they have sold their honour as Frenchmen. Hardly a week passes -without some fresh discovery being made. At the headquarters of -the different army corps along this section of the front, hardly a -day passes without the arrest and examination of suspect peasants -or strangers from other provinces. Elaborate underground telephone -installations have been discovered and destroyed.</p> - -<p>"One day a gendarme who wished to water his horse approached a well -in the garden of an abandoned house. At the bottom of the well there -was not truth but treason. Comfortably installed in this disused -shaft a German spy was engaged in making his report by telephone to -the German Intelligence Department.</p> - -<p>"The mentality of the spy can never be explained, for how can one -account for the mixture of the fine quality of bravery and the -despicable greed of money which will keep a man in a city like -Rheims, exposed every hour of the day and night to death from the -splinter of a shell fired at the town by his own paymasters? I do -not suggest for a moment that of the 20,000 people who still inhabit -the town of Rheims and its cellars there is any large proportion of -traitorous spies, but to the French Intelligence Department there is -no question whatsoever that there is still a very efficient spying -organisation at work in the city."</p></blockquote> - -<p>Among us here in Great Britain, I repeat, are men—hundreds of -them—who are daily, nay hourly, plotting our downfall, and are -awaiting the signal to act as the German General Staff has arranged -that they shall<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span> act. To attempt to disguise the fact longer is -useless. We have lived in the fool's paradise which the Government -prepared for us long enough. We were assured that there would be no -war. But war has come, and thousands of the precious lives of our -gallant lads have been lost—and thousands more will yet be lost.</p> - -<p>We cannot trust the German tradesman who has even lived long among -us apparently honourable and highly respected. A case in point is -that of a man who, for the past twenty-six years, has carried on a -prosperous business in the North of London. At the outbreak of war he -registered himself as an alien, and one day asked the police for a -permit to travel beyond the regulation five miles in order to attend -a concert. He was watched, and it was found that, instead of going to -the concert, he had travelled in an opposite direction, where he had -met and conferred with a number of his compatriots who were evidently -secret agents. This is but one illustration of many known cases in the -Metropolis.</p> - -<p>Can we still close our eyes to what Germany intends to do? The -Government knew the enemy's intentions when, in 1908, there was placed -before them the Emperor's speech, which I have already reproduced.</p> - -<p>Perhaps it may not be uninteresting if I recount how I myself was -approached by the German General Staff—and I believe others must have -been approached in a like manner.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span> The incident only serves to show the -"astuteness"—as Lord Haldane has so well put it—of our enemies.</p> - -<p>One day, in September, 1910, I received through a mutual friend, a -lady, an invitation to dine at the house of a prominent official at -the War Office, who, in his note to me, declared that he had greatly -admired my patriotism, and asked me to dine <i>en famille</i> one Sunday -evening. I accepted the invitation, and went. The official's name, I -may here say, figures often in your daily newspapers to-day. To my -great surprise, I found among the guests the German Ambassador, the -Chancellor of the Embassy, the Military and Naval Attachés with their -ladies, and several popular actors and actresses.</p> - -<p>In a corner of the drawing-room after dinner, I found myself chatting -with a German Attaché, who turned the conversation upon my anti-German -writings. By his invitation, I met him at his club next day. He -entertained me to an expensive luncheon, and then suddenly laughed at -me for what he termed my misguided propaganda.</p> - -<p>"There will be no war between your country and mine," he assured me. -"You are so very foolish, my dear Mr. Le Queux. You will ruin your -reputation by these fixed ideas of yours. Why not change them? We -desire no quarrel with Great Britain, but we, of course, realise that -you are doing what you consider to be your duty."</p> - -<p>"It <i>is</i> my duty," I responded.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span></p> - -<p>My diplomatic friend sucked at his cigar, and laughed.</p> - -<p>"As a literary man you, of course, write to interest the public. But -you would interest your public just as <i>easily</i> by writing in <i>favour</i> -of Germany—and, I tell you that we should quickly recognise the favour -you do us—<i>and recompense you for it</i>."</p> - -<p>I rose from my chair.</p> - -<p>I confess that I grew angry, and I told him what was in my mind.</p> - -<p>I gave him a message to his own Secret Service, in Berlin, which was -very terse and to the point, and then I left the room.</p> - -<p>But that was not all. I instituted inquiries regarding the official at -the War Office who had been the means of introducing us, and within a -fortnight that official—whose dealings with the enemy were proved to -be suspicious—was relieved of his post.</p> - -<p>I give this as one single instance of the cunning manner in which the -German Secret Service have endeavoured to nobble and bribe me, so as to -close my mouth and thus combat my activity.</p> - -<p>Another instance was when the Norddeutscher Lloyd Line, of Bremen, -kindly invited me to take a voyage round the world, free of expense, -so that I might visit the various German colonies and write some -descriptions of them. And, on a third occasion, German diplomats were -amazingly kind to me, both in Constantinople and in Belgrade,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span> and -again broadly hinted at their readiness to win me over to their side.</p> - -<p>How pitiable, how absolutely criminal our apathy has been!</p> - -<p>Do not the souls of a million dead upon the battlefields of France -and Belgium rise against the plotters to-day? Does not the onus of -the frightful loss of the flower of our dear lads lie, not upon -our four-hundred-a-year legislators, but upon some of the golfing, -dividend-seeking, pushful men who have ruled our country through the -past ten years?</p> - -<p>Without politics, as I am, I here wish to pay a tribute—the tribute -which the whole nation should pay—to Mr. Lloyd George and his -advisers, who came in for so much adverse criticism before the war. -I declare as my opinion—an opinion which millions share—that the -manner in which the Chancellor of the Exchequer faced and grappled with -the financial situation at the outbreak of war, was an illustration -of British pluck, of coolness and of readiness that is unequalled in -our history. The poor suffered nothing, and to-day—even though we -are struggling for our very existence—we hear not a word of that -winter-cry "The Unemployed."</p> - -<p>I trust, therefore, that the reader will find my outspoken criticisms -just, and perfectly without prejudice, for, as I have already stated, -my only feeling is one of pure patriotism towards my King and the -country that gave me birth.</p> - -<p>Though I am beyond the age-limit to serve<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span> in the Army, it is in -defence of my King and country, and in order to reveal the naked truth -to a public which has so long been pitiably bamboozled and reassured, -that I have ventured to pen this plain, serious, and straightforward -indictment, which no amount of official juggling can ever disprove.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI</a></p> - -<p class="center">SOME METHODS OF SECRET AGENTS</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Some</span> of the cases of espionage within my own knowledge—and into -many of them I have myself made discreet inquiry—may not prove -uninteresting. Foreign governesses, usually a hard-worked and -poorly-paid class, are often in a position to furnish important -information, and very serious cases have recently been proved against -them. These young women have lived in the intimacy of the homes -of men of every grade, Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament, -financiers, officers of both Services, and officials of every class. -By the very nature of their duties, and their extreme intimacy with -their employers, they are, naturally, in a position to gather much -valuable information, and often even to get sight of their employers' -correspondence, which can easily be noted and handed over to the proper -quarter for transmission to Berlin.</p> - -<p>Here is a case already reported by me. Not very long ago, in the -service of a very well-known Member of Parliament living in Essex, -lived a clever, good-looking, and intensely musical young German -governess,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span> who was regarded by the Member's wife as "a perfect -treasure," and who took the greatest interest in her two little -charges. For over two years Fräulein had been in the service of this -pleasant household, being, of course, regarded as "one of the family."</p> - -<p>In the grounds of the big country house in question was a secluded -summer-house, and here Fräulein was in the habit of reading alone, and -writing her letters. One hot summer's afternoon she had gone there as -usual, when about an hour later one of the under-gardeners, in passing, -saw her lying back in her chair unconscious. She had been seized with -a fit. He raised the alarm, she was carried back to the house, and the -doctor was at once telephoned for.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile her mistress, greatly alarmed, went out to the summer-house -in order to see whether her unconsciousness could be accounted for. -Upon the table she noticed a number of documents which did not appear -to be letters which a governess might receive, and, on examination, -she found to her dismay that, not only were they carefully-written -reports of conversations between her husband and a certain Cabinet -Minister who had been their guest during the previous week-end, but -there were also copies of several confidential letters from one of the -Government departments to her husband. That the girl was a clever and -most dangerous spy was at once proved, yet, rather than there should be -any<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span> unpleasant publicity, the girl was, that same night, packed off -unceremoniously across to the Hook of Holland.</p> - -<p>In another instance a German governess in the employ of an officer's -wife at Chatham was discovered endeavouring to obtain confidential -information; and in a third, at Plymouth, a charming young lady was -caught red-handed.</p> - -<p>These three glaring cases are within my own knowledge; therefore, -there probably have been many others where, after detection, the girls -have been summarily dismissed by their employers, who, naturally, have -hesitated to court publicity by prosecution.</p> - -<p>It therefore behoves everyone employing a foreign governess—and more -especially anyone occupying an official position—to be alert and -wary. Many of these young ladies are known to have been trained for -the dastardly work which they have been so successfully carrying out, -and, while posing as loyal and dutiful servants of their employers, and -eating at their tables, they have been listening attentively to their -secrets.</p> - -<p>We have, of late, been told a good deal of the danger of secret agents -among the alien staffs of hotels, and, in deference to public opinion, -the authorities have cleared our hotels of all Germans and Austrians. -Though holding no brief for the alien servant, I must say, at once, -that I have never known one single instance of a hotel servant of -lower grade being actually proved to be a secret<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span> agent. It is a fact, -however, that among the hall-porters of some of the principal hotels -were, until the outbreak of war, several well-known spies. The class of -person who is much more dangerous is the so-called "naturalised" alien. -Among these are, no doubt, spies, men who have long ago taken out -naturalisation papers for the sole purpose of blinding us, and of being -afforded opportunities to pursue their nefarious calling. To-day, while -thousands of men who have for years worked hard for a living are in -idleness in detention camps, these gentry are free to move about where -they will because they are so-called British subjects.</p> - -<p>Surely the heart of a German is always German, just as the heart of -a true-born Briton is always British, whatever papers he may sign. I -contend that every German who has been "naturalised" during the last -seven years should be treated as other aliens are treated, and we -should then be nearer the end of the spy-peril.</p> - -<p>"Naturalised" foreign baronets, financiers, merchants, ship-owners, -and persons of both sexes of high social standing, constitute a very -grave peril in our midst, though Mr. McKenna has not yet appeared to -have awakened to it, even though the Press and the public are, happily, -no longer blind to the German preparations. In the month of November, -while spies were being reported in hundreds by the public themselves, -the Home Office was actually engaged in holding<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span> an inquiry <i>into -whether there had really been any atrocities committed by the German -soldiery in Belgium</i>! And I was officially asked to assist in this!</p> - -<p>As far as can be gathered from Mr. McKenna's reply in November to the -Parliamentary attack on the methods of dealing with the spy peril, -the position was still a most unsatisfactory one. Though he admitted -that we still have 27,000 enemy aliens at large among us, nobody is -assumed to be a spy unless he is an unnaturalised German. Even if he -fulfils this condition, he is then to be caught "in the act" of spying, -or if really strong suspicion be aroused, some evidence against him -may be "looked for." But until this is "found," and so long as he -complies with the posted-up registration orders, etc., he may continue -unmolested. In short, after the steed is stolen, our stable door may be -shut.</p> - -<p>One sighs in despair. Could anything be more hopeless? If the matter -were not so very serious, the position would be Gilbertian in its -comedy.</p> - -<p>Though we are at war, our sons being shot down and our national -existence threatened, yet there is yet another very strong factor in -favour of the German spy. According to Mr. McKenna, he himself is -only responsible for the London district, while elsewhere the County -Constabulary, under the Chief Constables of Counties, are "to pay every -attention to representations of the naval and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span> military authorities," -in the matter of hostile espionage.<a name="FNanchor_2_2" id="FNanchor_2_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a></p> - -<p>This strikes me as one of the finest examples of "how not to do it" -that we have heard of for some time, and it must indeed be a source of -delight to the secret "enemy within our gates." Fancy such a ridiculous -regulation in Germany!</p> - -<p>Of some of the hundreds of cases of undoubted espionage which have been -brought to my notice since the outbreak of war, I will enumerate a few.</p> - -<p>One was that of two Germans who—posing as Poles—rented a large -country house at £150 a year, bought a quantity of furniture, and -settled down to a quiet life. The house in question was situated at a -very important point on the main London and North Western Railway, and -the grounds ran down to a viaduct which, if destroyed, would cut off -a most important line of communication. The suspicion of a neighbour -was aroused. He informed the police, and a constable <i>in full uniform</i> -began to make inquiries of the neighbours, the result being that the -interesting pair left the house one night, and have not since been -seen.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span></p> - -<p>Outside London, the county constabulary are making praiseworthy efforts -to find spies, but when men in uniform set out to make inquiries—as -they unfortunately do in so many cases—then the system becomes -hopeless.</p> - -<p>The same thing happened in a small coast town in Norfolk where -signalling at night had been noticed. Indeed, in two instances in the -same town, and again in Dunbar, the appearance of the police inspector -caused the flight of the spies—as undoubtedly they were.</p> - -<p>As regards the county of Norfolk, it has long received the most careful -attention of German secret agents. At the outbreak of war the Chief -Constable, Major Egbert Napier, with commendable patriotism, devoted -all his energies to the ferreting out of suspicious characters, spies -who were no doubt settled near and on the coast in readiness to assist -the enemy in case of an attempted landing. By Major Napier's untiring -efforts a very large area has been cleared, more especially from Cromer -along by Sheringham, Weybourne—a particularly vulnerable point—and -from Cley-next-the-Sea to Wells and King's Lynn.</p> - -<p>Major Napier engaged, at my instigation, a well-known detective-officer -who, for some years, had been engaged at the Criminal Investigation -Department at New Scotland Yard, specially attached to deal with -German criminals for extradition back to Germany. He was a Russian, -naturalised English, and spoke German perfectly, being born in -Riga—<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span>and an ideal officer to inquire into the whole German spy system -in Norfolk.</p> - -<p>Well, after Major Napier had asked him to go forth on his mission, I -saw him and wished him all success. Within a fortnight this shrewd -officer returned to me with a hopeless story. Wherever he went the -Coastguard refused to tell him anything, or any of their suspicions, -as they said they were sworn to secrecy, while the superintendents -and inspectors of the Norfolk Constabulary—with few exceptions—even -though he bore proper credentials signed by the Chief Constable -himself, actually <i>refused to give him any assistance or information -whatsoever</i>!</p> - -<p>This keen and clever detective-officer returned to the Chief Constable -of Norfolk and told him that he was certain spies still existed along -the coast, but expressed regret at the hopeless state of affairs.</p> - -<p>If any Government authority would like to question the officer upon his -experiences, I shall be pleased to furnish that department with his -private address.</p> - -<p>I had a curious experience myself in Norfolk.</p> - -<p>In a field, high upon the cliff between Cromer and Runton, I last -year established a high-power wireless installation. When in working -order—with a receiving range of 1,500 miles or more, according to -atmospheric conditions—I allowed visitors to inspect it. There came -along certain inquisitive persons with a slight accent in their speech, -and of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span> these I believe no fewer than eight are now interned. It formed -quite an interesting trap for spies!</p> - -<p>From the great mass of authentic reports of German spies lying before -me as I write, it is difficult to single out one case more illuminating -than another.</p> - -<p>It may perhaps be of interest, however, to know that I was the first to -report to the authorities a secret store of German arms and ammunition -in London, afterwards removed, and subsequently seized after the -outbreak of war. Other stores have, it is said, been found in various -parts of the country, the secrets of which, of course, have never been -allowed to leak out to the public, for fear of creating alarm.</p> - -<p>That secret stores of petrol, in readiness for that raid upon us by -Zeppelins which Germany has so long promised, have been thought to -exist in Scotland, is shown by the reward of £100, offered by the -Commander-in-Chief in Scotland for any information leading to the -discovery of any such bases.</p> - -<p>But in connection with this, the situation is really most ludicrous. -Though, on November 8th, 1914, a London newspaper reproduced a copy of -the poster offering the reward—a poster exhibited upon hoardings all -over Scotland—yet the Press Censor actually issued to the London Press -orders to suppress all fact or comment concerning it! We may surely ask -why? If Scotland is told the truth, why may not England know it?</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span></p> - -<p>Between Rye and Winchelsea of late, on four occasions, people have been -detected flashing lights from the most seaward point between those -places to German submarines. In fact, two of the spies actually had -the audacity to build a shanty from which they signalled! This matter -was promptly reported by certain residents in the locality to the -Dover military authorities, but they replied that it was "out of their -division." Then they reported to the Admiralty, but only received the -usual typewritten "thanks" in these terms:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>"The Director of the Intelligence Division presents to Mr. —— his -compliments, and begs to acknowledge with thanks the receipt of his -letter of ——.</p> - -<p>"Admiralty War Staff: Intelligence Division."</p></blockquote> - -<p>Now what happened?</p> - -<p>Early in the morning of December 10th, in the midst of a thick hazy -rain, half-a-dozen German submarines are reported to have made a daring -dash for the western entrance of Dover Harbour, where several of our -warships were lying at anchor. Fortunately they were discovered by -men working the searchlights, heavy guns were turned upon them, and -one submarine, if not more, was sunk. We have to thank spies in the -vicinity for this attempt, in which we so narrowly escaped disaster. -If not through spies, how could the enemy have known that, just at the -time the attack was made, Dover<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span> was without its boom-defence? And the -question arises whether the spies were those detected near Rye?</p> - -<p>In all probability there exists somewhere in the neighbourhood a secret -wireless station sufficiently powerful to send intelligence say five -miles to sea by day, and double that distance at night. By this means -the enemy's submarines could easily learn the truth. Therefore the -authorities should lose no time in making domiciliary visits to any -house where a suspect may be living.</p> - -<p>And if secret wireless exists near Dover, then there may be—as there -probably are, since small wireless stations are not costly to fit up, -and could, till the outbreak of war, be purchased without arousing the -least suspicion—other stations in the vicinity of other of our naval -bases, the peril of which will easily be recognised.</p> - -<p>The replies by the Admiralty to persons who give information are curt -and unsatisfactory enough, yet if a resident in the Metropolitan area -writes to the Chief Commissioner of Police upon a serious matter -concerning espionage—he will <i>not even receive the courtesy of a -reply</i>! At least, that has been my own experience. It is appalling to -think that the authorities are so utterly incapable of dealing with the -situation to-day, even though our men are laying down their lives for -us, and fighting as only Britons can fight.</p> - -<p>Existence of carefully-prepared concrete<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span> emplacements, in readiness -for the huge German Krupp guns, has been reported to me from a dozen -different quarters—sometimes they are concealed in the form of a -concrete carriage-drive, in others as a tennis-court, or a yard -enclosed by stables. Workmen who have actually been employed in -laying them down, and have given me the enormous thicknesses of the -concrete used, have communicated with me, and indicated where these -long-considered preparations of the enemy are to-day to be found.</p> - -<p>But as it is nobody's business, and as Mr. McKenna has assured us that -we are quite safe, and that the spy-peril has been snuffed-out, the -position is here again hopeless, and we are compelled to live daily -upon the edge of a volcano.</p> - -<p>Oh! when will England rub her eyes and awaken?</p> - -<p>As events have proved in Belgium and France, so here, in our own -dear country, I fear we have spies in every department of the public -service. I say boldly, without fear of contradiction—that if our -apathetic Home Department continues to close its eyes as it is now -doing, we shall be very rudely stirred up one day when the Zeppelins -come in force—as the authorities fear by the darkening of London. From -the lessons taught us in France, I fear that in every department of our -public services, the post-office, the railways, the docks, the electric -generating-stations, in our arsenals, in our government<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span> factories, and -among those executing certain government contracts—everywhere, from -Wick to Walmer—the spy still exists, and he is merely awaiting the -signal of his masters to strike: to blow up bridges and tunnels, to -destroy water-supplies, docks, power-stations and wireless-stations: -to cut telegraphs and telephones, and to create panic—a sudden and -fearful panic—which it would be to the interest of the invaders to -create.</p> - -<p>At my suggestion the Postmaster-General, at the outbreak of war, -ordered each letter-carrier in the Kingdom to prepare lists of -foreigners on their "walk," and upon those lists hundreds of -arrests of aliens took place. No doubt many spies were "rounded-up" -by this process, but alas! many still remain, sufficient of the -"naturalised,"—even those "naturalised" after the war,—to form a very -efficient advance-guard to our invading enemy, who hate us with such a -deadly, undying hatred.</p> - -<p>If Zeppelins are to raid us successfully they must have secret bases -for the supply of petrol for their return journey. Such bases can only -be established in out-of-the-way places where, on descending, air-craft -would not be fired upon. The moors, those of Yorkshire, Dartmoor, and -certain districts of Scotland and the Lake Country, are admirably -adapted for this purpose, for there are spots which could easily be -recognised from the air—by the direction of the roads, running like<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span> -ribbons across the heather—where considerable stores could easily be -secreted without anyone being the wiser.</p> - -<p>This is a petrol war, and if any raid is attempted upon the country, -petrol will be wanted in great quantities by the enemy. Is it -not, therefore, with our knowledge of Germany's long-completed -preparations at Maubeuge, Antwerp, along the heights of the Aisne, -and in other places, quite safe to assume that considerable—even -greater—preparations have already been made in our own country—made -in the days when the British public were lulled to sleep by the -Judas-like assurances of the Kaiser and his friendly visits to our -King, and when any honest attempt to lift the veil was met with abuse -and derision. If we assume that preparations have been made, it is, -surely, our duty to now discover them.</p> - -<p>Petrol and ammunition are the two things which the enemy will want -if they dare to attempt a dash upon our coast. Therefore it would be -very wise for the authorities to make a house-to-house visitation, -and search from garret to cellar all premises until lately occupied -by aliens in the Eastern Counties, and all houses still occupied by -"naturalised" foreigners, who, if they were honestly "British subjects" -as they declare, could not possibly object.</p> - -<p>There are many licensed premises, too, held by the "naturalised," -and the cellars of these should certainly be searched. Hundreds of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span> -"naturalised" Germans and Austrians are living—immune from even -suspicion. They are of all grades, from watchmakers and hotel-keepers -to wealthy financiers.</p> - -<p>If only the Government would deal with the "naturalised," as any sane -system of Government would in these unparalleled circumstances, then -it would give a free hand to the Chief Constables of Lincolnshire, -Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and Kent to clear out, once and for ever, the -canker-worm of espionage which has, alas! been allowed to eat so very -nearly into Britain's heart.</p> - -<p>I am not affected by that disease known as spy-mania. I write only of -what I know, of what I have witnessed with my own eyes and have heard -with my own ears.</p> - -<p>I therefore appeal most strongly, with all my patriotism, to the -reader, man or woman, to pause, to reflect, to think, and to demand -that justice shall, at this crisis of our national life, be done.</p> - -<p>We want no more attempts to gag the Press, no evasive speeches in the -House—no more pandering to the foreign financier or bestowing upon him -Birthday Honours: no more kid-gloved legislation for our monied enemies -whose sons, in some cases, are fighting against us, but sturdy, honest -and deliberate action—the action with the iron-hand of justice in the -interests of our own beloved Empire.</p> - - - -<div class="footnotes"><p class="ph3">FOOTNOTES:</p> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_2_2" id="Footnote_2_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> Even at this moment of our peril, it is doubtful if the -public will find at New Scotland Yard a single detective able to -pass himself off as a German and thus be in a position to make close -investigation. There are, certainly, several who speak German, but -in a dozen words they betray their British nationality. Surely the -police cannot hope for good results without possessing agents competent -to carry out what is a difficult and delicate task. The Extradition -Department is no longer what it was under Chief-Inspector Greenham.</p></div></div> - - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span></p> - -<p class="ph2"><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII</a></p> - -<p class="center">MASTER-SPIES AND THEIR CUNNING</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">We</span> shall probably never be able to realise a hundredth part of what -Germany has done by her spy system, but we know enough to realise -that, for years, no country and no walks of life—from the highest to -the lowest—have been free from the presence of her ubiquitous and -unscrupulous secret agents. Nothing in the way of espionage has been -too large, or too small, for attention.</p> - -<p>Her spies have swarmed in all cities, and in every village; her agents -have ranked among the leaders of social and commercial life, and -among the sweepings and outcasts of great communities. The wealthiest -of commercial men have not shrunk from acting as her secret agents. -She has not been above employing beside them the very dregs of the -community. No such a system has ever been seen in the world; I hope it -is safe to say that no such system will ever be seen again. Indeed, -so despicable is this German spy system that even the leader of the -Opposition in the Reichstag, Herr Richter, one day rose from his -seat and protested<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span> against "the more than doubtful morality of the -individuals employed." This protest was made because it was known that -the Secret Service of Germany countenanced rank immorality and vice, -the suborning of high officials, and the shameless engagement of women -of ill-fame in the search for information. The official feeling in -Germany concerning such debased methods was well illustrated by the -reply of Herr Von Puttkamer, the Minister for the Interior, who said:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>"It is the right and duty of the State to employ special and -extraordinary methods, and even if that honest and estimable -functionary, Police-Councillor Rumpff, has employed the methods of -which he is accused, in order to secure for the State the benefits of -useful intelligence, I here publicly express to him my satisfaction -and thanks."</p></blockquote> - -<p>That statement is certainly informing. It reveals to us the low, vile -methods of our enemies.</p> - -<p>The German spy system, as we know it to-day, is the creation of one -Carl Stieber, and it dates back to about the year 1850.</p> - -<p>Stieber, who was an obscure Saxon, began his career of espionage by -betraying the revolutionary Socialists, with whom he pretended to -sympathise, and so successful was he in this respect that he very -soon obtained employment among the regular police, and was afterwards -created head of a department<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span> which finally worked quite independently, -and was beyond police control.</p> - -<p>Stieber could never have achieved the success he did but for the luck -or good management which, during his work among the revolutionaries, -brought him to the notice of Frederick William, the King of Prussia. -Under the royal patronage he was secure against counter-plotters among -the military and the police, both of whom hated him beyond measure -as an interloper who was seen to be dangerous to their interests. -Up to this time, it should be remembered, the game of espionage, so -far as military matters were concerned, had been a matter solely -for the military authorities, and they did not fail to resent -the new influence, which very speedily threatened to make itself -all-powerful—as, indeed, it ultimately did—in this particular field -of Prussian activity.</p> - -<p>It must not be supposed that Stieber—upon whose model the Russian -Secret Police was afterwards established—confined his activities to -either the enemies or the criminals of Prussia. He established a close -watch on persons even of high rank, and many a tit-bit of information -went to regale the mind of his royal master. In a sense, Frederick -William was, like the modern Kaiser, the master-spy, for without his -confidence Stieber could never have achieved the success he did, -against both the military and the police, influences which, even in -those days, were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span> almost, but not quite, all-powerful in Germany.</p> - -<p>Stieber's greatest achievement in the field of actual spying was his -work which led to the crushing of Austria at Sadowa in 1866. At this he -laboured for years, and it is not too much to say that his work assured -the success of the campaign. By the time the Prussian armies were on -the move, Stieber had established such an army of spies and agents -throughout Bohemia, that it was a matter of absolute impossibility for -the unfortunate Austrians to make a single move without information -being promptly carried to their enemies.</p> - -<p>So successful was Stieber's method found, that it was only natural that -it should be tried in other countries. France was the next victim, and -the campaign of 1870-71 is so recent that it is hardly necessary to do -more than remind the reader how thoroughly the Germans were served by -their spy system.</p> - -<p>As in the present war, the advancing Germans found, in every town -and village, swarms of agents who were ready to provide them with -information and guidance, and it was even said that the German invaders -were better acquainted with the country they were attacking than -were the officers entrusted with its defence. We have seen the same -thing in the present war, when time after time the Germans have been -led into towns and districts by men who have lived there<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span> for years -and, in many cases, had even become naturalised Frenchmen the better -to carry on their work. It speaks volumes for the perfection of the -German military machine that, on the outbreak of hostilities, these men -should have been able, without the slightest difficulty, to join the -corps operating in the districts with which they had become perfectly -familiar by years of residence.</p> - -<p>And they were able, not merely to give topographical information, but -even to indicate where stores of food and petrol could be found, and -to point out to their comrades where the best prospects of loot and -plunder existed.</p> - -<p>All this was merely a natural development of the system which Carl -Stieber established, and which his successors have developed to the -highest pitch of unscrupulous perfection.</p> - -<p>After the war of 1870-71, the system which Stieber invented found -its place in German administration, and it has continued ever since -as a separate and highly-organised department, spending vast sums of -money—about £720,000 a year—and extending its ramifications to an -incredible extent. It may be mentioned, incidentally, that its workings -and methods have been copied by the German commercial world, and many -a British employer has, during the past few years, paid dearly through -his closest commercial secrets being given away to his keenest German -rivals by the patient, diligent<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span> and hard-working German clerk, who -was willing to work for a mere pittance for the advantage of "learning -English" and studying British methods.</p> - -<p>There cannot now be the slightest doubt that thousands of these German -employees were, before the war, really in the pay of German firms, and -were busily engaged in sending to Germany all the information they -could possibly pick up which would tend to help the German and injure -the British merchant and manufacturer.</p> - -<p>I hope they have over-reached themselves, and that when the war is over -we shall see a great deal less of the English worker being supplanted -by spying Germans, whose apparent cheapness has been the costliest -labour Englishmen have ever employed.</p> - -<p>"Never trust or employ a German, and always make him pay cash" ought to -be the British commercial motto for the future.</p> - -<p>Stieber died in the early nineties, but he was succeeded by others -quite as clever, and even more unscrupulous than himself, some -of whom—though by no means all—have become faintly known to us -through the revelations made in the too few cases of espionage where -prosecution has been undertaken by our sleepy authorities. I say "very -few," of course, in the comparative meaning of the phrase. Actually, -there have been a fair number of cases, but when we consider the -slyness of German methods we must come<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span> to the conclusion that not a -fraction of the whole have been dealt with, in spite of the amusing -claim of Mr. McKenna that he has succeeded in smashing the German spy -organisation in this country. Our leniency in this respect is a matter -of amazement to people in France, and other countries where, from -bitter experience, the German spy-peril is better understood, and it is -also a matter of some resentment. Every blow at England, it is argued, -injures the cause of the Allies as a whole, and the worst blows are -likely enough to be struck by the undetected and unpunished spy.</p> - -<p>In almost every case of espionage in England in recent years, the name -of Steinhauer, "of Potsdam," has figured prominently. He is, at the -moment, the chief of the Kaiser's spy-system, and there is no doubt -that he fully enjoys the confidence and friendship of his royal master.</p> - -<p>Steinhauer—as he is known to our Secret Service—is an officer in -the Prussian Guard, and is about forty years of age. Personally, he -is a man of charming manners, of splendid education, and of excellent -presence, capable of taking his place—as he has frequently done—in -the very best society. Steinhauer—the man of a hundred aliases—acting -under the direct instructions of the Kaiser, and with the closest -support and co-operation of the German military authorities, -established in England such a network of naval and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span> military spies as, -when it was tardily discovered, fairly made our authorities aghast.</p> - -<p>The allegations I have made in these pages are borne out by Mr. -McKenna's own admission, that hardly anything was done in the matter -until about the year 1911; yet, as I have indicated, long before this -the Germans were actually plotting war against England, and were -preparing for it and looking forward to the day when they might hope to -wage it with every prospect of success.</p> - -<p>The following extract from a public statement by the Home Secretary -is worth quoting. It will be noticed that Steinhauer's name is -not mentioned, but there is no doubt that he was the head of the -organisation of which the Home Secretary speaks.</p> - -<p>Mr. McKenna stated in his remarkable and somewhat ludicrous communiqué -of October 9th, 1914:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>"The Special Intelligence Department ... was able in three years, -from 1911 to 1913, to discover the ramifications of the German -Secret Service in England. In spite of enormous effort and lavish -expenditure by the enemy, little valuable information fell into their -hands.... There is good reason to believe that the spy organisation, -crushed at the outbreak of the war, has not been re-established.... -How completely that system had been suppressed in the early days of -the war is clear from the fact disclosed in a German Army Order—that -on 21st August the German military commanders were ignorant of the -dispatch and movements of the British Expeditionary Force, although -these had been known for many days to a large number of people in -this country."</p></blockquote> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span></p> - -<p>Such an attempt as this to lull us into a false sense of security was -little short of criminal.</p> - -<p>If not from spies, asked a correspondent of the <i>Globe</i>, from whom did -Germany obtain, in 1912, the very valuable information that oil was -to be the sole source of motive power for the "Queen Elizabeth" (v. -<i>Taschenbuch der Kriegsflotten</i>, January, 1913)? Certainly not from -any English official source; for we were kept entirely in the dark as -to this momentous change until the <i>Morning Post</i> announced in July, -1913, that the battleship in question would consume liquid fuel only. -Even minor details did not escape the notice of German spies during the -period specified by Mr. McKenna. For instance, the <i>Taschenbuch</i> for -1914 contains this statement:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>"'Hermes,' at present tender to air-craft, and as such only carries -eight 6in. guns."</p></blockquote> - -<p>Yet it was not until the "Hermes" had been sunk in the Channel by a -German submarine, that any official statement was made as to how she -had been employed and her armament reduced!</p> - -<p>Again, there is irrefutable evidence to show that German agents were -ready waiting in France for the disembarkation of at least some details -of the British Expeditionary Force, and the whole world knows that the -German Emperor's insolent reference to Sir John French's Army was made -<i>before August 21st</i>.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span></p> - -<p>Further evidence of the activity of German spies before and since -the outbreak of the war is to be found in the following extract from -a letter written by an English naval officer, and published in the -<i>Times</i> of November 20th under the heading, "In the North Sea":—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>"Their (<i>i.e.</i>, the Germans') submarines are outside even now, and it -seems funny where they get their information. But, at any rate, they -are well served, as they knew where the Fleet was when we were at -Devonport, and we did not know ourselves."</p></blockquote> - -<p>Taking all these facts into consideration, it is evident that the -German spy system is more than a match for the Intelligence Division of -the Admiralty War Staff.</p> - -<p>Steinhauer—the chief of German Espionage—was the author and -inspiration of these "enormous efforts," and of the lavish expenditure -of money.</p> - -<p>With unlimited means at his disposal from the German Secret Service -funds, a close personal friend of the Kaiser, a man of undoubted -ability, great charm of manner and unquestionable daring, the man -known as Steinhauer must be ranked as one of the most dangerous of our -enemies. I have met him more than once. He speaks English practically -like an Englishman, and, out of uniform, might well pass for an -Englishman in any cosmopolitan gathering. About eight years ago he -was appointed to look after the German Secret Service, with special<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span> -instructions from the Emperor to particularly devote himself to England.</p> - -<p>He made frequent visits to this country; he got to know many German -residents here of the better class, whose efforts might be of value to -him, and within twelve months—while our red-tape-tangled Government -Departments closed their eyes and dreamed—had actively at work a swarm -of agents in every dockyard town and garrison where the picking up of -information of value would be possible or likely. How he must have -smiled! Every important town and city, many villages on the coast, -every naval base had its agent or agents, and there can be no doubt -that it was the result of Steinhauer's wonderful activities that at -last aroused even the supine British Home Office, which for years had -jeered at me and reassured the public with official denials that there -were no spies in England, and had laughed at the numerous warnings to -them to "sit up and take notice."</p> - -<p>And all this in face of a great and terrible national peril!</p> - -<p>I would here like to pay a tribute to the thoroughness with which the -Confidential Department have all along done their work. Up to the -limits to which the staff were allowed to go, they did magnificently. -There can be no doubt that a good many of the most active German spies -were detected and accounted for. The trouble is that the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span> Intelligence -officers were not allowed to go far enough—indeed, since the war the -director, who knew many of the spies personally, has actually been -relieved of his post. Why, we may well ask. Do not let us inquire, -however, but let us realise that after six months at war we still have -at large amongst us some 27,000 alien enemies who would, in any other -country, be safely under lock and key. This spy peril means the loss -of our sons and our loved ones, and a blow at our Empire. Even the -Department is subject to ordinary human limitations, and we shall never -be free from the spy-peril until we recognise with Sherman that during -war the military authority is superior to the civil; until we insist -with Sir Oliver Lodge that all foreign spies must be shot, and all -native ones hanged.</p> - -<p>This Steinhauer's crowning act of daring and cool "cheek" came in -1911, when it is stated upon the best authority that he actually paid -a visit to King George at Buckingham Palace, as a member of the German -Emperor's personal suite! In that year I met him. The Kaiser visited -London to attend the unveiling by the King of the Queen Victoria -Memorial. Steinhauer, the spy, was actually a member of his suite!</p> - -<p>Of the action of our false friend the Kaiser in this matter it -is difficult to speak with patience. At this time, it should be -remembered, he was professing the firmest friendship<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span> for England, -and more than one Cabinet Minister was full of his praise; yet this -pinchbeck Napoleon could find it within his notions of honour to -introduce to England the one man of all others who was most active in -the perfidious campaign against her. Can it be wondered that with such -an example of treachery to lead them, German diplomatists made small -ado about tearing up the solemn treaty which guaranteed the neutrality -of Belgium!</p> - -<p>At this time, of course, Steinhauer's real mission was unknown to our -Home Office, and, of course, Steinhauer is not his real name. It was -not until later in the year that the Confidential Department fixed his -identity and ascertained his true character. One sighs to realise the -farce of it all.</p> - -<p>Then began a campaign in which the Germans were badly outwitted. -Without giving the slightest indication that anything unusual was -on foot, or had been discovered, the Special Department—under the -director who is, alas! no longer there—set to work.</p> - -<p>One branch of their activities was revealed in a recent case, when they -calmly produced, in court, tracings of letters posted in London by -Steinhauer's agents. For once the spy had been met and beaten at his -own game. In the meantime, some of Steinhauer's chief agents had been -identified, and were kept under the closest but most unostentatious -surveillance.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span></p> - -<p>Arrests were made in a number of cases, and in many others information -was secured which bore prompt fruit when war was declared, and over two -hundred of the "master-spy's" tools were captured in different parts of -the country and interned.</p> - -<p>It is, however, beyond doubt that many of this man's agents, of greater -or less influence or ability, are to-day still at liberty, and there -is no doubt either that many have come over in the guise of Belgian -refugees; that, indeed, has been officially admitted. Of course, they -are now working under enormously greater difficulties in getting -information, owing to the increased severity of the watch kept at all -places of importance. And even to send it away when they have got it is -not easy, though no doubt it is arranged, through Italy, Denmark, or -Scandinavia.</p> - -<p>Here is an instance reported by me to the authorities, as I considered -it full of suspicion. Among the thousands of Belgian refugees arriving -in England just before the fall of Antwerp—a city infested by German -spies—there came among us a certain priest, with four other male -companions. The priest explained to the Relief Committee which received -him, that he was head of a certain college in Belgium. He and his -companions were, at their own request, passed on to a provincial Relief -Committee. There the priest's penurious position naturally aroused -much sympathy, and he and his companions<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span> were put into a good-sized -house, given money for their maintenance, and petted by many charitable -persons.</p> - -<p>The five were free to take observations in and around the place where -they were domiciled. That our enemy would be glad of any details -regarding it there can be no doubt. Then, of a sudden—in the first -days of January—the priest, to the surprise of the Committee, -announced the fact that as he had received a letter from the Cardinal -Archbishop of his diocese, stating that many of his old pupils had -returned, he must leave at once for home with two of his companions. -One of the latter declared that he had to go to "look after his -cows"—as though the Germans would have left him any cows! When -questioned, the priest admitted that he held monies of the college -which he must hand over. To say the least, their behaviour was highly -suspicious.</p> - -<p>By some persons who became acquainted with this curious request the -matter was viewed with considerable suspicion. There seemed no urgent -reason why the refugees in question should return, for their excuses, -when challenged, were of the flimsiest character. However, they were -able to obtain a sum of money, which went towards their travelling -expenses.</p> - -<p>I at once went to the proper authorities—with the usual result. -Officials "got busy" scribbling reports and writing polite -"acknowledgments," but nothing was done, and the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> priest and his -friends were allowed to cross to Flushing unmolested on January 5th.</p> - -<p>But while it may be true that the main spy organisation has been -partially broken up—as Mr. McKenna would have us believe—it should -not be supposed, by any means, that the peril is at an end. Letters -can still be smuggled out of the country. To test this, I myself have -communicated with friends in Germany since the war by sending my -letters to Italy, where they were re-addressed, and replies have come -by the same means. Signals can, and are still, undoubtedly being made -to German submarines lying within easy distance of our East Coast. -And there can be no doubt that the stream of secret German gold, part -of the £720,000 a year, has, alas! done its work all too well in -inducing at least a few renegade Englishmen to betray their country. -This thought leaves a nasty taste in one's mouth, but there are -black sheep in all nations, and the black sheep of this kind are the -master-spy's most precious instruments. Very few of them, fortunately -or unfortunately, as we may choose to think, have been discovered; but -an example was made of one—the ex-naval gunner, Parrott—who, perhaps, -was one of the worst examples.</p> - -<p>Much organising of the actual work of espionage in England is believed -to have been carried on by Count von der Schulenberg, who was recently -appointed Governor of Liége. A very interesting account of his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span> clever -methods was published by the <i>Daily Mail</i> soon after his appointment -was announced. Von der Schulenberg belongs to what is, unquestionably, -the most dangerous type of spy—the monied man of good family, of a -certain culture, enjoying the friendship of people in the better ranks -of life, and above all, able to plead many hobbies to account for his -presence in this country. We have many of a similar sort in our midst, -posing as naturalised persons.</p> - -<p>It was in 1909 that Schulenberg—whom I met at the Hotel Cecil, where -I was living—first settled in England. He took a flat in Jermyn -Street, where he spent a considerable time, probably in the work of -familiarising himself with the ramifications of the German spy system -in this country. He became well known among the German colony in the -West End, and he was in the habit of spending considerable periods on -some mysterious errands; at any rate he often disappeared for days from -his favourite haunts.</p> - -<p>About two years ago this Schulenberg left Jermyn Street—and the -Hotel Cecil, where he often came in to see his friends—and went to -live in Borough Green, Kent, a quiet village within easy reach of -Chatham Dockyard. Here he posed, of all things in the world, as a -poultry fancier! Here he spent a good deal of time, sparing no pains -to ingratiate himself with everybody in the district, and, to a great -extent, succeeding.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span></p> - -<p>We next hear of him as a "breeder of bulldogs" in the little village of -Hemley-on-Deben, in Suffolk, not far from Harwich. This was about the -middle of 1913. The amusing part of his pose here is that it was quite -obvious to everyone that he knew nothing whatever about the subject -which he made his hobby! He was utterly ignorant of bulldogs, and -everything pertaining to them. However, they served as the excuse he -wanted to cover his real operations.</p> - -<p>It is not thought that this Schulenberg did any actual spying; it is -more probable that he was merely an agent and a "cover" for the work of -others. That he may have been an organiser under Steinhauer is probable -enough, and it is known that he received visits from mysterious -Germans, to one of whom, in particular, he paid considerable deference. -After his departure, a very significant statement is said to have been -made by a young man who is now serving in our army at the front. This -man asserted that if he had been willing to do what von Schulenberg -asked him, he would, by this time, "have been a rich man, able to drive -his own motor-car." We can make a pretty good guess as to the class of -service that was sought.</p> - -<p>Many other cases of a similar nature that have come to light make -it plain that Great Britain was systematically divided out into -territories, for the purpose of espionage, each<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span> territory having a -head spy, or agent, to whom all others under him were responsible, and -to whom they gave their reports for transmission to the headquarters -of the German spy system in Brussels. These cases are too numerous to -mention individually, and it will be sufficient to quote one as an -example, that of Captain X——, of Manchester.</p> - -<p>The captain was originally arrested for having—needless to say he -was a German—travelled more than five miles from the city without -permission. When the case came on the magistrates took the view that -the offence was a mere oversight, and inflicted a small fine. Later, -however, certain facts came to light, and the captain was re-arrested -at the instance of the military authorities. Great importance was -attached to the case, as the authorities believed that through it they -would be able to lay their hands upon centres, not only in the North of -England, but also in London, through which the Germans were in receipt -of important information.</p> - -<p>Captain X—— was a man of the type who have done excellent service for -Germany among the too trustful English. Of charming manners, apparently -a rich man, and very "English" in his ways, he was able to move in -good society, and numbered among his friends many prominent Manchester -people. But there was another side to his character of which his -Manchester friends were not aware.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span></p> - -<p>One of his favourite haunts was a certain German club in the city. Here -he was seen almost nightly, and it was noticed that he seemed to have a -great friendship for certain hotel-waiters of German nationality, who, -like himself, were members. These club waiters, who evidently possessed -an amount of cash which is not common among men participating in the -"tronc," were constantly occupied with the captain in a private room. -They "did themselves well," and in course of time they attracted the -attention of certain Englishmen who were also members of the club. It -could not escape notice that German waiters were rather curious friends -for an apparently wealthy man moving in the best society in Manchester, -and there is only one explanation of their common activities. Of the -captain's ultimate fate I am ignorant, but we may assume that by this -time he is beyond the capacity of doing us further harm, at any rate -for a considerable time.</p> - -<p>"<i>Place aux dames!</i>" Among the "master spies" of the Kaiser we must -certainly include a proportion of the fair sex—those women of lax -morals discussed in the Reichstag. And of all the perplexing problems -with which our authorities have had to deal of late, there is none more -difficult than that of women who have been acting as agents of German -espionage.</p> - -<p>It is a popular jibe that a woman cannot keep a secret. Never was -a popular opinion<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span> worse founded. To the spy no quality is more -essential than the ability to hold his tongue—a casual word may be -enough to betray him under circumstances in which he might think -himself absolutely safe. And if some women, at any rate, could not be -trusted to set a very rigid seal on their lips, the Kaiser and other -spy-masters would be robbed of some of their most able and desperate -agents.</p> - -<p>History has shown us that the woman-spy is, if anything, far more -dangerous than the man, once she gives herself heart and soul to -the business. And the reason is obvious: she brings to bear subtle -influences—especially if she is of the half-world—which are far -beyond the capacity of the male spy. More often than not, she simply -works on a man's passions, and there are endless cases of men who have -given away important secrets not for mere sordid motives, but through -the wiles of a pretty little woman by whom they have been temporarily -enslaved. The woman-spy, as a rule, must be possessed of great personal -charm of manner, and more than a share of good looks—often they -are minor actresses or ladies of no profession. They are, indeed, -the aristocrats of the spy profession, for they can work with good -prospects of success in cases where the ordinary lure of money would -be rejected with scorn, and, probably, personal violence if it were -proffered.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span></p> - -<p>Now, it is absolutely foreign to the British character to take -any steps against women of whatever class unless there are very -clear grounds upon which to act. We may be quite sure that this -fact is fully recognised by the authorities at Potsdam. There are -to-day, in London—many around Piccadilly Circus, and practically -uncontrolled—hundreds of German women, clever and capable, who are -an unmistakable danger to our country. What to do with them is, -admittedly, not a problem easy of solution. We, as Britons, do not want -to inflict on women the unavoidable hardships of the concentration -camps if it can be avoided, but we certainly do want to protect -ourselves. The suggestion has been made that these women should be -compulsorily repatriated, and it seems as good a way of dealing with -the difficulty as any.</p> - -<p>One of the most notorious of the German woman agents is believed to -have come over to this country immediately after the fall of Brussels. -She is said to be an exceedingly accomplished woman, very good-looking, -and widely travelled, and speaking seven languages. The Confidential -Department are to-day keeping her under observation. A woman of this -kind is especially dangerous owing to her ability to pass in any class -of society, and it is to be hoped that the Department has been able to -curtail her opportunities for mischief.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span></p> - -<p>As I have, over and over again, stated in the course of these past few -years of Britain's slumber, the tremendous extent of the German spy -system cannot be over-estimated, nor can it be too strongly impressed -upon the public. Nothing is too large, or too small, for the net of -German espionage; no agent can be too highly, or too lowly, placed. -From the few chiefs who really control the dastardly work, designed -for our undoing, radiate channels which stretch into every department -of life, pouring in a constant stream of facts of greater or less -importance, but all having their proper place when correlated and -arranged by the keen brains in Berlin devoted to the work.</p> - -<p>Never let it be forgotten that an apparently trivial incident may -be the key for which the spy is patiently seeking, and that even a -seemingly baseless rumour transmitted by the humble German, as the -result of eavesdropping during his employment, may set the master-brain -at work upon some matter of overwhelming importance.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="CHAPTER_VIII" id="CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII</a></p> - -<p class="center">THE SPY AND THE LAW</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">There</span> is a vast amount of misconception in the public mind on the -subject of spying, and an almost complete ignorance of the law of -dealing with spies, military and civil, in time of peace and in time of -war.</p> - -<p>The subject is one which absolutely bristles with anomalies and -incongruities. In all times and in all countries, and by the great -majority of people, spying has been condemned as something essentially -dishonourable—to call a man a spy has always been regarded as one of -the deadliest insults. Yet here we have at once the first, and perhaps -the most striking, anomaly of the spy business—the men of unblemished -personal honour, who, unquestionably, would not descend to any act -which, in their views, was even tainted with meanness, have acted as -spies. I will mention a few of these cases presently; in the meantime, -it will be well to consider what international law has to say on the -subject.</p> - -<p>Naturally enough, the subject of spying met with a good deal of -consideration on the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span> part of the members of the Hague Convention, and, -so far as there can be said to be international law in the matter, -it is expressed in the conventional laws of war drawn up by the -assemblage. The following Articles of the Convention dealing with the -subject may be usefully quoted:—</p> - - -<blockquote> - -<p class="center">ARTICLE XXIX.</p> - -<p>A person can only be considered a spy when, acting clandestinely, or -on false pretences, he obtains or endeavours to obtain information -in the zone of operations of a belligerent with the intention of -communicating it to the hostile party.</p> - -<p>Thus, soldiers not wearing a disguise who have penetrated into the -zone of operations of the hostile army for the purpose of obtaining -information are not considered spies. Similarly, the following are -not considered spies: Soldiers and civilians, carrying out their -mission openly, entrusted with the delivery of despatches intended -either for their own army or for the enemy's army. To this class -belong likewise persons sent in balloons for the purpose of carrying -despatches, and generally of maintaining communications between the -different parts of an army or a territory.</p> - - -<p class="center">ARTICLE XXX.</p> - -<p>A spy taken in the act shall not be punished without previous trial.</p> - - -<p class="center">ARTICLE XXXI.</p> - -<p>A spy who after rejoining the army to which he belongs is -subsequently captured by the enemy, is treated as a prisoner of war, -and incurs no responsibility for his previous acts of espionage.</p></blockquote> - -<p>A very detailed and lucid exposition of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span> the law dealing with spies is -given in Mr. J.M. Spaight's "War Rights on Land," perhaps the fullest -and most authoritative source of information on the work of the Hague -Convention in respect to war on land.</p> - -<p>Now, in the conduct of war early and accurate information is of supreme -importance. One of the best instances of this on record was the capture -of Marshal Macmahon's army by the Germans in the Franco-Prussian War -of 1870-71. This, of course, was not the work of a spy, but it was the -result of information which a spy might very well have obtained.</p> - -<p>A Paris paper published a statement indicating that Macmahon's army had -changed the direction of its march. This statement was telegraphed to -London and appeared in the papers here. It caught the attention of the -then German Ambassador, who, realising its value, promptly telegraphed -it to Berlin. For Moltke, of course, this was a heaven-sent opportunity -of which his military genius made the fullest use. A new movement was -at once set on foot, and the result was the surrender of Macmahon with -his entire force.</p> - -<p>Granting that information of equal value may at any moment be obtained -by a clever spy, it is obvious that commanders in the field are not -only entitled, but bound to take the most drastic measures to defend -themselves against spies. The work of a single spy may wreck a campaign -and settle<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span> the fate of a nation, and here we have the real reason why -the spy caught in the act is punished with relentless severity. "Kill -that spy" is, and should be, the rule of every commander in the field.</p> - -<p>Then arises another consideration of equal importance: every commander -is entitled and bound to do his utmost to secure the best possible -information as to the enemy's forces, their disposition, their size, -and, above all, their intentions. It is of even more importance to -understand what your enemy intends to do than to know the forces which -he has available to carry out his plans. How, then, are we to draw a -distinction between perfectly legitimate scouting and reconnaissance -work, which can involve no reprobation and no punishment, and the -"spying" properly so called, which justifies the infliction of the -death penalty?</p> - -<p>The answer lies in a couple of words—the spy acts under false -pretences, while the soldier or scout acts quite openly; though, of -course, concealing himself from observation and detection, he does not -adopt any disguise or discard his uniform. The result is, that under no -circumstances can a soldier wearing his uniform be treated as a spy. He -may dare and do anything; if he is caught his sole punishment is that -he is treated as a prisoner of war. So far as the soldier is concerned -(the case of the civilian spy will be dealt with presently) disguise is -the essence<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span> of spying. This point is clear beyond the possibility of -misconception, and the commander who shot a soldier in uniform on the -plea that he was acting as a spy would simply be committing a murder.</p> - -<p>Usually, a military spy is a soldier who has laid aside his own -uniform, and either adopted civilian dress, or clothed himself in the -uniform of the enemy, or a neutral, the better to escape detection. For -such, there is no mercy; the penalty of detection is death. The reason -is obvious: the soldier in disguise is a far more dangerous enemy -than the one who openly carries out his hostile acts. In war, as in -peace, the enemy in disguise is most dangerous; the false friend is the -soldier's as well as the civilian's worst peril.</p> - -<p>Here we come to another anomaly: spying in itself is not a criminal -act. That is clearly recognised by Article XXXI. of the Hague -Convention already quoted. Consequently, unless he is taken in the act -the spy is immune; once he has regained his own lines, and discarded -his disguise, he is exempt from the consequences of his espionage, even -though he were captured and identified ten minutes later.</p> - -<p>To constitute "spying" in the strict sense of the word, the offence -must be carried out clandestinely, and <i>in the war area</i>. As we all -know now, and as I and others pointed out years ago, the United Kingdom -for many<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span> years has been flooded with German agents busily engaged in -picking up information on naval and military subjects which would be of -value to Germany. It is important to recognise that these agents <i>are -not "spies" in the strict sense of the word</i>, since the United Kingdom -is, happily, not within the war zone. In time of peace they could not -be shot. When war began, however, they were guilty of "war treason" -and liable to the death penalty. The case of Carl Lody, with which -I deal fully elsewhere, is a case in point. Lody was not accused of -"spying," but of "war treason." The word "spy," however, is convenient, -and no doubt it will continue to be used without undue regard to the -technicalities.</p> - -<p>It is necessary, I think, to make it clear how eminent soldiers have -found it not beneath their dignity and honour to act as spies, even -in the face of the general opprobrium which attaches to the spy. In -the first place, the obtaining of information is essential to the -successful conduct of war. Secondly, it is recognised that no moral -guilt attaches to the spy, as is shown by the fact that he can only -be punished if he is taken in the act, and as a preventive measure. -Thirdly, we must remember that only a very brave man, ready to lay down -his life for his country, could bring himself to act as a spy in war -time. The spy, let it not be forgotten, is under no illusions; he takes -his life in his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span> hands, and he knows it. If he is caught there is no -help for him; his doom is as certain as the rising of the sun. Only -a man to whom his life was as nothing if risking it would serve his -country's cause, would dare to undertake the perilous work of spying in -time of war. Whatever other attributes the spy may possess, and many -of them undoubtedly are individuals of a very undesirable kind, the -possession of courage must be granted to them.</p> - -<p>Naturally, it will be asked why the spy is so generally held in -contempt, and, indeed, in abhorrence. That this should be so is, in all -probability, due to a certain confusion of ideas between the soldier -spy who, risking his life in war, may be playing a truly heroic part, -and those miserable secret agents who, in time of peace and without -risk, abuse for gold a nation's hospitality with the deliberate -intention of working her ruin when war comes, or, still worse, the -traitor who is ready to sell the interests of his own country. And it -is one of the anomalies of the whole subject that the traitor who is -ready to sell his country's interests to a possible enemy should, in -time of peace, be punishable only by penal servitude, while the truly -brave and often heroic soldier who in time of war risks his life in his -country's cause, should meet certain death if he is detected.</p> - -<p>Let us assume for a moment that a man of the former class, the day -before the war broke<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span> out, had sold to Germany information of some -secret upon which the safety of the British Empire depended. There is -no such secret, but I assume it for the sake of argument. His maximum -punishment would have been penal servitude. Take next the case of a -German soldier who, the day after war was declared, crept disguised -into our lines and obtained information which might have enabled his -commander to capture fifty British soldiers. We should have shot -him without delay. Yet will anyone contend that there is anything -comparable in the moral turpitude of the two acts? It must not be -understood, of course, that I am pleading for clemency for the spy; my -plea is for greater severity for the traitor!</p> - -<p>We are now faced with another problem. If it is dishonourable to -spy—and many eminent authorities, as well as public opinion, generally -hold this to be the case—it is unquestionably dishonourable to -employ spies. Yet all commanders of all nations employ spies, and -if any nation failed to do so, it might as well—as Lord Wolseley -said—sheathe its sword for ever. We can take it for granted that, in -his many campaigns, Lord Wolseley made the fullest use possible of -spies, and yet his personal honour need not be questioned. We certainly -cannot say that he was dishonoured by the use of means often regarded -as dishonourable.</p> - -<p>Moreover, great soldiers themselves have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span> not hesitated to act as -spies. The history of war is full of such cases. Catinat spied in the -disguise of a coal-heaver. Montluc disguised himself as a cook. Ashby, -in the American Civil War, visited the Federal lines as a horse-doctor, -while General Nathaniel Lyon visited the Confederate camp at St. Louis -in disguise before he attacked and captured it. Against the personal -honour of such men as these no word can be said, and, as Mr. Spaight -points out, it is surprising to find a military historian like Sir -Henry Hozier declaring that "spies have a dangerous task and not an -honourable one."</p> - -<p>The truth seems to be that as regards the military spy in time of -war, popular opinion stands in need of revision. In the face of the -instances quoted, it cannot be fairly said that the military spy is -necessarily a man of dishonour. The spy and the revolutionary, in some -respects, fall under the same category. If they succeed, well and good; -if they fail, they pay the inevitable penalty, and no mercy is shown -them. Yet the revolutionary as well as the spy may be a person of -blameless honour.</p> - -<p>As a matter of fact, the Germans themselves—whose sense of honour -no one will regard as being excessively nice—seem to recognise the -distinction between the military spy and the wretched agents of -espionage, of whom they have made abundant use, who in times of peace, -work, and can only work,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span> by abusing the hospitality of the nation -among whom they live, and by tempting men to betray their honour and -their country's secrets. The Japanese, too, one of the proudest of -nations, and with a code of honour as strict as any in the world, have -recognised that there is nothing essentially dishonourable about the -military spy. During the war with Russia, Mr. Douglas Story relates, -they captured a Russian who was spying disguised as a Chinaman. They -shot him, of course, but they afterwards sent into the Russian lines a -message in which they hailed the spy as a brave man, and expressed the -hope that the Russian army held many others equally brave.</p> - -<p>Perhaps the most remarkable spy case on record is that of Major André, -which aroused the fiercest indignation during the American War of -Independence. André, who was born in London in 1751, joined the British -Army in Canada, and became aide-de-camp to General Clinton. Benedict -Arnold, an American commandant, had undertaken to surrender to the -British forces a fortress on the Hudson River, and André was sent by -Clinton to make the necessary arrangements.</p> - -<p>On the night of September 20th, 1780, Arnold and André met at a place -called Haverstraw, on the Hudson River. Then André changed his uniform -for plain clothes, and attempted to pass through the American lines by -means of a passport given him by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span> Arnold in the name of John Anderson. -As he was approaching the British lines, however, he was captured by -a patrol of the enemy, who handed him over to the American military -authorities.</p> - -<p>Washington at once convened a board of officers, who found André -guilty of espionage, and declared that he ought to be put to death. -Curiously enough, André himself did not protest against this sentence; -all that he asked was that he should be shot instead of suffering the -ignominious death of hanging. This request, however, was refused, and, -accordingly, he was hanged on October 2nd, 1780.</p> - -<p>The case created an uproar in England. The essence of spying is that -the spy shall be caught while seeking information, and André was not -thus caught. The Americans contended that so long as he was captured -before he had returned to his own lines he was to be regarded as a spy, -and, therefore, liable to condemnation. Many people in England, and -elsewhere, regarded André as a martyr. George III. granted a pension -to his mother, a baronetcy was conferred on his brother, and, in 1821, -his remains were allowed to be exhumed, and were brought to England and -buried in Westminster Abbey!</p> - -<p>It is most important to recognise the distinction between spying, -properly so called, and "war treason." The inhabitants of an occupied -territory do not owe any allegiance<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span> to an invader, but they do owe -him the duty of remaining quiet and abstaining from acts which might -endanger his safety or success. They are subject to his martial law -regulations, and, under certain circumstances, they may be guilty of -war treason. War treason has been defined by the Germans as:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>"The act of damaging or imperilling the enemy's power by deceit, -or by the transmission of messages to the national army on the -subject of the position, movements, plans, etc., of the occupant, -irrespective of whether the means by which the sender has come into -the possession of the information be legitimate or illegitimate -(<i>e.g.</i>, by espionage)."</p></blockquote> - -<p>It is, of course, regarded as an act of perfidy when a person whose -rights as a non-combatant have been regarded abuses his position to -render aid to the national army. Non-combatants, save when the "levy in -mass" has been put in force, have no right, it is considered, to meddle -in any way with the operations of the contending armies.</p> - -<p>Bearers of despatches, whether military or civilian, are not spies so -long as they work openly. During the Franco-Prussian War, Bismarck -contended that all who attempted to pass out of Paris by balloon -were spies, and should be treated as such, and though those who were -caught were not put to death, they were very harshly treated. He was, -undoubtedly, wrong under international law as recognised at the present -day.</p> - -<p>Since those times, the aeroplane has placed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span> in the hands of military -commanders a powerful weapon, not only of espionage or scouting, but -also of communicating information, and probably not even Bismarck, -were he still alive, could contend that the use of aeroplanes could be -regarded as bringing the airman within the laws of espionage. And there -is no difference in principle between the aeroplane and the balloon. -Obviously, there can be none of the concealment which is necessary to -establish spying.</p> - -<p>The invention of wireless telegraphy brought about a curious problem -in espionage during the Russo-Japanese War. A steamer, fitted with -a wireless installation, followed the movements of the rival fleets -in the interests of one of the London papers. She was boarded by a -Russian cruiser, and, as result, the Russian Government informed the -neutral Powers that should any neutral vessel be found within the -Russian maritime zone, having on board correspondents with apparatus -of this kind—which, obviously, was not foreseen in the then existing -Conventions—used for the purpose of transmitting information to the -enemy, the correspondents would be treated as spies, and the vessels -made prizes of war. That position is now untenable.</p> - -<p>Owing to the improvements made in wireless telegraphy, a very similar -situation might arise in a land war. It is possible, to-day, to -carry in an ordinary motor-car a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span> wireless outfit capable of sending -messages a very considerable distance; indeed, there is good reason -for believing that such an apparatus is actually being used by German -agents for transmitting information from the east and north-east -districts of England, to enemy submarines lurking in the North Sea. -A rigorous search has been made for this mysterious car, which has -been reported in various districts. Naturally, when the apparatus is -not in use it is concealed within the body of the car, which would -then become, apparently, an ordinary touring vehicle, with nothing to -distinguish it from hundreds of others passing freely along the roads.</p> - -<p>In this case there would be little doubt about the fate of the -occupants of the car if they were caught. They would not be "spies" in -the strict sense of the word, as their offence was not committed within -the zone of the operations, but they would be guilty of "war treason," -and liable to the death penalty.</p> - -<p>This is a very real danger, and the offence is one that it would be -extremely difficult to detect. The popular idea of a wireless plant, -gained no doubt from the enormous "aerials" of the high-power stations -sending messages thousands of miles, is that wireless telegraphy is -something that cannot be carried on without employing huge plant that -it would be impossible to conceal.</p> - -<p>Now I can claim to know something of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span> wireless telegraphy—I have -experimented for some years—and I can say, at once, that this is an -exceedingly dangerous fallacy. In recent years very great improvements -have been made in both transmitters and receivers, and to-day it is -quite possible to establish in almost any house, a small, but powerful -wireless plant, which would be utterly invisible from outside, but -quite capable of sending messages from any spot near the coast to enemy -vessels, such as submarines, lying a few miles away.</p> - -<p>Of secret installations there are, no doubt, to-day, many in various -parts of the country. Several stations have, indeed, been discovered. -The reason aliens were not allowed to possess a telephone was regarded -as curious by some people. But it was because telephone-wires, when -properly insulated and arranged, make quite a good "aerial." Further, -in any barn or long attic, aerial wires can be strung across, and -give excellent results. The spy does not need spidery wires upon -masts high above his house-top, or in his garden. If his instruments -are sufficiently delicate, and are connected with the underground -gas-pipe, or even to an ordinary wire-mattress, he will be able to -receive messages from any of the high-power stations within a radius -of, say, five hundred miles, while from a wire strung inside a -disused factory-chimney, and thereby hidden, a wireless message can -be despatched a couple of hundred miles. Therefore the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span> peril of all -this will at once be realised, for any spy who knows sufficient to fit -up a wireless station inside his own house, and is acquainted with -the latest developments of the science, need not use lamp-signalling -at night, or pigeons, or any other antiquated modes of communication. -Indeed, he can flash at night a code-message direct to Norddeich or -any other place on the German coast, and receive back his answer in a -few moments, no one being able to detect, until after long search and -inquiry, whence the mysterious buzz has emanated.</p> - -<p>It ought to be said, however, that it is problematical how long such a -fixed station, established say in Yorkshire, could be worked without -detection, because its messages must—sooner or later—be picked up -by some of our own Post Office or naval operators. The messages would -be in cipher, of course, but the important thing would be to know -that such a plant was being used. An expert wireless-operator, with a -newly-invented instrument called a "direction-finder," can make a very -good guess at the distance of the point of origin of any message he -receives, and once the proper authorities were on the track of a secret -wireless station, the work of hunting it down would be only a matter -of time and trouble. Such a case was reported a few weeks ago from the -Pacific coast, where a wireless station established in the centre of a -remote district was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span> giving the Germans valuable help. It was tracked -down and located, and it is said that a similar station was found -in the centre of Rome, and others in Paris and Antwerp. We might be -equally successful here, but, in the meantime, it is more than likely -that a good deal of damage might have been done.</p> - -<p>The case of a wireless installation used for a motor-car, however, -presents much more difficulty of detection. We might know perfectly -well that it was being used, and yet be unable to locate it on account -of its mobility. It is practically certain that it would never be -used twice from the same spot; indeed, it might operate along a line -running a couple of hundred miles north and south, and still convey its -messages to the enemy vessels. In such a case as this, we can only rely -upon vigilance and good luck to turn the trick in our favour.</p> - -<p>In my view, the Admiralty took an extremely unwise step when, at the -beginning of the war, they closed all the private wireless stations in -England. There are a great many of these stations—far more than the -general public realises—and the majority of them were being worked -by men whose loyalty and discretion stood absolutely above suspicion. -These installations—free from the heavy load of business thrown upon -the Government coast stations—are quite capable of doing excellent -work in constantly "listening" for illicit stations which might be -in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span> hands of German spies for the purpose of giving information -respecting our naval movements. The value of these small stations as a -means of detecting hostile messages has been entirely under-estimated -by the Admiralty, who seem to consider the risk of Englishmen being -either traitors or fools more than outweighs the possibility of -detecting secret wireless in the hands of our enemies.</p> - -<p>I have dwelt upon this matter at some length, because I am absolutely -convinced of the very serious danger to which we are exposed from the -use of wireless installations, small, but capable of working over any -distance up to, say, one hundred miles—and even less would be amply -sufficient—by German spies in Great Britain at the present moment.</p> - -<p>We now know quite enough of German methods to be aware that our enemy's -spies are not only singularly daring, but singularly resourceful. -I know what a small, compact, portable station can do in skilled -hands, and I am strongly of opinion that the risks we are running -in this respect are not sufficiently appreciated—perhaps are not -understood—by the authorities. Even to-day, in spite of the evidence -that I and others have been able to bring forward for some years, and -in spite even of numerous convictions during the past few months, there -is too much of a tendency on the part of the Government to try to "save -its face" by declaring<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span> that the spy peril is enormously exaggerated. -No doubt they will endeavour to refute my arguments in these pages. -They declared, for so long, that there were no German spies in England, -that even to-day they are reluctant to take the drastic steps which -the situation urgently demands. On no other supposition can we explain -the unparalleled liberty accorded to thousands of Germans, whether -naturalised or not, who are still permitted to live and move so freely -among us. Some, indeed, have been interned, and afterwards released.</p> - -<p>Returning to the legal position of spies (after a digression perhaps -not without its uses), it should be noted that the Hague regulations -distinguish between a member of the armed forces and a private citizen. -The soldier spy who has rejoined the army cannot, afterwards, be -punished for his act of espionage. The civilian who acts as a spy -enjoys, however, no such privilege. He has no business to meddle with -military affairs, and, should he be captured at any time, he is liable -to pay the penalty of his former deeds. Similarly, to harbour a spy is -also a criminal offence.</p> - -<p>A person found guilty of espionage may either be hanged or shot; -nowadays, the usual punishment is shooting, though the American code -still prescribes hanging. In earlier times, also, he was liable to be -executed on the spot, without formality of any kind.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span> To-day, he must -first be tried by court-martial in accordance with the established -rules of martial law in the country in which the offence was committed.</p> - -<p>The position of civilians in an invaded territory who give or transmit -to their own side information respecting the enemy's movements is not -without interest to us now that threats of a German invasion are so -freely indulged in by the Press of Germany, and preparations to defeat -such an attack are being actively made by our own military authorities.</p> - -<p>There can be no doubt that if a resident of an occupied territory gives -such information, he is guilty either of spying, or of a hostile act -against the invader, amounting to war treason, and equally punishable -by death. The "American Instructions" are very emphatic on this point. -They say:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>"If a citizen or subject of a country or place invaded or conquered -gives information to his own Government from which he is separated -by the hostile army or to the army of his Government he is a <i>war -traitor</i> and death is the penalty of his offence."</p></blockquote> - -<p>Thus, a Belgian resident in Brussels, during the German occupation, -found sending information to the Belgian authorities in France, would -be shot out of hand by the Germans, and they would be within their -clear rights in shooting him.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span></p> - -<p>A more doubtful case would be that of an inhabitant of a district not -yet occupied, who entered the war zone, obtained information, and, -having sent it to his Government, returned home, only to be captured -later when the enemy occupied the district. The view is generally held, -though the Convention came to no very clear decision, that in such a -case he could not be punished, as he was not supposed to belong to an -occupied territory. Such a man owes no duty to the enemy, as in the -case of an occupied territory, and once he has completed his mission, -he is free.</p> - -<p>It should be noted that the nationality of a spy is not material; -neutrals found guilty may be punished as though they were the -enemy subjects. Many Chinese who spied for the Russians during the -Russo-Japanese War were executed by the Japanese. One of them was a -Chinese officer, and the Government of China demanded an explanation. -The Japanese reply was quite unequivocal, and insisted on the right to -punish spies, no matter of what nationality.</p> - -<p>As I have said, all nations spy in the interests of national -self-preservation. It is not the <i>fact</i> of German espionage that has -roused the indignation of the civilised world against her. We have no -feelings even of resentment against such men as Carl Lody, though, -of course, we are entitled to protect ourselves against them. They -owe us nothing,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span> and they are clearly doing their duty in trying to -help their country. What has aroused anti-German feelings—which are -not likely to die out for many years—is the baseness of the German -<i>method</i>: systematic "planting" of agents who, for years, have posed -as the friends of those among whom they lived, yet have not hesitated -to betray them in the first shock of war. Thousands of paid German -spies have deliberately become naturalised Frenchmen, Englishmen, and -Belgians, as a mere cloak for their efforts to betray the country of -their adoption. Hundreds of thousands of Germans accepted for years -as friends in this country, bearers even of British honours, have -abused our hospitality, and added the vilest treachery to the blackest -ingratitude. While posing as our friends, they have worked their best -for our undoing, and—worse still—they have suborned and made traitors -of poor men, to whom the lure of gold of this kind is simply that it is -"not cricket," and for the false friend, not for the open enemy, the -British people reserve their bitterest scorn and contempt.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="CHAPTER_IX" id="CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX</a></p> - -<p class="center">A REMARKABLE SPY</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Of</span> the many cases of espionage which have come before the British -public recently, surely none exceeds in interest and importance that -of Carl Hans Lody, who, after trial by court-martial, was shot in the -Tower of London early in November. Lody was the first secret-service -agent shot in England after the outbreak of war, and the first person -executed in the Tower since the middle of the eighteenth century.</p> - -<p>Lody, beyond all question, was a very remarkable man. Before going into -the details of the charge against him, it is well worth while to recall -some of the leading features of his career.</p> - -<p>Born in Berlin, he was only thirty-five, yet he had seen enough of life -and the world to have satisfied many men of double his age. There is -hardly a corner of the civilised world into which he had not travelled. -He had been much in America, and it was a considerable help to him, -in his work as a secret-service agent, that he spoke English with a -decidedly American accent. This, no doubt, explains the fact—of which -more presently—<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span>that he posed as an American, and used an American -passport, which really belonged to a certain Mr. Charles A. Inglis.</p> - -<p>It was as Mr. Charles A. Inglis that Lody arrived in England early in -August. He knew England and Scotland well, and he is believed to have -been in this country once or twice earlier in the year. Originally, he -served in the German Navy; after he left he became a steward on the -liner "Hamburg." In the meantime he married a very handsome American -woman, to whom, apparently, though the marriage did not turn out very -happily, he was very deeply attached.</p> - -<p>When the Hamburg-Amerika Line established a series of personally -conducted tours from Berlin, Lody secured an appointment to take charge -of a party of rich Americans who were going round the world. He made a -similar tour in 1913 and in the summer of 1914, and when the American -medical societies held an International Conference in London, Lody was -one of the guides who helped to show them round England. None of the -Americans, it may be mentioned, ever doubted that he belonged to their -country.</p> - -<p>It was in August, as I have said, that Lody came to England on the -mission that led him to his death. He travelled as Mr. Inglis, though -to an American acquaintance who chanced to meet him he was still Lody. -It was some weeks before the attention of the Confidential Department -was drawn to him, and then began a game of hide-and-<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span>seek, which was -not without a humorous side.</p> - -<p>From August till the middle of September, Lody was in Edinburgh, a -district prohibited to enemy aliens, though not, of course, to an -American. Thence he sent, to Stockholm, a telegram which aroused -suspicion. On September 7th he was followed from the neighbourhood of -Rosyth, and with magnificent "bluff" he went direct to the police and -complained. So well did he play the part of an injured and innocent -American citizen, that the police actually apologised to him. He -slipped away and, for a time, all trace of him was lost.</p> - -<p>Then he went to London and began an examination of the steps that had -been taken for the protection of the principal buildings. Again the -Intelligence Department got on his track, and from that moment his doom -was sealed. No doubt he thought he had shaken off all suspicion, but he -was soon to be undeceived.</p> - -<p>After a visit to Scotland about the end of September, Lody went to -Liverpool, no doubt to pick up all he could about the Mersey defences, -and then over to Ireland in the guise of an American tourist on a visit -to Killarney. But the police had their eye on him all the time, and -he was arrested and detained until the arrival of Inspector Ward of -Scotland Yard. His trial and conviction followed.</p> - -<p>The public will never know the full extent<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span> of Lody's doings as a spy, -but it is beyond question that he was a most daring and dangerous man. -The reports he made have not yet been published, but they were of such -a character that, in the interests of the State, much of the evidence -was taken in camera, and those who have been privileged to read them -declare that, in their keen observation and clear expression, they -are among the most remarkable documents that have ever come into the -possession of the War Office. The Confidential Department did its work -well, and it is worth noting here that after grave suspicion fell upon -Lody, he was so closely shadowed that none of his reports left the -country, and they were produced in evidence at the trial.</p> - -<p>Lody's task was to travel about England and to send to Germany news -about our naval movements, about our losses and the steps that were -being taken to repair them. One message he tried to send from Edinburgh -read:—"Must cancel. Johnson very ill last four days. Shall leave -shortly." Innocent enough! But to Berlin, as Lody admitted at his -trial, it meant that the British Fleet, in four days, would be leaving -the Firth of Forth.</p> - -<p>What, we may well wonder, was to be cancelled!</p> - -<p>There was a dramatic scene in the ancient Guildhall when the -court-martial assembled to try Lody for his life—a scene strangely -unfamiliar in a country which, for a genera<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span>tion, has had little -experience of military trials. The court was composed of Major-General -Lord Cheylesmore as President, and eight officers in uniform. In the -dock stood Lody, guarded by two khaki-clad soldiers with bayonets fixed.</p> - -<p>The following were the charges on which Lody was accused:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>The accused, Carl Hans Lody, alias Charles A. Inglis, an enemy -civilian, is charged—first charge—with committing a war crime, -that is to say, war treason, against Great Britain, in that he at -Edinburgh, on or about September 27, 1914, attempted to convey to a -belligerent enemy of Great Britain—namely to Germany—information -calculated to be useful to that enemy by sending a letter headed -Edinburgh 27/9/14, and signed Nazi, addressed to one Karl J. Stammer, -Berlin, which contained information with regard to the defence and -preparations for war of Great Britain. The second charge is that of -committing a war crime in that he on or about the 30th of September -attempted to convey to a belligerent enemy of Great Britain—namely -to Germany—information calculated to be useful to that enemy, by -sending a letter, headed Dublin and signed Nazi, and addressed to -Karl J. Stammer, which contained information with regard to the -defences and preparations for war of Great Britain.</p></blockquote> - -<p>Lody's movements were very clearly traced at the trial by Mr. Bodkin, -who prosecuted for the Crown. It was shown, by the visé on the American -passport he was using, that he had been in Berlin as recently as August -4th. Another document found on him proved that he was in Bergen, in -Norway, on August 20th. In all his movements he passed as<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span> Charles A. -Inglis. It is not necessary to follow him in detail, but it may be -mentioned that apparently he reported both to a man named Burchard, -at Stockholm, and also to Stammer at Berlin. There were found in -his notebook not only a copy of the "Johnson" telegram, but also -particulars of British losses in battle and in the naval fight in the -North Sea, a list of German cruisers and German ships sunk up to date, -and also copies of four other communications to Burchard.</p> - -<p>Mr. Bodkin made it clear that, through the Post Office officials, -certain letters to and from persons abroad had been examined and -copied, and in some cases delivered; since August 4th letters for -Norway and Sweden posted in any part of the United Kingdom were sent -to London and there examined. Several of these were to and from the -prisoner.</p> - -<p>The main part of the evidence against Lody was taken in camera and -has never been made public, but that it was overwhelming there can be -no doubt; indeed, Lody himself admitted that he had had a fair trial, -and was quite justly dealt with. It was, however, mentioned that his -letters contained reports on such places as Queensferry, near the naval -base at Rosyth, and various other places round the coast.</p> - -<p>There was a very remarkable incident when Lody himself gave evidence, -an incident which gives us a good deal of insight into the real -character of this remarkable spy.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span></p> - -<p>Having admitted that his name was on the German Navy List, he said -that when he went to Berlin at the end of July he reported himself to -"a certain department," making a request that he should not be sent -on active service as he was an invalid, having undergone a serious -operation some years before and being unfit to do any fighting. -Narrating events in Berlin, Lody said, "A proposition was put before me -by a certain person."</p> - -<p>"Are you willing," counsel asked him, "to give the name of that person?"</p> - -<p>Then for the first time Lody's iron nerve broke down. He burst into -heavy sobs, and in a voice almost choked with emotion, replied: "I have -pledged my word of honour not to give that name, and I cannot do it. -Although names have been discovered in my documents, I do feel that I -have not broken my word of honour."</p> - -<p>"Are you unwilling," counsel asked, "to tell us the position in life -that person occupies?"</p> - -<p>Again Lody hesitated; then he added quietly that the person was a -superior naval officer. "I was summoned to see him," he said; "and I -had three or four interviews with him."</p> - -<p>Then came a question which provoked a very remarkable reply. "Are you -willing," asked counsel, "to tell the court what took place at those -interviews with your superior officer?"</p> - -<p>"I am willing to tell the court," said Lody.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span> "And I am willing not to -conceal anything, but I should like it not to be in public, as I shall -certainly refer to very essential and important affairs."</p> - -<p>Lody was then asked to give the "principal instruction" that he -received, and he did so readily. He was to remain in England until -the first engagement had taken place between the two Powers, and send -information as regards the actual losses of the British Fleet. Then -he was at liberty to go on to New York; he had previously asked for -permission to do so. He was also told to get all the information he -could with regard to the movements of the Fleet, and what was going on -in England, but was specially warned not to go and "spy round," but to -see as much as every traveller could see.</p> - -<p>Lody added that he was very reluctant to undertake this work, as he -felt he was not well fitted for it. He pointed this out, he said. -It was put to him that pressure was applied to him to induce him to -undertake the mission, to which he replied: "There was no pressure, but -there is certainly an understanding. If they make a suggestion you feel -obliged to obey. I have never been a coward in my life, and I certainly -won't be a shirker."</p> - -<p>Let us give credit where credit is due—even in espionage. I think -everyone will admit that, whatever view we may take of this spy's -offence—and views on the subject of espionage will always vary -widely—Lody<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span> behaved as a brave man. He was, in the first place, -absolutely loyal to his chiefs; there was about him nothing of the -craven wretch as willing to sacrifice his own country as any other if -he could hope by so doing to win any favour for himself. Nor would he -even speak in open Court of matters which, as he thought, might have -been prejudicial to us. One cannot but recognise his chivalry. It is -not often that the man in the dock deserves all his counsel says about -him, but Lody was an exception, and the eloquent plea on his behalf -made by Mr. George Elliott, K.C., who defended him, deserves to be -remembered, not only for its references to Lody, but as a tribute to -British justice, which placed at the service of a dangerous adversary -the skill of one of the most brilliant members of the English Bar.</p> - -<p>Whatever his fate might be, said Mr. Elliott, he hoped the accused -would remember to the last hour of his existence that he had received -from the country whose interests he came to betray a trial which, for -fairness, was unrivalled in history. He said, quite frankly, that he -came to this country in the service of his own—as a German actuated by -patriotic German motives. He had told the Court all that he could tell, -refusing to speak only where it clashed with his word of honour as an -officer and a gentleman. He was not a man who had sold his country for -gold, and he had not attempted to corrupt a single British subject or -official.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span></p> - -<p>"I plead for him," said Mr. Elliott, admitting that a conviction -was unavoidable, but asking the Court whether they could not find -some extenuating circumstances, "not as a miserable coward, or as a -fear-stricken wretch, but as a man born of a land to which he is true, -whose history and traditions he cherishes. His own grandfather was a -great soldier who held a fortress against Napoleon, and it is in that -spirit he wishes to stand before you here to-day. He was ready to offer -himself on the altar of his country. I am not here to cringe for mercy; -my client is not ashamed of anything he has done. Many a man would do -for England what he did for Germany—may, in fact, be now doing it. -Whatever his fate, he will meet it bravely like a man."</p> - -<p>The verdict, as usual in the case of a court-martial, was not announced -until some days later, when an official statement told us that Lody had -been shot. He maintained his courage to the end, and died without a -tremor. Before he died he left a letter in which he admitted he had had -a fair trial, and expressed appreciation of the fact that he had been -treated, not as a spy, but as an officer.</p> - -<p>Now we come to the ugliest and darkest side of the Lody case. It will -be remembered that Lody was able to get about by the aid of an American -passport issued in the name of Charles A. Inglis. It was thought, at -first, that this was merely a passport obtained<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span> either by forgery or -by false pretences; as a matter of fact it was a perfectly genuine -document, but Lody had no right to it. How it came into his possession -shows the depth of degradation to which the German General Staff are -prepared to descend.</p> - -<p>Mr. Inglis, it was ascertained after the trial, was a <i>bona fide</i> -American traveller holding a genuine passport. He left his passport -with the American Embassy in Berlin for registration with the German -Foreign Office, or some other department. The Embassy sent it in for -registration <i>and it was never returned</i>. Nor was it ever heard of -again until it turned up in the possession of Carl Lody—a spy in Great -Britain!</p> - -<p>The German explanation to the American Embassy was that the passport -had been mislaid. The same fate, it is said, has befallen no fewer than -<i>two hundred</i> United States and British passports in Germany, and the -corollary of this astounding announcement is that at the present moment -there may be two hundred German agents wandering about equipped with -British and American passports which are perfectly genuine, and not in -the least likely to be suspected.</p> - -<p>The stealing of these passports by the German authorities has been the -subject of an official British communication, so that there can be no -doubt about the fact, whether the exact number had been stated or not. -"It has come to the notice of the Foreign Secretary," says the British -statement, "that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span> some passports belonging to British subjects leaving -Germany have been retained by the German authorities. Such cases should -be reported to the Foreign Office."</p> - -<p>I say without hesitation that I do not believe any other country on -the face of the globe would descend to such methods as this. I say, -moreover, that no nation capable of such conduct can be regarded as -possessing a shred of public honour. It is comparable only to the -white flag treachery, or the mounting of machine guns in Red Cross -ambulances, which is a feature of German warfare, to the murder -by bombs of non-combatants in districts where there cannot be any -soldiers, to the sowing of mines on the high seas, to the making of -shields for soldiers out of the bodies of miserable civilians, to the -slaughter of women and children at Louvain and Aerschot. What will the -civilised communities of the world have to say in the future to Germans -convicted out of their own mouths of disregarding every law of God and -man that may operate to their disadvantage?</p> - -<p>But even out of the theft of the passports—no doubt regarded by them -as an excellent stroke of "kultur"—the Germans are not unlikely to -reap trouble. The United States is not a country to be played with, -and in this passport trick there lie the elements of serious trouble. -Americans will not be likely to lie down quietly while their passports -are used for espionage, and it is more<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span> than likely that the Germans -have stirred up a hornets' nest about their ears. In the meantime, it -is reported from Washington that the Government has instructed the -Embassy in Berlin to sift the Lody-Inglis incident to the very bottom.</p> - -<p>That incident, too, has brought about much more stringent rules with -regard to passports. Henceforth no American or British passport will -be recognised as valid which does not bear the certified photograph of -its rightful owner, and extra photographs for registration purposes -will have to be lodged with the Embassy or Consulate by which the -passport is issued. In the meantime we may be quite sure that American -passports in London will be the subject of very special attention. -What diplomatic action the United States may take in the matter it is -impossible to say, but we can be fairly sure that such a proceeding as -the stealing of neutral passports and using them for the purposes of -spying in Great Britain will hardly be allowed to pass without very -serious protest.</p> - -<p>The Lody case has had one good effect in bringing home to a public, -which is, alas! too liable to be careless in such matters, the reality -of the German spy-peril in the country. The public had been so -consistently deluded in this matter by those who were perfectly aware -of the real facts of German espionage that it was far too much inclined -to look upon everyone who insisted that there was a very real and very -urgent spy danger as a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span> mere alarmist. It knows better now! Anyone who -glances at the columns of the daily Press must be aware that public -opinion is slowly awakening to the real urgency of the question, and, -though I and others have been bitterly disappointed that our warnings -have, to a great extent, gone unheeded, I am even now not without hope -that we shall yet see the public insist that adequate steps shall be -taken for our national safety in this respect.</p> - -<p>It is true we may offend Germany by the drastic action the position -demands. We may even, it is true, make the lot of Englishmen still, -unhappily, in Germany, harder and more disagreeable. We shall regret -either necessity. But the safety of the country has to come first.</p> - -<p>Germany has never shown the slightest regard for our feelings, and I -am sure that those of our countrymen who are prisoners in Germany, -military or civil, would cheerfully suffer any conceivable hardship -rather than that the safety of our beloved Empire should be jeopardised -in the hope of making better terms for them.</p> - -<p>To think otherwise would be to assume that patriotism had entirely -departed from us.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="CHAPTER_X" id="CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X</a></p> - -<p class="center">SOME RECENT CASES</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">We</span> can respect Lody; we can have no other feelings but the bitterest -scorn and contempt for such traitorous miscreants as the ex-naval -gunner, Charles Parrott, who, early in 1913, was sentenced to four -years' penal servitude, under the Official Secrets Act of 1911, for -selling official secrets likely to be useful to the enemy.</p> - -<p>The class of traitor to which Parrott belongs represents the spy in -his very lowest and most contemptible guise. About these wretched -agents among us there is no redeeming feature. Patriotism is, to them, -a word of no meaning; to their country they have no attachment: their -one idea is to make money, and to do this they are willing to risk the -very existence of the nation to which they belong. Show them gold, and -there is no work on earth too dirty for them to undertake! And we have, -I fear, many such men in our public services. It is men of this stamp -who have made the very name of "spy" a by-word in all countries and all -times—not the men who risk their lives in order to gain an advantage -for the cause<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span> to which they are attached by every sacred obligation of -honour.</p> - -<p>Parrott, up to August, 1912, was a gunner attached to H.M.S. "Pembroke" -at Sheerness. He was a warrant officer, and as such would have -opportunities of obtaining information which would be denied to those -of lower rank. The charge against him was, of course, not one of -spying, since the offence was not committed in time of war. It was -couched in the following terms:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>That he being a British officer did feloniously communicate at -Ostend to a person unknown certain information in regard to the -arms, armaments, dispositions and movements of ships and men of His -Majesty's Navy which was calculated, or intended to be, or might be -useful to an enemy.</p></blockquote> - -<p>In considering Parrott's case we have to remember that he was an -Englishman, in the service of the Crown in the Navy, and a British -officer. He was in a position of responsibility, and his pay, with -allowances, would work out at about £260 a year, so that he had not -even the excuse of poverty to urge in mitigation of his horrible -offence. He had been in the Navy for a number of years, and he was -regarded as an efficient and trustworthy officer, so that he was able -to become acquainted with matters which it was his obvious duty to -guard with the most jealous care. He had been associated with the -building of the "Agamemnon" on the Clyde, so that he was intimately -acquainted with all those particulars of guns<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span> and armaments which, -in the event of war, it would be of the utmost interest to an enemy -to know. He knew, in fact, of confidential matters of the utmost -importance.</p> - -<p>Parrott, on July 11th, 1912, asked for and obtained leave of absence, -on the plea that he wanted to go to Devonport. On the same day he sent -a telegram, not from Sheerness, where he lived, but from Sittingbourne, -to "Richard Dinger," at an address in Berlin, saying, "Coming eight -o'clock Saturday, Seymour." The same day he left Sheerness by train. A -lady travelled with him as far as Sittingbourne, and then he went on -alone to Dover.</p> - -<p>Apparently he had already become an object of suspicion, for on the -Admiralty Pier at Dover he was questioned by Detective-Inspector Grey. -He was searched, and on him was found a piece of torn paper on which -were the words: "When there is a chance," "Coming over on Saturday of -that same week," "You telegraph probably Saturday, then I make all my -arrangements to leave the moment I get order." On the other side of -the paper were the words, "Richard Dinger, Esq.," and "With much love, -yours, R."</p> - -<p>Parrott's explanation of all this was that he had been writing to a -woman in the name of another man, and that he was going to meet her at -Ostend. In his pocket was found a naval signal-form, and in answer to -the Inspector he admitted that he was a naval<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span> officer, and asked that -his wife should not be told about the "lady." The Inspector decided to -let him go, but kept the paper.</p> - -<p>Parrott evidently thought that the detective had no suspicion as to -the real motive of his visit to Ostend, or he would surely have taken -the alarm. He crossed, however, to Ostend, carefully shadowed all -the time by no less acute an observer than ex-inspector Melville of -Scotland Yard. When the boat arrived at Ostend, Parrott went through -the station, and was joined by another man. There was no greeting, -no welcome, no handshaking, not a sign of recognition; the other man -simply sidled up alongside Parrott and they went off together. Mr. -Melville formed the opinion that the man was a foreigner, and probably -a German. They went about together for a time and then Parrott returned -to Dover.</p> - -<p>An inquiry followed, and ultimately Parrott's name was removed from the -Navy List. The case against him was not, however, complete, and it was -not until October that the police were able to lay him by the heels. -It was then found that he was having letters addressed to him in the -name of Couch delivered at a tobacconist's shop at Chelsea. Five or -six letters came to him, and on November 16th two police officers went -to the shop, where another letter had arrived. During the day Parrott -called, the letter was given to him, and he was at once arrested.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span></p> - -<p>In his presence the letter was opened. Inside were two £5 Bank of -England notes—which, it was afterwards shown, had been in circulation -in Germany—and a letter bearing the postmark "London, E.," which was -as follows:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>Dear Mr. Couch,—I am very much obliged to you for your prompt reply -to my last letter. Now I beg to place in your hands some questions -in addition to my last letter. Have the goodness to leave as soon as -possible for Firth of Forth, ascertaining about the following:—Which -parts of the Fleet are in or off the Forth since November 5. Only -the vessels of the First and Eighth Destroyer Flotilla, or which -other men-of-war of any kind else? Where is the Second Destroyer -Flotilla now? Have there been mobilising tests of the Flotillas and -coast defences in the Firth of Forth? What are the Flotillas doing or -proposing now? What number of Royal Fleet Reserve Class A are called -in now for the yearly exercise? Where do they exercise? Are any of -these men kept longer than a fortnight? I think it will be necessary -to stay some days at Firth of Forth for gathering information about -those questions. I should be much obliged if I could be informed as -soon as you have got satisfying statements about one or several of -these points. Do not wait to answer until you have found out all I -wish to know.</p> - -<p>Enclosed £10 as travel expenses for the last and this journey. Please -tell me in the next letter after having returned to London your -expenses that I can hand you the balance if the £10 should not do -it. I beg you to keep yourself ready, if possible also in the near -future, to run over immediately to any place as soon as rumours as -to extraordinary preparations of material and personal are running. -In such a case please do not wait until you have received an order -from me, but leave on your own<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span> accord, and at the same time send -your address and make your doings known to me with particulars of the -reason.—Yours truly, <span class="smcap">Richard</span>.</p></blockquote> - -<p>I have given this letter in full for several reasons. Parrott was -not definitely charged with giving information to Germany, but the -letter is obviously the work of a German, and, moreover, a German who -was working in London—for it was posted in the Eastern district! -It suggests, moreover, that the Germans suspected that some naval -movements were on foot, and were willing to pay handsomely to get -the news; it will be noted that Parrott was practically given <i>carte -blanche</i> to spend what he liked without waiting for authority from -his master. A subsequent examination of his banking account showed -that he had paid in about fourteen £5 notes, some of which had been in -circulation in Germany. He had also been in Hamburg and Flushing, two -centres of German espionage.</p> - -<p>Parrott's own explanation of the affair was that he met a woman in a -London music hall and went over to Ostend to see her. While he was -there he failed to meet the woman, but a man came up to him and asked -him if he was expecting to meet anyone. He replied that he expected to -meet a lady, and the man then professed to know about her, and said she -was unable to come. After that he received a letter from the man he met -at Ostend. At that time he had been dismissed from the Service, and the -letter<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span> expressed the concern of the writer, and the lady had offered -to help him. He replied asking what assistance they could give, and had -a letter asking him to go to Hamburg. He went and met the man, who said -he was a newspaper correspondent, and asked him to write an article -once a week dealing with naval matters—a story curiously like that -told by the spy Schulz. He afterwards received a letter from "Richard" -outlining the kind of article required. The man said: "Let me know the -progress of warships building, ships launched, ships laid down, and -the movements of ships. Send me a specimen article dealing with the -subject." He then bought a copy of a naval paper and from it wrote an -article, which he sent.</p> - -<p>Then Parrott described how he got a letter from the lady asking him to -go to Rotterdam to see her. This he did, hoping, as he said, "to induce -her to come to England, as he wished to raise the question why he was -dismissed from the Service." Not unnaturally the lady declined to come, -but Parrott admitted that she told a man who was with her to pay his -expenses, and then gave him 100 francs.</p> - -<p>"I have little doubt but that you were entrapped by a woman," said Mr. -Justice Darling, in sending Parrott to four years' penal servitude. -"You have been long under suspicion," his Lordship added; "I do not -believe for a moment it was a first offence."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span></p> - -<p>Even the Liberal journals which had long insisted that there were no -German spies in England thought this sentence was inadequate. "It will -strike most people," said the <i>Daily Chronicle</i>, "as not erring on the -side of over-severity." The case was a flagrant abuse of a most sacred -trust, and deserved all the punishment the law allowed; as a matter of -fact, it deserved a good deal more, and Parrott was more than lucky -that he was on trial, not in Germany, but in England.</p> - -<p>The case of Karl Gustav Ernst is of very great interest, not only -as revealing some of the methods of the Kaiser's "master-spy," the -man Steinhauer, but also as showing the utter futility of relying on -"naturalisation" of Germans to protect us against spying.</p> - -<p>We are constantly told that it is impossible for us to take steps -against "naturalised" Germans, as we have solemnly undertaken to treat -them in all respects as Englishmen, and we have even "naturalised" many -Germans since the outbreak of war. The Ernst case ought to have been -sufficient warning of the danger arising from the naturalised alien, -but apparently there is no limit to the innocent trustfulness of our -sleepy Home Office. How long it will be before we learn that a German -no more changes his nature by adopting naturalisation than an ass does -if he clothes himself in a lion's skin I cannot say; I only hope it -will not be brought home to us by some terrible catastrophe<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span> which will -seriously affect our fighting power. Ernst, be it remembered, was not -even naturalised; he claimed to have been born in England, and posed as -an Englishman. Yet he was a spy; how much more, then, have we reason -to suspect the recently "naturalised alien" whose national sympathies -have not been blunted by birth and long residence in this country? The -leopard cannot change his spots, and "once a German, always a German," -is the only safe rule for us in the present crisis.</p> - -<p>Ernst, who was a hairdresser in the Caledonian Road, London, had been -for sixteen years in business there. His function was to act as a sort -of "post-office" for Steinhauer of Potsdam, by whom letters were sent -to him for distribution throughout England. In order to minimise risks -of detection, these letters were posted in various parts of London. -Ernst, of course, besides acting as "post-office," made inquiries on -his own account, and did some of the work of getting into touch with -other agents. He was paid all out-of-pocket expenses and a kind of -retaining fee, first of £1 a month, and then, when he pointed out that -the business was both risky and important, £1 10s. a month.</p> - -<p>Ernst first came under suspicion of the Nameless Department as long -ago as October, 1911, and we ought to admit with cheerful gratitude -that he was a very valuable ally to us! From the very commencement -the authorities were, I happen to know, alive<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span> to what was going on, -and the closest observation was kept on the hairdresser's shop. All -letters were opened by the postal authorities, their contents were -carefully copied, and a most useful accumulation of information thus -came into the hands of the astute director of the Department. It was -not specifically stated that Parrott was detected in this way, but as -letters were sent to him by Ernst we may well assume that by such means -the authorities were put on his track.</p> - -<p>One of the most useful pieces of information picked up was a list of -names and addresses of persons to whom letters from Germany were sent -for distribution, and who were spies at Chatham, Sheerness, Portsmouth, -Rosyth, and other places. An amusing feature of the case was that -after all these letters had been carefully examined and copied by the -Post Office they were delivered in the ordinary course with only a -very slight delay, and thus the suspicions of the spies, if indeed -they entertained any, were most effectually put to sleep. The Nameless -Department was not quite the fool the Germans had some excuse for -thinking it!</p> - -<p>An important discovery made early in the case was the <i>nom de guerre</i> -of Steinhauer of Potsdam. He had at that time become "Mrs. Reimers." -"Mr. J. Walters, c/o K.G. Ernst" was soon found to be Ernst himself, -who had long before suggested the adoption of that name to avoid -suspicion.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span></p> - -<p>It will illustrate the thoroughness of German methods to mention that -most of the letters sent to Ernst were written on English paper, -so that when he posted them there would be nothing to call special -attention to them. One of the letters from Steinhauer read in court was -a request for English paper and envelopes, which Ernst duly forwarded -as "samples." Many of the letters intercepted by the Post Office -contained money, mostly in the shape of bank-notes.</p> - -<p>The work that Ernst was doing was sufficiently important to justify a -visit from the redoubtable Steinhauer himself, as we learn from Ernst's -own statement. During the time he was in custody Ernst made a statement -to a detective in which he said:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>I am sorry I was introduced into this business. Kronauer introduced -me. I thought it was only a private inquiry business. I have only -seen Steinhauer once. That was just before Christmas in 1911.</p> - -<p>He came to my shop on a Sunday morning. My shop was open and I had -several customers there. He said to me, "Are you Mr. Ernst?" and I -said, "Yes." He said, "Do you know me?" I said, "No." He said, "You -have heard of me, I am Steinhauer. I see you are busy now. I want -to have a quiet chat with you. I will come back after the shop is -closed. What time do you close?" I said, "Twelve o'clock."</p> - -<p>He said, "All right, I will come back after that, and went away. He -returned later and came into my parlour, where we sat down and had a -long talk."</p></blockquote> - -<p>This statement is exceedingly interesting,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span> as we know that Steinhauer, -as described in another chapter, was in London about this time, when he -actually went to Buckingham Palace as a member of the Kaiser's suite. -That he should be able to spare time to visit a man in Ernst's position -shows what work the latter was doing, and also throws a good deal of -light on the class of agent most useful to the Germans—the "small" -man, whose insignificant position does so much to guard him against -suspicion.</p> - -<p>In one of his letters Ernst represented himself as "a zealous stamp -collector," of course to explain, in the event of detection, the -constant remittances he was receiving from Germany. This letter, -addressed to "Miss Reimers," ran:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>Dear Mr. Steinhauer,—Best thanks for the 100 marks, which were -handed to me mid-day to-day. If you think it right you can in future -send my advance direct to me without having recourse to a third -person—namely, in the following way. I am a zealous stamp collector. -Many of my customers and also my assistants know this. On the -occasion of the next remittance copy the following letter:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>"Dear Mr. Ernst,—Your last parcel of stamps arrived just in time -to be included in last month's sale. Messrs. Kurt Moeser and also -Koehler, the Berlin stamp auctioneers, are realising good prices at -their sales. I have enclosed 100 marks on account, and will forward -balance later. A receipt for the enclosed by return will oblige."</p></blockquote> - -<p>I have sent you last Sunday's paper. What I can see from the case -Henschel will go over to the British Secret Service just as the doctor -from Glasgow has done. It has also occurred to me that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span> Henschel's -wife's maiden name was Miss Riley, and that one of Scotland Yard's -Special Service Inspectors, who had the case in hand, was also called -Riley. In conclusion, many greetings.—I remain, yours, <span class="smcap">J. -Walters</span>.</p></blockquote> - -<p>It may be mentioned incidentally that the "doctor from Glasgow" was -Armgaard Carl Graves, a well-known spy. Henschel was a German who was -accused in London on his own confession of disclosing naval secrets -and of conspiring with the ex-gunner Parrott. It was suggested that -certain information he gave was communicated under the understanding -that he should not be prosecuted, and under the circumstances the Crown -withdrew the case, the accused giving an undertaking that he would not -in any way make known the matter with which he had become acquainted.</p> - -<p>Ernst's case was hopeless from the start; in fact, so complete was the -evidence, that as soon as Mr. Bodkin had opened the case for the Crown, -his counsel withdrew, explaining that the prisoner had assured him he -had had nothing to do with espionage, but that he (counsel) was sure -Mr. Bodkin would not make an opening statement he could not justify.</p> - -<p>Ernst was sent to seven years' penal servitude. "You are a mean, -mercenary spy," said Mr. Justice Coleridge in sentencing him, "ready to -betray your country to the enemy for money; equally ready, I dare say, -to betray Germany to us for an increased<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span> reward." The case could not -have been better summed up.</p> - -<p>I will now pass on to the case of Armgaard Carl Graves, which is -remarkable chiefly for its extraordinary sequel. Graves, who was -arrested in Glasgow, had been receiving letters at the Post Office -in the name of "John Stafford." When he was taken into custody a -memorandum-book found in his pocket was found to contain a number of -leaves gummed together at the open edges. When they were cut apart the -police found groups of figures opposite German phrases, apparently -constituting a code. In a pocket-case several more groups of figures -were found, the number 271 being subtracted from each. That afterwards -supplied the key to the code. There was also a note in German relating -to a new gun under construction by Beardmore and Company, and three -code telegrams from Amsterdam. There were also found a number of -maps covering the Firth of Forth and the vicinity, and a bundle of -cartridge cases, including two of the latest British Army pattern. The -description of the new gun was said to be practically accurate, and it -was also stated that Graves' code appeared to indicate every class of -ship in the Navy, and also such strategic points as Scapa Flow, Moray -Firth and Cromarty—the same code which is probably being used by the -naval spies still amongst us to-day.</p> - -<p>This code, used for the telegrams between<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span> the prisoner and his -Continental correspondents, was, said counsel for the Crown, a very -deadly one to be found in his possession. If the person utilising it -were in a certain place on a certain day and found that mines were -being laid, he would telegraph the figures 11,719 to 11,729. "He seems -to be the ideal character for a spy," counsel added; "he has a very -high intelligence, and is sociable, genial and affable, while his -moral character is not of a very high standard." He was sentenced to -eighteen months' imprisonment. "Well—exit Armgaard Carl Graves," was -the prisoner's only remark on hearing the decision.</p> - -<p>Graves was sentenced on July 23rd, 1912. On June 7th, 1913, came the -amazing announcement that he had been released. When, and why he -was set at liberty, no one outside official circles knows; all the -information given was that "Graves was released in due course of law, -but there is no further information to give." Graves's own story was -that he was released in order that he might join the British Secret -Service, but this fact, and even the fact that he had been released, -came to us from America. The sensational story of his release and -subsequent adventures was published by the <i>New York American</i> in the -following narrative:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>Armgaard Carl Graves, former secret agent in the German service, -who was convicted of espionage in England last July and sentenced -to eighteen months' imprisonment, declares that shortly after<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span> his -sentence he was released in order that he might join the British -Secret Service.</p> - -<p>He was sent to America, and there discovered that envoys of Germany -and Japan had met in New York with the object of completing an -anti-American agreement. He succeeded in making a copy of the -document and cabling it to the British Foreign Office.</p> - -<p>He never got any payment from England, however, so has decided -to make the contents public. The agreement binds Germany not to -interfere in a great Japanese scheme of colonisation in the South -Seas.</p></blockquote> - -<p>Graves afterwards published a book in which he professed to give away -many of the secrets of the German spy system. Information we have -received from other sources shows that a great deal of the book is well -founded, and it may well be that on the whole it is a fairly reliable -exposure of German methods. But the last thing one should do is to -trust or believe the spy!</p> - -<p>According to Graves—whose account we should accept with considerable -reserve—the heads of the departments of the spy-organisation in Berlin -are all German officers, recruited from "the old feudal aristocracy." -He declares that though they plan the work, they never execute it. "No -active or commissioned officer," he says, "does Secret Service work." -He shows, too, that whatever ethics they may hold about doing dirty -work themselves, the German officers wash their hands entirely of the -methods their subordinates may choose or find it necessary to adopt. -One of them explained the matter<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span> to him in terms which admit of no -misunderstanding. He said:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>We cannot afford to be squeamish. The interests at stake are too vast -to let personal ethical questions stand in the way. What would be -required of you in the first instance is to gain for us information -such as we seek. The means by which you gain this information will be -left entirely to your own discretion. We expect results.</p></blockquote> - -<p>It was also made clear to him that he had only himself to depend -upon, and if he got into trouble he would get no help. "Be pleased to -understand," was the official warning given at the first interview, -"that this service is dangerous, and no official assistance could be -given in any circumstances."</p> - -<p>As to the agents employed in this work, Graves says the Personal -Branch, the most important, is managed from the Wilhelmstrasse, the -German Foreign Office, the Emperor in person, or his immediate Privy -Councillor. He adds:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>The personnel consists of all classes of men and women. Princes and -counts, lawyers and doctors, actors and actresses, mondaines of the -great world, demi-mondaines of the half-world, waiters and porters, -all are made use of as occasion requires. It may well happen that -your interesting acquaintance in the saloon of an express steamer, -or your charming companion in the tea-room of the Ritz, is the paid -agent of some Government.</p></blockquote> - -<p>A sinister side of the profession is also revealed; grave risks are run -by the spy even<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span> from his own side. A woman named Olga Bruder, whose -death in a hotel on the Russian border was described as suicide, is -said to have been poisoned; a Lieutenant von Zastrov was compelled to -fight duels until he was at last killed. They knew too much, Graves -declares, and the death sentence came from their own employers. One can -well believe it, for the records of German espionage show that in their -own interests the Germans stick at nothing.</p> - -<p>One episode which Graves relates concerns a famous dancer, still -living, whom the Germans believed to be a Russian Government spy. They -suspected that she had an "affair" with a young officer in the Potsdam -garrison, and one night they became interested in a gold "vanity bag" -which the young officer had given to her; they believed it contained -some secret military intelligence. How they got possession of it was -very clever.</p> - -<p>The dancer was at supper at the Ice Palace in Berlin, and her bag lay -on the table. A "clumsy" waiter upset a glass of champagne on the -cloth. Instantly the cloth was whipped off, and, with the bag inside -it, was taken away. A moment or two later back came the waiter with -the bag and many apologies. The waiter was a clever spy, and in the -moment or two that he had been absent the incriminating letter had been -secured. The bag was offered to the dancer, who at once opened it, and -finding the letter had disappeared, promptly said the bag was not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span> -hers. But she was put over the frontier just the same.</p> - -<p>Many more cases might be cited to show the ramifications of the German -spy system in England, but I have selected the foregoing as typical, -and most of the others follow more or less the same general outline. -They all point to the same conclusion: that the number of German agents -in England is endless, that they are to be found in all places and -in all ranks of society, that they are clever and daring to the last -degree, and that nothing is too large or too small for their attention. -Many of them, no doubt, have been interned; many of them, no doubt, are -still at work, risking everything in their ceaseless efforts to bring -about our undoing. There is only one effective protection—<i>to make -a clean sweep of all Germans and Austrians, naturalised or not</i>, and -confine them in the concentration camps until the war is over. Treat -them properly, by all means, but put them out of the way of doing us -harm.</p> - -<p>This drastic measure, it is true, will not protect us against the -traitor within our gates, but it would at least do much to remove the -greatest source of peril.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="CHAPTER_XI" id="CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI</a></p> - -<p class="center">27,000 ALIENS AT LARGE IN GREAT BRITAIN</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">We</span> know, from official sources, that in spite of all the foolish -self-congratulation of Mr. McKenna and his friends—who are "getting -on" towards Birthday Honours,—and his attempt to gag the <i>Globe</i>, -there are some 27,000 alien enemies still at large in Great Britain, -and upon their activities on their country's behalf, until recently our -only check was the shadowy form of "registration" that we have adopted. -Even many of those interned are now being released upon bonds being -given by responsible citizens.</p> - -<p>Unfortunately, anyone who ventures to suggest that these people—whose -bonds may be signed by persons in German pay—may constitute a very -serious danger, is at once branded, officially, as an alarmist, and -accused of attempting to manufacture a "spy scare," whatever official -optimists may mean by that term.</p> - -<p>I am no alarmist, and the last thing I should wish to see in our -country would be a scare of any description. But as I have, for so -many years, made a special study of the spy question, as the evidence -I was able to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span> lay before the Government caused the establishment of -our anti-espionage precautions, I think, without undue egotism, I may -claim to know something about the matter. I should have remained silent -unless I had been absolutely convinced that there is still a very real -and very grave peril of espionage owing to our supineness in this -matter of aliens living here practically uncontrolled, and certainly -owing to their great numbers not being under anything like effective -supervision.</p> - -<p>The popular idea of the spy still seems to be that he is, invariably, -an individual sent specially from Germany to wander about this country -picking up such scraps of information as he can. There could be no -more dangerous delusion. The Germans are far too acute to trust to -such methods; they know a great deal too much about the science of -espionage to dream of thinking that foreigners sent hap-hazard into -this country—obviously strangers and, therefore, most likely to invite -attention—are likely to be able to carry out safely the difficult -and dangerous work of espionage. Their secret agents are chosen, -invariably, with the utmost care and method.</p> - -<p>The "foreign" spy is not the worst peril; the real danger comes from -those who, for years, have made their homes among us, who have married -Englishwomen, and have become so familiar to their neighbours that they -are in little or no danger of being under<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span> the slightest suspicion. -This has been proved over and over again, both here and in France, -during the present war.</p> - -<p>The case of the barber Ernst was a good instance. This man had carried -on business at the same shop <i>for sixteen years</i>, and we can be quite -sure that the last thing his neighbours thought of him was that he was -a spy in German pay! No. He was a good Englishman like the rest of us. -Yet, it was shown that he was a secret agent of the most dangerous -character, and even worthy of a personal visit from the great and -distinguished Steinhauer himself!</p> - -<p>Now I hope that the many who have read my books over the last twenty -years will at least believe that I am one of the last men to be -suspected of any desire to belittle my own countrymen. I am simply an -Englishman who has tried to interest them. To-day I point a peril to -each and all of my million readers. But I wish to make it quite clear -that nothing I say in this connection should be taken as reflecting -on the work of our Confidential Department—a department which has -done magnificently and which in every way I respect. They have matched -brains against brains, and cunning against cunning, and the balance of -the account is decidedly in their favour. They have, indeed, fooled -Steinhauer's agents all through—examined their correspondence and -their reports, tracked the agents down by the information thus gained, -arrested a large<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span> number of them, and to a very great extent smashed -the organisation in its original form. So much I cheerfully admit, and -congratulate them heartily upon their success. My point is that the -work has not gone far enough, that what they have done has not been -adequately supplemented, that much yet remains to be done before we can -assume that a reasonable degree of security has been attained.</p> - -<p>On October 8th last, a very important statement was issued by the Home -Secretary, describing the steps that had been taken "to deal with the -system of espionage on which Germany has placed so much reliance." I -have shown elsewhere how the Confidential Department came into being, -and how it was able to "discover the ramifications of the German Secret -Service in England." In this statement Mr. McKenna says:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>The agents ... were watched and shadowed without in general taking -any hostile action or allowing them to know that their movements -were watched. When, however, any actual step was taken to convey -documents or plans of importance from this country to Germany, the -spy was arrested, and in such cases evidence sufficient to secure his -conviction was usually found in his possession.</p> - -<p>Proceedings under the Official Secrets Act were taken by the Director -of Public Prosecutions, and in six cases sentences were passed -varying from eighteen months to six years' penal servitude. At the -same time steps were taken to mark down and keep under observation -all the agents known to have been engaged in this traffic, so that -when any necessity arose the police might lay hands<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span> upon them at -once; and accordingly on August 4th, before the declaration of war, -instructions were given by the Home Secretary for the arrest of -twenty known spies, and all were arrested.</p></blockquote> - -<p>This figure, it is added, does not cover over two hundred who were -under suspicion or noted to be kept under special observation, the -great majority of whom were interned at, or soon after, the declaration -of war.</p> - -<p>Now, although the spy organisation which had been established before -the war may have been partially broken up, Mr. McKenna admits that "it -is still necessary to take <i>the most rigorous measures</i> to prevent the -establishment of any fresh organisation, and to deal with individual -spies who might previously have been working in this country outside -the organisation, or who might be sent here under the guise of neutrals -after the declaration of war."</p> - -<p>Here really we have the crux of the whole matter. It is easy enough to -deal with the known spy; it is easy enough in time of war for the Post -Office to watch very closely correspondence not only with Germany, but -also with neutral countries, from which letters can so easily be sent -into Germany—as I have sent them—and it is easy enough to censor -cables. Mr. McKenna says:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>This censorship has been extremely effective in stopping secret -communications by cable or letter with the enemy, but as its -existence was necessarily known to them, it has not, except in a few -instances, produced materials for the detection of espionage.</p></blockquote> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span></p> - -<p>I should think not, indeed! Would any sane person suspect the German -Secret Service of such imbecility as endeavouring to send important -reports by post or cable from this country in time of war, except as -a last desperate resort to deal with some unexpected situation in -an apparently harmless message? It was this very thing that brought -about the downfall of Lody, and the fact that he attempted to send -a cable-message shows how urgent he thought it was that his message -should reach its destination as soon as possible. He trusted to luck, -but luck failed him. If I thought our Confidential Department regarded -such a proceeding as normal, I should indeed be in despair.</p> - -<p>Remember one highly important fact. It is perfectly easy to-day to -travel from Holland or Denmark to Berlin, and there is no difficulty in -anyone with a British or American passport travelling from this country -to Holland. Some two hundred British and American passports have been -"mislaid"—in plainer language, stolen—by the German authorities. Can -we think for a moment that it would be impossible for the Germans to -find agents quite willing to run, as commercial travellers or what not, -the trivial risk of making the journey from England to Holland, where -their information could be handed over for conveyance to Berlin?</p> - -<p>Lody came to England as an American; I have no doubt he could have -gone back to Berlin in the same guise if he had wanted to.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span> We know -perfectly well that every scrap of official news published here finds -its way to Berlin in a very short time—a distinguished British -General a few days ago stated that the German commanders had copies -of the London papers within a few hours of publication. Where, then, -assuming a spy in England has secured some useful information, lies the -difficulty of transmitting it to those who are ready and anxious to -receive it?</p> - -<p>Suspected passengers on the steamers, it may be said, can be searched, -and letters found upon them examined. Is it to be imagined that a spy's -reports would be written in copperplate on a large sheet of paper for -all and sundry to read? Need they even be written at all?</p> - -<p>Censorship on mails and on cables, and the close examination of -cross-Channel passengers are excellent precautions, but, after all, we -are only locking the door after the horse has been stolen. Admit that -the spy is here, grant that he has got hold of a piece of important -information, and I will wager that he finds means of transmitting it to -his Government, if he possesses an ounce of sense.</p> - -<p>The man Louis Trabbaut, sentenced at Marlborough Street, had passed -through the German lines nine times between London and Brussels. More -than this, it has been shown that the Kaiser, since the war began, -has been using a courier <i>to send letters to London</i>! On October -8th, Mr. H.L. Reiach, editor of the <i>Yachting Monthly</i>, received a -card from Vice-<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span>Admiral K. von Eisendecher, who is attached to the -Kaiser's suite, stating that he would no longer subscribe for that -journal. There is no reason, as the <i>Daily Mail</i> pointed out, why this -particular communication should not have been sent by open post in -the ordinary way, but for some reason the Kaiser's Admiral preferred -to use the secret courier service. The letter, written at Karlsruhe, -was evidently brought over by a courier, stamped with an English penny -stamp, and posted in the South-West district of London.</p> - -<p>I wonder what else came over by that courier, and, still more, what -went back!</p> - -<p>"It is practically impossible," said a high police official discussing -this incident, "to prevent this smuggling of letters." The only certain -way to prevent it would be to detain and strip every passenger arriving -at our South and East Coast ports, and minutely examine every article -of their clothing. The authorities have power to detain and search -any suspected person, but that is very different from searching every -passenger—man, woman and child. The real remedy lies not in these -palliatives; the disease is desperate enough to call for drastic -remedies. We must stop so far as is humanly possible—and no one asks -more—the collection of information here. And there is only one really -effective way of doing this—intern or deport every individual of enemy -birth, naturalised or not, until the end of the war.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</a></span></p> - -<p>Now I am not alone in holding this opinion; it has been expressed by -our judges, and by much more exalted individuals than my humble self. -So recently as October 27th, the Recorder of Pontefract said:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>All those who have not been naturalised at all should be deported -until the end of the war. Those who had been naturalised during the -past ten years, since when Germany has been competing navally with -England, should be interned under supervision but allowed to conduct -their business; men naturalised over ten years ago should be allowed -to live on their own premises under substantial bond for their good -behaviour under police supervision.</p></blockquote> - -<p>This is the opinion, not of a layman, but of a judge, speaking with all -the authority and responsibility which must attach to his high office. -Must we write him down as a spy-maniac or an alarmist?</p> - -<p>Lord Leith of Fyvie is a nobleman who has been giving special attention -to the spy-peril, more particularly along the East Coast. Here is his -view, expressed at Torquay as recently as October 23rd:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>At last the chief spy has been removed from the neighbourhood of -Rosyth (it was late enough, I might remark!), and the Government has -recognised the necessity of making a wholesale sweep of aliens. There -cannot be any distinction between classes. The only exception ought -to be in favour of English women who have married aliens. All others -ought to be transported to a neutral country; out of Great Britain -they must go. Such a course would certainly be the most humane -course that could be taken. Originally the East Coast was the most<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</a></span> -dangerous zone, but in view of the desire of the "Head spy and devil -Emperor William" to seize Calais, it was necessary to deal with the -whole coast.</p></blockquote> - -<p>The Government recently decided to arrest all enemy aliens between the -ages of 17 and 45. This, of course, meant that all men of military age -were to be arrested, and it was a welcome step. No doubt this decision, -which was announced on October 22nd, considerably reduced the danger of -espionage arrangements that had previously been made, by removing many -of the agents. But are we to assume that the Home Secretary considers -that no German over 45 is capable of acting the part of a spy? Or is he -under the impression that 45 is the utmost age attained by Germans in -this country?</p> - -<p>"After this war," said Mr. Justice Ridley at Worcester Assizes on -October 22nd, "we must make an end of spies. The German nation appears -to think that it can conquer Europe by a system of espionage. We will -have no more of that." Most people will concur with the learned judge's -view, but will regard it as rather belated to wait till "the end of the -war" to make an end of the German espionage which is rampant <i>now</i>!</p> - -<p>It is often represented by well-meaning people that it would be unjust, -and not in accordance with British fair-play, to take steps against -aliens who have become naturalised. We are told that these people have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</a></span> -been promised the full liberty accorded to British-born subjects, and -that to treat them in a manner different from other Englishmen would be -to go back upon our solemn undertaking.</p> - -<p>I confess this argument leaves me unmoved. We have no use for the -unpatriotic get-rich-at-the-expense-of-your-neighbour arguments. We -are Britons, and Britons we will remain in spite of the puny leading -articles in unimportant papers. Naturalisation, in the great majority -of cases, means absolutely nothing; it is, indeed, usually adopted -purely for business reasons. Seldom does a German become so imbued -with profound veneration for our institutions and customs that nothing -short of citizenship of our Empire will satisfy his sacred feelings -of patriotism. Moreover, naturalisation is one of the spy's favourite -devices, and surely one of his best methods of disarming any possible -suspicion.</p> - -<p>But these are not ordinary times, and the requirements of the situation -as we see it cannot surely be met by ordinary methods. Nothing is more -jealously guarded in this country than the right to be protected from -arbitrary imprisonment. No one in England can be arrested and kept in -custody for more than a few hours without being fully informed of the -nature of the charge against him, and brought before a magistrate, -whose duty it is to decide whether there is a <i>prima facie</i> case -against him, upon which he should be sent for trial. That, in ordinary -times, is<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</a></span> the British practice. Yet, only a few days before I write, -the High Court refused an order, under the Habeas Corpus Act, that an -Englishman, who had been imprisoned for over a week without any charge -having been made against him, should be brought up for trial.</p> - -<p>The case was a remarkable one. A collision had occurred between a -submarine and a British steamer, and the captain of the steamer was -arrested. No charge being preferred against him, application was made -to the High Court. It was stated in Court that a charge might be made, -but that it was against the interests of the nation that it should be -stated. The application was therefore refused.</p> - -<p>Looking at the absolute stringency of English law on this subject at -ordinary times, that was a very remarkable decision, but I venture to -think it was absolutely correct, since the interests of the State must -at all times over-ride the rights of the individual. The question of -the guilt or innocence of the captain, it should be remembered, was not -before the Court, and was not even discussed.</p> - -<p>The same rule, I contend, should be applied to the naturalised alien. -It was Burke who said that it was not possible to frame an indictment -against a nation, but we can say with tolerable certainty that no -German loses his German sympathies simply because he takes out -naturalisation papers at the British Home Office.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</a></span></p> - -<p>Undoubtedly, if it were determined to intern or deport all of alien -birth, whether naturalised or not, there would be many cases of -hardship, and many people who are good citizens and perfectly loyal to -the country of their adoption would suffer. Many such are suffering -to-day. I am not going to suggest for a moment that every one of the -thousands of aliens we have interned in the concentration camps is -dangerous, either as a spy or as a combatant. I do insist, however, -that many of them are, and to catch all the guilty we must necessarily, -though with regret, inflict hardship on some who are innocent. Exactly -the same conditions apply to the naturalised alien; in many cases they -apply with even greater force.</p> - -<p>In his published statement from which I have already quoted, Mr. -McKenna parades with intense satisfaction the absence, since the war -began, of any outrages traceable to aliens. He says:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>Another matter which has engaged the closest attention of the police -has been the possibility of conspiracies to commit outrages. No trace -whatever has been discovered of any such conspiracy, and no outrage -of any sort has yet been committed by any alien—not even telegraph -wires having been maliciously cut since the beginning of the war.</p></blockquote> - -<p>As a dose of soothing-syrup administered in Mr. McKenna's "best -bedside manner" this is inimitable; as a contribution to the solution -of a very serious problem, it lacks finality. I wonder whether it has -ever<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</a></span> occurred to the Home Secretary, or the sleepy Department over -which he presides, that, up to the present moment, there has not been -the slightest necessity for any alien to commit an outrage of any -description, and that to have done so before the time was ripe would -merely have meant rousing such an outburst here that, when the time did -come, there would probably not have been an alien left at liberty to -give help at the psychological moment? What, in the name of Johnson, -would it profit a German, or Germany, to blow up at the present moment -a tube station or one or two bridges on our main lines? The time for -that was when we were moving the Expeditionary Force, if at all, under -present conditions. But the movement of the Expeditionary Force was -carried out with such speed and secrecy that hardly anyone knew what -was going on, and in any case a slight delay to a few units of that -Force would not have been a vital matter.</p> - -<p>Now whether it is possible or not, whether it has a faint chance of -success or whether it is foredoomed to hopeless failure, an invasion -of England is at the present moment the dearest dream of every German -heart. To compass that, they are prepared to make any and every -sacrifice. Personally, I have no fear that to-day such an invasion -would have the remotest chance of success, but that is not the belief -of Germans, military or civilian. They believe that it is not only<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</a></span> -possible, but that it must succeed, and we know that plans for carrying -it out have been carefully elaborated for years past.</p> - -<p>Suppose the Germans come. Troops will be instantly hurried towards the -scene of their landing by every railway in England. What, then, I ask, -would be the value of a few skilfully placed charges of explosive? -What, then, would be the value of a successful attempt to cut the trunk -telephone or telegraph wires running along one of our main lines of -communication? What would it mean to us if an important bridge on a -main line were shattered, and many trainloads of troops delayed for -hours? Remember that in the unlikely event of invasion time will be -calculated by minutes, for the Germans must rely upon the effects of a -desperate dash to strike us in a vital spot before we could overwhelm -them by accumulated reinforcements.</p> - -<p>But Mr. McKenna tells us "there is no evidence of a conspiracy to -commit outrages." Let us fold our arms and sleep! I wonder what the -War Office would tell him if he hinted that there was no evidence that -the Germans were planning to invade us, and that they had better cease -the arrangements they are very properly making to deal with such a -contingency, however remote or unlikely it may appear!</p> - -<p>It is not in the least degree likely that all the German arrangements -and plans have been made for outside operations only, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</a></span> that every -internal device that could help to ruin us has been neglected; that -is not at all the German way. It has already been officially admitted -that there is reason for believing that the Germans have established -petrol stores in these islands. Is there any reason why they should -not equally have established depots of explosives for use in the same -contingency?</p> - -<p>Our naval authorities say quite plainly that, with the present -disposition of the Fleet, no invading force above the proportions of a -raiding party intended to create panic could ever hope to reach these -shores. To that, I think, the great majority of our people, supremely -confident in our splendid Navy, cordially subscribe. But in war no -chances can be taken, for the unexpected always happens, and though we -may not discuss the measures that have been adopted, it is known that -the War Office authorities have done everything possible to provide for -even such a remote contingency. Can we say that the Home Office has -done everything possible to cut the claws of the German plotters, when -so many potential enemies are still allowed to be at large amongst us? -And further, many enemy aliens are now being released, and returning to -their employment in hotels.</p> - -<p>Mr. McKenna has quite justifiably claimed that the Confidential -Department has broken up the organisation of spies that existed in -England before the war. For that, I desire<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</a></span> quite sincerely to give -them every credit. The Home Secretary has admitted, however, the -necessity of taking every possible step to deal with those who have -come here since the war began. And in this connection a very serious -position has been created by the swarms of unhappy refugees from -Belgium who have been pouring into the country for several months past. -Among these thousands, it is absolutely certain, there must be many -clever German agents, possibly men who have long lived in Belgium, and -speak French or Flemish without a trace of German accent.</p> - -<p>What steps are being taken to guard against this peril? It must be -remembered that in the case of these unfortunate people there can be -no question of passports, or papers of any kind. The great majority of -them are quite glad enough to have escaped with their lives, without -troubling about their papers, even had they wished to do so. There -would not be the slightest difficulty in German agents slipping over -amongst these thousands without any risk of detection, and we can be -tolerably confident that many have done so.</p> - -<p>It has been suggested that some of the better educated Belgians, about -whose <i>bona fides</i> there could be no question, should be given the work -of tracking down any possible impostors. They would probably be glad -of the work, and in this direction they could do much to help us. They -would be only too keen upon doing so, for most of them are<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</a></span> filled with -a hatred of everything German, beside which our own growing dislike -is a mere nothing. To lay by the heels one of the German spies who -have contributed so powerfully to the ruin of Belgium would be, to the -average refugee, the keenest delight. I believe this plan would be well -worth a trial, and I should like to see it put into effect immediately.</p> - -<p>The trial and conviction on a charge of high treason of Mr. Nicholas -Emil Herman Adolph Ahlers, a naturalised German who, for some years, -acted as German Consul in Sunderland, is a remarkable and emphatic -corroboration of every word I have written as to the manner in which -the authorities are dealing with the alien peril.</p> - -<p>Mr. Ahlers was accused of assisting German reservists to return to -Germany after the declaration of war. It was alleged that he sought out -our enemies, impressed upon them the necessity of returning to Germany, -and gladly paid their fares. The striking feature of the affair was, it -is alleged, Ahlers' own statement, "Although naturalised, I am a German -at heart."</p> - -<p>On December 9th, the prisoner was convicted of high treason, and -sentenced to death. Yet anything more farcical could not well be -imagined, and was certainly well in keeping with the tactics of the -Home Office. Mr. Ahlers was prosecuted for having "adhered to the -King's enemies." Yet he had only, after all, succoured the King's<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</a></span> -enemies to the extent <i>actually allowed to him by the Order in -Council</i>! As Mr. Justice Bankes justly observed at the appeal, it is -abhorrent to the mind that a man should be sentenced to death for doing -what the Home Secretary's circular expressly permitted.</p> - -<p>As exposed in the Court of Appeal, the whole prosecution was simply -another effort of the authorities to mislead and gull the public, and -to play to the gallery.</p> - -<p>When this amazing prosecution was undertaken, and the Solicitor-General -was sent down to Durham to invoke the majesty of the law, <i>the Home -Office must have known</i> that the Order in Council, issued by that -same department, gave alien enemies—up to August the 11th—the right -to leave our shores! Therefore Mr. Ahlers ought never to have been -prosecuted and sentenced to death. What was presented to the public as -a grim and terrible tragedy, turned out to be an amusing, though hollow -comedy. Yet we find, even in the final scene at the Court of Appeal, -the Solicitor-General gallantly protesting that the Order in Council -had nothing to do with the case.</p> - -<p>Of course, as the Press pointed out, had the matter been anything -but the merest jest produced for the purpose of making the people of -this country believe that the Government were at last tackling the -spy peril in earnest, the Minister, or other official, who drew up -the Order in Council might have found himself in an awkward position. -It<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</a></span> allowed alien enemies, without any distinction as to whether they -were combatants or not, to leave this country and join the King's -enemies <i>for a full week after war had been declared</i>, and whoever was -responsible for it was much more deserving of condemnation than the -unfortunate "German at heart."</p> - -<p>But a further fact seems to have escaped the notice of the public. -It is this. When the conviction for high treason had been obtained -against Mr. Ahlers—a conviction improperly obtained—the Government, -with their conscience awakened, hastened to prepare the public for the -comedy by issuing from the Press Bureau the following illuminating -communication:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>"The conviction of Ahlers is subject to appeal, the judge having -granted a certificate of appeal on certain points of law which arose -at the trial. The sentence of death was the only one which the judge -could pronounce in accordance with the law on a conviction for high -treason. If, on the appeal, the conviction is affirmed, the Secretary -of State for Home Affairs will consider the question of advising a -commutation of the death-sentence with a view to substituting a term -of penal servitude or imprisonment."</p></blockquote> - -<p>The whole prosecution was a ghastly hoax, for Mr. Ahlers had committed -no legal offence. The proceedings, so dignified and realistic, which -resulted in him lying under sentence of death for a crime which he had -not committed, was merely a hollow pretence in order to give a sop to -the public.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</a></span></p> - -<p>It reflects no credit upon our authorities, whoever was responsible, -and such proceedings are, surely, not in accordance with the high -morality of British justice. It is important, however, as serving as -yet another example of the pitiful rule-of-thumb methods which are -being adopted towards this grave peril.</p> - -<p>If the Home Department, in its wisdom, bestirs itself in future and -prosecutes dangerous aliens and spies, it is to be hoped that it will -not endeavour to further mislead us by presenting such a lamentable -spectacle as it has done in the case of Mr. Ahlers.</p> - -<p>Surely this is not the moment when the Department should be engaged -in trying to discover whether the German soldiery were guilty of any -atrocities in Belgium. The futility of the latter I pointed out to Mr. -McKenna in a letter I ventured to address to him at the Home Office on -December 11th, 1914.</p> - -<p>It ran as follows:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>"Sir,—Though seven days have now elapsed since my letter of December -3rd, I am still awaiting a reply, as I am anxious—in the interests -of the public—to have an explanation of the matter to which it -refers.</p> - -<p>"I desire to point out to your Department—which, according to Mr. -Aitken's letter to me of November 16th, is making an inquiry into -allegations of outrages by German troops, and in which my aid is -requested—that any further waste of public time and public money may -be avoided if it will—as it no doubt can do if it wishes—obtain, -through the proper channels, a copy of General<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</a></span> von Bülow's -Proclamation posted in Liége on August 22nd last. In this, the -General in question declares in reference to the destruction of the -town of Andenne:—</p> - -<p>"'It is <i>with my consent</i> that the General had the whole place burned -down, and about one hundred people shot.'</p> - -<p>"In addition, three official reports of the Royal Belgian Commission, -sent to me by His Excellency the Belgian Minister, are before me, and -I have interviewed M. Carton de Wiart, Belgian Minister of Justice, -regarding them.</p> - -<p>"Further, I would point out that your Department might, with -advantage, examine the proclamation of Field-Marshal Von der Goltz, -and also Major Deckmann's poster published at Grivegnée.</p> - -<p>"As these, no doubt, will be as available to you as they are to the -public Press, perhaps your Department may obviate further waste of -time by examining them.</p> - -<p>"Meanwhile, I await, with anticipation, a reply to my letter of -December 3rd."</p></blockquote> - -<p>Let us hope that the Home Department—if only responsible for German -spies in London, as it is—will really rub its eyes and awaken, ere it -is too late.</p> - -<p>For five months the authorities had been continually warned by Lord -Leith of Fyvie, and others, of spies who were detected in the act of -signalling at night off the East Coast. The newspapers were flooded -with correspondence on the subject, while I myself received more than -a hundred letters asking me to urge the authorities to take up the -matter, and deal with it.</p> - -<p>On December 16th, Yorkshire had its first instalment of the fruits of -the extraordinary<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</a></span> manner in which this signalling has been permitted -to continue, and the freedom given to spies. On the previous night it -was noticed, by reliable observers, that the night signallers were -specially active, and at eight o'clock next morning, the towns of -Scarborough, Whitby, and Hartlepool were bombarded by German ships, -resulting in over four hundred persons being injured, and over one -hundred killed, including many women and children.</p> - -<p>Information supplied by secret means to the German Navy had already -enabled shells to be flung at Yarmouth, but here, as in the attack -in Yorkshire, we have again very clear proof and evidence of spies. -Indeed, already orders have been issued to shoot at sight anyone found -signalling from the coast—but, alas! after so many innocent persons -have lost their lives!</p> - -<p>The daring adventure of the German ships show that they must have -received information concerning the distribution of our Fleet.</p> - -<p>According to the First Lord of the Admiralty, practically the whole -fast cruiser force of the German Navy, including some great ships vital -to their fleet and utterly irreplaceable, was risked for the passing -pleasure of killing as many English people as possible, irrespective of -sex, age, or condition, in the limited time available.</p> - -<p>Now we know sufficient of German thoroughness to be quite sure that -they would never<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</a></span> have risked a journey of over four hundred miles -from their base, through a sea sown with mines, unless they were -well acquainted with the channels left open. Knowledge of the exact -positions in which we have placed our mines could only have been gained -through spies amongst us.</p> - -<p>Surely this should be sufficient answer to Mr. McKenna's communiqué to -the Press.</p> - -<p>A special correspondent of the London <i>Evening News</i>, who passed -between London and Berlin twice, unsuspected, during the month of -December, and even visited Vienna, writing on December 19th of what -he saw in the German capital, declared that he heard the raid upon -Scarborough discussed in certain circles in Berlin on December 16th, -<i>three days before it took place</i>!</p> - -<p>In the course of his comments he wrote:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>"I always thought the spy mania in England exaggerated, but now I am -absolutely persuaded that even those Englishmen who recognise this -peril do not realise the lengths to which it goes. They have been -suspecting waiters and servants, whilst the spies are in high social -positions; they have contented themselves with searching the houses -of German barbers and grocers, whilst neglecting the hands which -collect and forward to Berlin the information gathered by more humble -satellites.</p> - -<p>"It is very sad to have to say such things, but I think the most -dangerous spies still in England are not Germans, whether naturalised -or not, but are people belonging to neutral countries—even to -countries actually fighting Germany—and subjects of Great Britain -herself.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</a></span></p> - -<p>"I would not have written this if I was not sure of it; the diplomat -from whom I got the information assured me that there are some -English and French of both sexes who come regularly to Berlin, or -to frontier towns through neutral countries, and have conversations -with officials and then return. The restrictions as to luggage and -passports, both in France and in England, are not half as severe as -they should be; <i>they are even slacker than at the beginning of the -war</i>. I know, personally, of a number of stolen American passports -under the shelter of which German spies are now travelling, and an -Italian Consul with whom I happened to travel a few days ago, said -he had discovered two fellows with false Italian passports almost -perfectly imitated.</p> - -<p>"In Berlin I heard people, well-informed people, saying that in every -English town of importance, and on every spot of strategical value on -the British coast, Germany has got <i>a few friends</i> keeping their eyes -open and ready to receive an eventual German raid, and to give their -friends as strong a hand as possible."</p></blockquote> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="CHAPTER_XII" id="CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII</a></p> - -<p class="center">HOW TO END THE SPY-PERIL</p> - - -<p>"<span class="smcap">After</span> this war," said Mr. Justice Ridley, in a passage already quoted, -"we must make an end of spies."</p> - -<p>"After this war," however, may be too late. I contend we should make -an end of spies <i>now</i>, and with that end in view I would propose very -strong measures—so strong that, I willingly admit, only very grave -national peril would justify it. That peril, I contend, actually exists -to-day, <i>and no steps we can take to minimise it can be regarded as -excessive</i>.</p> - -<p>At the present moment it is perfectly easy for any German agent to -travel quite freely between England and the Continent. As we know, the -Germans have in their possession a large number of stolen British and -American passports. By means of these passports their agents can come -and go between England and the Continent practically as they please, -taking with them any information they can pick up. And, although the -collecting of information has been made much more difficult by the -additional precautions taken since the outbreak of war, information is -still<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</a></span> to be obtained by those who know where and how to look for it.</p> - -<p>Now, the only channels by which this information can be conveyed abroad -at present are, first by correspondence in invisible ink beneath an -unsuspicious letter addressed to a neutral country—this was proved -at the court-martial of the prisoner of war, Otto Luz, at the Douglas -Internment Camp—secondly, by travellers between England and the -Continent, and thirdly, by secret wireless stations communicating -between our shores and the German ships—probably submarines—lying off -the coast. All three of these channels of leakage must be stopped.</p> - -<p>The first step should be the absolute closing of the sea routes from -these shores to all persons, excepting those who are vouched for by the -British Foreign Office. The second is a much closer and more persistent -search for concealed wireless plants, and a third, a closer censorship -upon outgoing mails to neutral countries. I happen to know that in -certain instances censorship upon both cables and correspondence is -quite inadequate.</p> - -<p>As to the second proposal, there will be no two opinions. Wireless is -already forbidden, and there is no hardship in taking steps to see that -the law is obeyed. With regard to the first suggestion, I am well aware -that many people will think it, as indeed it is, extremely drastic. -It would, of course, cause great inconvenience, not only to British -subjects, but to the subjects of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</a></span> neutral Powers with whom we are on -the best of terms. It would seriously interfere with business which we -have every wish should continue, and I should never suggest it unless I -were convinced of the urgent need.</p> - -<p>A correspondent who has just returned from Holland, where, says -the <i>Evening News</i>, he saw British tradesmen doing business with -German manufacturers, shows how easy it is for the Germans to send -professional spies to England <i>via</i> Flushing. A German permit will pass -anyone over the Belgian frontier into Holland: a Belgian passport is -not necessary, but such passports are issued by the local authorities. -There is nothing to prevent a German commander getting a Belgian -passport and issuing it to a German if it suits his purpose, while the -present examination arrangements on the English side offer no obstacles -to spies landing, especially from boats containing five or six hundred -refugees.</p> - -<p>The remedy is to make the landing test far more stringent, and to use -responsible Belgians in the work. One can readily understand that the -average Englishman, even though he spoke French and Flemish, would not -be able to detect a German, speaking both languages, as being anything -but a genuine Belgian. Such a man, however, would be readily detected -by a Belgian; however well he spoke the languages, some trick of accent -or pronunciation would be sure to "give him away." Thus our Belgian<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</a></span> -friends could do much to prevent the German spy getting into the -country.</p> - -<p>Assume that the spy is here; how are we to prevent him getting out?</p> - -<p>By closing the sea routes to all who could not produce to our Foreign -Office absolutely satisfactory guarantees of their <i>bona fides</i>. The -ordinary passport system is not sufficient; the Foreign Office should -demand, and see that it gets not only a photograph, but a very clear -explanation of the business of every person who seeks to travel from -England to the Continent, backed by unimpeachable references from -responsible British individuals, banks, or firms.</p> - -<p>In every single case of application for a passport it should be -personal, and the most stringent enquiries should be made. I see no -other means of putting an end to a danger which, whatever the official -apologists may say, is still acute, and shows no signs of diminishing.</p> - -<p>Under the best of conditions some leakage may take place. But our -business is to see, by every means we can adopt, that the leakage is -reduced to the smallest possible proportions.</p> - -<p>Now, a few words as to the future. Let us look forward to the time when -the war is over, and Europe is at peace again. Will it be necessary for -us to take steps to prevent a recrudescence of this German espionage, -or can we assume that there will be nothing of the kind again?</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</a></span></p> - -<p>In the language of Mr. Justice Ridley, we have got to "make an end of -spies" once and for all.</p> - -<p>The spy system has gained a firm and, I believe, quite unshakeable -footing in the German military system, and my own view is that directly -the war is over the old game will begin all over again. Whatever may -be the result of the war, we can take it for granted that Germany will -cherish dreams of revenge, more especially against the "treacherous -British," upon whom, at the present moment, she is pouring out all the -vials of her concentrated hatred and malignity. She has been spending -huge sums annually on her spy-system, and she will not readily give it -up.</p> - -<p>I certainly cherish the hope that after the war we shall be spared -the flood of German immigration that, quite apart from all questions -of espionage, has, in past years, done so much harm to England by -unloading on our crowded labour market a horde of ill-paid and -wage-cutting workers, many of whom were trade spies, and who have done -much to drive the British employee out of the positions which, by -every natural and political law, he ought to hold. This has been made -possible to a great extent by subsidies from German rivals anxious -to get hold of British trade secrets. The German clerk will never be -the welcome figure he has been in the past with certain British firms -who have regarded nothing but cheapness in the appointment<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</a></span> of their -staffs. Still, we may be certain that, welcome or unwelcome, the German -will be with us again; as a rule, he is sufficiently thick-skinned to -care very little whether he is wanted or not, provided he "gets there." -He will be a potential danger, and his activities must be at once -firmly restricted.</p> - -<p>With this end in view the French system of the registration and -taxation of every alien coming to reside in this country ought to -be insisted upon. Many worthy people seem to think that there is -something highly objectionable in a precaution which is taken by every -European country except Britain. As a matter of fact, there is nothing -of the kind. Every Briton, in ordinary times, who goes to Germany is -registered by the police; there is no hardship and no inconvenience -about it, and no reason whatever why the person whose motives are -above suspicion should object to it. The same is true of Russia, where -the passport system is strict; yet, once you have registered, you are -free to do pretty much as you please, so long as you do not attempt -to interfere in political matters, which are surely no concern of the -foreigner. Germans should be the last people in the world to object to -a policy of registration and supervision in this country, and to do -them justice the reputable Germans would never think of protesting.</p> - -<p>Another essential precaution would be that every alien coming to reside -in this country must produce his papers. There is no hard<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</a></span>ship in -this; the honest foreigner never makes any trouble about showing his -papers at any time. In every country save Great Britain everyone has to -possess such papers, and there is no reason why he should not produce -them when he goes from his own to another country. By a system of -papers and registration, the police would be enabled at any moment to -lay their hands on doubtful characters, quite apart from spies.</p> - -<p>It is also to be sincerely hoped that the Lord Chamberlain's Department -will request, as the <i>Globe</i> has justly demanded, that City financiers -who have been accustomed to make use in this country, without the Royal -licence or the King's permission, of German titles of nobility, will -discontinue this practice when they become "naturalised." We should -then have fewer pinchbeck "Barons" among us than at present.</p> - -<p>Evidence has been accumulating during the past few years, and came -to a head with the case of the German consul at Sunderland, that -naturalisation in the great majority of cases is a perfect farce. The -"naturalised" are still "Germans at heart." Naturalisation is usually -adopted either for spying or for business purposes, and to suppose that -the mere fact makes a German into anything else is to argue a pitiful -ignorance of human nature, and particularly of the German nature. There -is in this, of course, no reproach; we should think as little of a -German who forsook the cause of his country as of an Englishman who<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</a></span> -turned renegade. The Germans are an intensely patriotic people, and -we may honour them for it, but we do not want to help them to further -exercise their patriotism at our expense.</p> - -<p>Notable changes in the law relating to the naturalisation of aliens -were made by the new British Nationality and Status of Aliens Act, -which came into force on January 1st, 1915. Among the most important of -these is the power given to the Home Secretary to revoke certificates -of naturalisation obtained by means of false declarations.</p> - -<p>The Naturalisation Act of 1870 is now repealed. That Act contained -no definition of the classes of people who are to be regarded as -natural-born British subjects. This omission is rectified in the new -Act, by which such persons are defined as follows:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>(a) Any person born within His Majesty's dominions and allegiance; and</p> - -<p>(b) Any person born out of His Majesty's dominions whose father was -a British subject at the time of that person's birth, and either -was born within His Majesty's allegiance, or was a person to whom a -certificate of naturalisation had been granted; and</p> - -<p>(c) Any person born on board a British ship, whether in foreign -territorial waters or not.</p></blockquote> - -<p>I regard section (c) as far too sweeping; it seems to imply that -even the children of German emigrants born while their parents are -travelling, say to America, on board a British vessel become British -subjects, even<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</a></span> though they may never set foot on British territory -during the whole of their lives! In such a case, naturalisation -will mean absolutely nothing to the person concerned, while it is -conceivable that his claim to be a British subject might involve us -in awkward entanglements. A person born on a foreign ship will not be -regarded as a British subject merely because the ship was in British -territorial waters at the time of the birth.</p> - -<p>Children of British subjects, whether born before or after the passing -of the Act, will be deemed to have been born within the King's -allegiance if born in a place where "by capitulation, grant, usage, -sufferance or other lawful means His Majesty exercises jurisdiction -over British subjects."</p> - -<p>The qualifications for naturalisation are extended under the new Act. -Section 2 provides that the Secretary of State may grant a certificate -of naturalisation to any alien who shows</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>(a) That he has resided in His Majesty's dominions for a period of -not less than five years in the manner required by this section, or -been in the service of the Crown for not less than five years within -the last eight years before the application; and</p> - -<p>(b) That he is of good character, and has an adequate knowledge of -the English language; and</p> - -<p>(c) That he intends, if his application is granted, either to reside -in His Majesty's dominions, or to enter or continue in the service of -the Crown.</p></blockquote> - -<p>Paragraph (b), which is new, is certainly very valuable and it will -be cordially approved.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</a></span> Hitherto, in the granting of naturalisation -certificates, character and a knowledge of English were entirely -disregarded. By means of the new provision we shall be able to shut out -from British citizenship a large and exceedingly undesirable class of -alien immigrants and render their deportation practicable in case of -misbehaviour.</p> - -<p>In the case of a woman who was a British subject before her marriage -to an alien, and whose husband has died, or whose marriage has been -dissolved, the requirements of this section as to residence are not to -apply, and the Secretary of State may, in any other special case, grant -a certificate of naturalisation, even though the four years' residence -or five years' service has not been within the eight years immediately -before the application for naturalisation. The provision as to the -women is both humane and just. It will alleviate the hard lot of many -Englishwomen who married Germans before the war, and whose cases under -the old Act involved much unmerited hardship.</p> - -<p>Section 3 of the Act is very noteworthy. It provides that</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>(1) A person to whom a certificate of naturalisation is granted by a -Secretary of State shall, subject to the provisions of this Act, be -entitled to all political and other rights, powers and privileges, -and be subject to all obligations, duties and liabilities to which -a natural-born British subject is entitled or subject, and, as from -the date of his naturalisation, have to all intents and purposes the -status of a natural-born British subject.</p></blockquote> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</a></span></p> - -<p>The 3rd Section of the Act of Settlement, which disqualifies -naturalised aliens from holding certain offices, is to have effect -as though the word "naturalised" were omitted. This section applies, -among other things, to membership of the Privy Council or either House -of Parliament, or to "any office or place of trust either civil or -military."</p> - -<p>The power given to the Secretary of State to revoke any naturalisation -certificate obtained by false representation or fraud is contained in -Section 7, which says:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>(1) Where it appears to the Secretary of State that a certificate -of naturalisation granted by him has been obtained by false -representations or fraud, the Secretary of State may by order revoke -the certificate, and the order of revocation shall have effect from -such date as the Secretary of State may direct.</p> - -<p>(2) Where the Secretary of State revokes a certificate of -naturalisation, he may order the certificate to be given up and -cancelled, and any person refusing or neglecting to give up the -certificate shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not -exceeding one hundred pounds.</p></blockquote> - -<p>This is a very valuable provision, and it is one that, whenever fraud -or false representation is detected, should be summarily and rigorously -enforced. In the past our practice in the matter of naturalisation -has been decidedly too lax; I fear the granting of certificates had -become rather too much a matter of form, and possibly statements as -to residence, etc., had not been too closely scrutinised. There is -thus reason for believing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</a></span> that a good many individuals who are to-day -masquerading as "British citizens" would have extreme difficulty in -making good their claims to that honour if they were closely pressed -for evidence.</p> - -<p>It is important to remember that under the naturalisation law a -naturalised "undesirable alien" cannot be deported in the event of his -being convicted of a certain class of offence to which the alien of the -lower type is especially prone. These are just the men who most dread -deportation, since they are usually well known to the police of their -own country, and they are therefore most likely to resort to fraudulent -means to secure the protection afforded by naturalisation here. When -such individuals fall into the hands of the police in future, we may -be sure that their papers will be scrutinised with special care, and -should any evidence of fraud be detected we shall be able to strip them -of their too easily obtained British nationality, and relieve ourselves -of their presence.</p> - -<p>The taking out of naturalisation papers is one of the natural weapons -of the spy, and by the circumstances of his case he is very frequently -compelled to resort to devious means to secure his papers. Under the -new law it will be easier when he is detected to treat him as an enemy -subject, since inquiry of a close character will be likely, if not -practically certain, to reveal the deception of which he has been -guilty.</p> - -<p>It is to be hoped on every ground that the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</a></span> new law will be rigorously -enforced. I hold very strongly—and recent cases have justified my -belief—that the <i>naturalised alien</i> is among our most dangerous -enemies. For this reason, if for no other, the acquisition of British -nationality should be made as difficult as possible in order to protect -our country against hordes of subjects whom we do not want and who, if -the truth were told, would be found to have but the most shadowy claim -to the honour they seek.</p> - -<p>But, as the <i>Globe</i> has well described it, the Act is, at best, only a -piece of belated legislation. It is to be regretted that the Government -could not have seen their way to issue a proclamation postponing its -operation, so that Parliament could have some further opportunity of -discussing it before it is treated as settling the extremely difficult -and complicated questions which are inherent in the subject, questions -which have gained a new meaning in the last few months. It would be -satisfactory, for instance, to investigate the very curious problems -raised by the Third Section. Under this, certain disqualifications -which the Act of Settlement imposed upon naturalised aliens are again -made inoperative except as against aliens. Under the Act of Settlement -naturalised aliens were prohibited from becoming members of the Privy -Council, or of either House of Parliament, and from holding any office -or place of trust, "either civil or military." It is notorious that -naturalised aliens have sat on both sides of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</a></span> the House of Commons, -<i>are actually members of the Privy Council</i>, and have occupied places -of the most intimate trust in civil and military affairs. It is surely -time we reverted to the older methods. No naturalised alien should be -appointed a Privy Councillor.</p> - -<p>The whole Act is therefore belated and incomplete. It does not, -so far as one can understand it, provide for the one thing really -necessary—that the individual seeking naturalisation in this country -should divest himself altogether of any allegiance to the Sovereignty -under which he was born. Whether he can do so, or not, is his affair. -Germany, by her new Citizenship Law, as the journal quoted has pointed -out, has devised methods obviously designed to disguise the real nature -of the act of a German on seeking naturalisation in a foreign country. -Against such attempts to deceive the nation of which a German, for his -own ends, seeks to become a member, it may be difficult to continue -effective measures, but at any rate we should make the attempt. -Naturalisation is primarily a favour granted to the alien, and is only -in very rare and exceptional cases an advantage to the State which -grants it. Therefore it ought to be hedged about with such restrictions -as will make it as certain as any laws can do, that the individual -seeking it divests himself of all his former allegiance.</p> - -<p>It is perfectly certain, as the journal before mentioned has remarked, -that there are in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</a></span> this country to-day many naturalised Germans who, -if they had not taken out letters of naturalisation (which are in -effect letters of mark), would now be interned in some concentration -camp. They are chartered enemies, who can be compared to none so -justly as those German spies at the front who penetrate the Allies' -lines by wearing British uniforms. The French Government have, unlike -our own, been quick to see the danger that exists, and to cope with -it. A Bill has been introduced into the French Parliament empowering -the Government to withdraw naturalisation from persons who preserve -their original nationality, or who, by reason of their attitude to the -enemies of France, are judged unworthy of French nationality. The Stock -Exchange has taken similar action. British citizenship is a privilege -which in no case ought to be lightly conferred, and assuredly it should -never be relieved from the obligations which properly accompany its -great advantages. No man can serve two masters, at any rate when they -are at war with one another; and, to be just to the Germans, they have -not even tried.</p> - -<p>We know that the German espionage organisation in England was set -up some time about the year 1905, so that there has been plenty of -time for the German General Staff to get together quite a number of -agents who, under our present system, fulfil all the demands of our -naturalisation laws. We must make this more difficult in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</a></span> future, -remembering that the naturalised German is at least as much an object -of suspicion as his non-naturalised brother.</p> - -<p>Residence of aliens, whether naturalised or not, in the immediate -vicinity of our dockyards, naval bases, and important strategical -positions should be stopped, once and for all. We know how in many -recent cases the activities of the German agent have been concentrated -upon these points, where the most valuable information is often to be -picked up, and if we are indeed to make an end of spies, this closing -of certain areas to aliens is one of the first and most important steps -to take.<a name="FNanchor_3_3" id="FNanchor_3_3"></a><a href="#Footnote_3_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a></p> - -<p>I have just heard of a case in one of our most important garrison -towns, where, for years past, a shop overlooking the barracks has been -in German occupation without apparently any business whatever being -done; the stock was practically allowed to rot in the windows, and -certainly the volume of trade was not enough to pay the rent. We<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</a></span> can -form our own conclusions as to the real object of such establishments.</p> - -<p>Not very long ago Captain Persius, the well-known German naval expert, -described, with his tongue in his cheek, the ease with which he was -able to get information at certain British dockyards, and we know -that many foreign visitors have been allowed practically free access -to many of our battleships and to the naval ports. The case of the -undergraduates who posed as foreign princes and were shown over one of -our Dreadnoughts will be well remembered. All this kind of thing must -certainly be put an end to in the future.</p> - -<p>The question of wireless is also another matter to which we shall have -to give considerable attention. It is very much a question whether -we should not, in future, adopt some stricter system of compulsory -registration of all wireless plant sold and worked in this country. We -all hope, of course, that after the present war we shall see a long -period of undisturbed peace, but not even that assurance ought to be -allowed to blind us to future danger, any more than the belief that a -German invasion of Great Britain is an impossibility should cause us -to relax, for an instant, our preparations to meet it should it come. -Wireless is likely to play a growing part in our world communications, -and the tremendous possibilities which attend its unauthorised use have -to be reckoned with.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</a></span></p> - -<p>I confess that I should have hesitated to introduce even into a -novel such an incident as a German officer attempting to escape from -this country packed up in a large box. Yet such a case has just been -reported; the man was detected and arrested by no more than a lucky -accident just as the case was about to be placed on board the liner -which was to convey it to Rotterdam. Examination of the case showed -how carefully the plans for the escape had been made, and certainly -there is a very strong suggestion that the affair could not have been -undertaken without active assistance from persons outside the prison -from which the officer had escaped. And those persons were spies.</p> - -<p>It was stated, I see, that the man is believed to have been trying to -get over to Germany with important information, and in all probability -this is true; it is not at all likely that anyone would have adopted -such a desperate expedient merely to escape from custody. The incident, -in its practical bearings, is not of great importance, since it is -not a plan likely to be adopted except by someone who was absolutely -desperate, and obviously we cannot examine every packing case shipped -abroad, even in war time. For us the importance of the incident lies in -the light it throws upon the skill and resource of the German secret -agents, and the need for straining every nerve to cope with their -activity. One cannot but admire the courage and resource of a man who -was ready to take<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</a></span> the risks involved in this particularly daring -adventure.</p> - -<p>Whatever system we decide to adopt to protect ourselves against -espionage in the future, there is no question that the entire matter -ought to be in the hands of one central authority, with very wide -powers of inquiry and action. We must put an end once and for all to -the idiotic—no other word is strong enough—position in which Mr. -McKenna is able to say that outside London the spy-peril is no concern -of his, and that he has no power of action. Whether we complete and -extend the operations of the Confidential Department, or whether some -new organisation is brought into being, the matter of espionage for the -country as a whole <i>ought to be centralised in the hands of a single -authority</i>.</p> - -<p>I know certain people are likely to raise a grumble that the cost -will be considerable. Supposing it is? No one suggests that we should -spend, as Germany has been spending, £720,000 a year on spying on our -neighbours; all that we need to do is to establish a complete system of -contra-espionage, and look after the people who want to spy on us. In -doing this, surely the expenditure of a few thousands a year would be -money well invested.</p> - -<p>In France a system has been adopted—too late, unfortunately, so far -as the present war is concerned—by which the public are invited to -co-operate in the work of checking the activities of the spies, by -giving to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</a></span> proper authority information of any suspicious cases -coming to their notice.</p> - -<p>My view is that a somewhat similar procedure should be adopted here. -In this way public opinion would be educated up to the importance -of the subject, and a great deal of valuable information would be -acquired. It is certain, of course, that much of this information would -be valueless, but it would be the duty of the special department to -separate the chaff from the wheat, and to see that every suspicious -case was duly inquired into. Apart from anything else, this action by -the public would, in itself, give the spies to pause, for they would -realise how much more difficult it would be for them to carry on their -nefarious work undetected.</p> - -<p>I come now to perhaps the most unpleasant feature of the spy -problem—the possibility of our betrayal by traitors in our own ranks. -I am proud to think that, in this respect, we are perhaps better off -than any nation under the sun, but at the same time, there have been, -in recent years, one or two proved cases, and, as I have already said, -a good many where grounds existed for very grave suspicion. However -mortifying it may be to our national pride, we cannot overlook the -possibility of our secrets being sold to the enemy by men of our own -blood.</p> - -<p>In this connection, I cannot do better than quote an instructive -passage from Paul Lenoir's masterly book on "The German<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</a></span> Spy System -in France," one of the most complete and fascinating exposures of -German machinations that has ever been written, and a veritable mine -of information on German aims and methods. Lenoir relates how, on one -occasion, he had a long conversation with a very distinguished member -of the German spy administration who had expressed the wish to meet -him. In the course of their conversation, the German said:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>"Ah! If only you knew how many of your politicians who shout and -declaim in France demanding the suppression of <i>your</i> Secret Service -funds—if you only knew how many of those men are drawing thumping -good salaries out of <i>our</i> Secret Service funds; if only you knew -what proportion of their election expenses is paid by us every four -years!"</p></blockquote> - -<p>I do not suppose for a moment that we have in England anything of this -kind; the class of men who secure election to the House of Commons is -no doubt above temptation. I, however, mention this instance, revealed -be it remembered by a Frenchman working hard in his country's cause, -to show how very far the German espionage bureau is prepared to go to -seduce men from their natural allegiance, and convert them into the -most dangerous enemies of their country. And, with regret I confess it, -we have to face the fact that even in our own services there are some -whose honour is not proof against the lavish stream of German gold.</p> - -<p>How to detect and defeat them is indeed a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[Pg 217]</a></span> difficult problem; all we -can say is that in this, as in other matters, eternal vigilance is the -price of liberty. But at least we can say that when they are caught -these men ought to be made to pay a terrible price for their treachery, -as an example and a deterrent to others. There must be no illegal -sentences of death, as in the Ahlers case. There must be no paltering -with this blackest of crimes, and no concession to the sentimentalists -of the cocoa-Press.</p> - -<p>In conclusion, I appeal to my readers to believe that I do feel, after -many years' study of this subject, that in German espionage lies one of -the greatest dangers our beloved country has to face.</p> - -<p>I earnestly appeal to them to do all in their power to assist in -forming a vigorous public opinion, that shall insist that, at whatever -cost, this canker in our public life shall be rooted out. We must—and -we can, if we devote our attention to it—make an end to the spy in our -midst, and make it impossible that our hospitality shall be abused by -those who are plotting our downfall. To do this a strong and healthy -public opinion, which shall drive supine officials to determined -action, is the first and greatest requisite. Without that—and it is -the purpose of this book to assist in rousing it—we shall drift back -into the old rut of contemptuous and incredulous neglect, and it is -more than probable that our last state will be worse than our first.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[Pg 218]</a></span></p> - -<p>We can rest assured that Germany will never willingly give up the -system that has paid her such enormous profits; it is for us to meet -craft with craft, to smash her spy organisation, to show her that we -are determined that we will put an end to an insidious form of attack -which in time of peace—whatever we may think of espionage in time of -war—is nothing short of moral and political corruption in its worst -and most hideous form.</p> - -<p>Another point which has apparently been overlooked by the public is the -fact that as recently as January 14th the United States Embassy, acting -for Germany and Austria, announced the astounding fact that German men -over 55, Austrian men over 50, with all those physically unfit for -military service, as well as all women of both countries, <i>may leave -Great Britain and return to the land of their birth</i>! The Ambassador -stated that anyone wishing to do so should apply to the Home Office -(Permits Department) for the necessary permission; and, further, that -the Austro-Hungarian Government were organising personally-conducted -parties to Vienna and Budapest!</p> - -<p>Now, it is to be sincerely hoped that the Home Office (Permits -Department) will not consider any man who has a weak heart, a faulty -leg, or bad teeth, or is over 50, incapable of acts of espionage. -Further, as alien women have been allowed to move freely about the -country, and as our Confidential Department<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[Pg 219]</a></span> knows that the enemy has -already made good use of the fair sex as spies, is it really too much -to expect that the Permits Department will—if aliens are allowed to -leave at all—grant the necessary passes with a very sparing hand, -and submit to severe examination anyone desirous of joining these -personally-conducted parties which sound so delightfully alluring?</p> - -<p>But to the man-in-the-street this official announcement of the United -States Embassy, especially after the prosecution of Mr. Ahlers, must -cause considerable dismay. Are we to allow these enemy aliens who have -been among us ever since the outbreak of war to return, and carry with -them all the information they have been able to gather?</p> - -<p>Surely this is a most important point to which public attention should -at once be directed! If the Home Office are actually about to issue -permits to enemy aliens to return home, then why bother any further -about espionage? We may just as well accept Mr. McKenna's assurances, -close our eyes, and fold our arms.</p> - -<p>Further, with the illuminating discussion in the House of Lords on -January 6th, 1915, the Briton—as apart from the politician, or -the supporter of the cocoa-Press—surely cannot be satisfied. The -Government spokesmen told us that we still had among us no fewer than -27,000 Germans and Austrians at liberty, and of this number 2,998 were -living in prohibited areas—an increase of 37<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[Pg 220]</a></span> since November 7th! -The lack of organisation for dealing with these aliens is the most -deplorable feature of the administration. There are three separate -authorities. The navy, military and police all act according to their -own interpretations of the Defence of the Realm Act, and when one or -other takes drastic steps for the removal of alien enemies, somebody -who stands in the background reverses the process. A truly amazing -state of affairs.</p> - -<p>The splendid efforts of the Earl of Portsmouth, the Earl of Crawford, -Lord Leith of Fyvie, Viscount St. Aldwyn, Lord St. Davids, the Earl of -Selborne, Viscount Galway and Lord Curzon made in the House of Lords -seem, alas! to be of no avail, for, while on November 25th Mr. McKenna -gave details showing the distribution of male alien enemies, the latest -figures supplied in the House of Lords on January 6th by Viscount -Allendale show:—</p> - -<table summary="list" width="40%"> -<tr><td></td><td>Nov. 25th</td> <td></td> <td align="right">Jan. 6th</td></tr> -<tr><td>Aberdeen to Berwick</td> <td align="right">35</td><td></td> <td align="right">59</td></tr> -<tr><td>Northumberland to the Wash </td> <td align="right">543</td> <td></td><td align="right">437</td></tr> -<tr><td>The Wash to Thames Estuary</td> <td align="right">54</td><td></td> <td align="right">38</td></tr> -<tr><td>Thames Estuary to Dorsetshire</td> <td align="right">136</td><td>} </td><td rowspan="2" align ="right">161</td></tr> -<tr><td>Devonport to Plymouth</td> <td align="right">3</td> <td>}</td><td></td></tr> -<tr><td></td><td align="right">——</td><td></td><td align="right">——</td></tr> -<tr><td>Total</td> <td align="right">771</td> <td></td><td align="right">695</td></tr> -<tr><td></td><td align="right">——</td><td></td><td align="right">——</td></tr> -</table> - -<p>Our authorities have actually admitted that from November 7th to -January 7th, 49 more alien enemies have gone to live on the East Coast -of Scotland and on the South<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[Pg 221]</a></span> Coast of England! And Mr. McKenna has -permitted them to do so!</p> - -<p>Surely by the official assurances of safety an attempt has been made to -lull us to sleep—and we are now being slowly lulled into the hands of -the enemy!</p> - -<p>In these same areas were 2,190 women alien enemies on November 25th, as -compared with 2,303 at the present time.</p> - -<p>The figures show that there has been a decrease of 106 in the -neighbourhood of the Yorkshire raid. But there has been an increase of -22 on the South Coast, and of 27 on the East Coast of Scotland.</p> - -<p>Under whose authority, one may surely ask, have 49 alien enemies been -permitted to settle on the Scotch and South Coasts?</p> - -<p>With these 27,000 alien enemies free to move five miles in each -direction from any area in which they may be living, and power to -make longer journeys if they can get a permit—not a very difficult -thing to do—the Home Office is adding to the danger by encouraging a -movement for the release of some of the 15,000 alien enemies interned -originally because they were held to be dangerous. The Chief Constables -who are being asked to certify such as might be released, may, I -quite think with the <i>Evening News</i>, be pardoned for giving a liberal -interpretation of the request.</p> - -<p>Surely every sane man must agree with the opinion expressed by the -same outspoken journal, namely, that with some 35,000<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[Pg 222]</a></span> Germans and -Austrians, registered and naturalised, moving freely in our midst, a -Government which permits that freedom is taking risks which it ought -not to take. The German Government, in their wisdom, are not guilty of -such folly. Every British subject, even those who have lived there for -forty years, and can hardly speak their mother-tongue, is interned.</p> - -<p>Why, if a naturalised German is known to be an enemy of the country -of his adoption—be he waiter or financier—should any tenderness be -displayed towards him?</p> - -<p>He is an enemy, and whatever Lord Haldane or Mr. McKenna may say, he -must be treated as such. I write only as an Englishman fighting for his -own land.</p> - -<p>I repeat that I have no party politics, but only the stern resolve -that <i>we must win this war</i>, and that all who lean to the enemy in any -manner whatever must go, and be swept with their fine houses, their -wives and their social surroundings into oblivion.</p> - -<p>To-day we, as Britons, are fighting for our existence. To give our -alien enemies a chance of espionage is a criminal act.</p> - -<p>Sir Henry Dalziel advocates the constitution of an Aliens Board to -deal with the whole subject. He evidently has no faith in the present -indecision, for he has expressed himself in favour of moving all alien -enemies fifty miles from the coast.</p> - -<p>The flabby policy of indecision is, one must agree, a mistake.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[Pg 223]</a></span></p> - -<p>No one wants to embarrass the Government, who in so many ways have done -admirably, but, in the face of the serious dangers which must arise -from the presence of 27,000 alien enemies within our gates at this -moment, even implicit confidence must not stand in the way of a stern -and effective national defence.</p> - -<p>And the removal of the spy danger is, I maintain, eminently a matter of -national defence.</p> - -<p>It is for the public to make a stern and unmistakable demand.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The following lines, from an anonymous pen, appeared on December 10th -in the <i>Evening News</i>, which has performed a patriotic work in pointing -out the peril of spies, and demanding that they should be interned. -Though amusing, the words really contain a good deal of truth:—</p> - -<p style="margin-left: 25%;"> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>"Will you walk into my parlour?" said the Kaiser to the Spy,</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>"For I've lots of work to give you, and the pay is very high,</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>And you've only got to send me a report from day to day,</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>All about the English people, and the things they do and say.</i></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>"There is Fritz and Franz and Josef, though their names you may not know,</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>You may write to them and see them, but as 'Number So-and-So,'</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>And should you meet your brother or your mother at the game,</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>You are not to recognise them; they're numbers just the same.</i></span><br /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[Pg 224]</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>"You will travel through the country in the name of Henry Jones,</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>Or as Donald P. McScotty, selling artificial stones;</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>You will rent a modest dwelling in the shadow of a base,</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>And when nobody is looking you will photograph the place.</i></span><br /> -</p> - - -<hr class="tb" /> -<p style="margin-left: 25%;"> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>"Then 'Hoch' unto your Kaiser, 'Am Tag' your daily cry,</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>God bless our Krupps and Zeppelins, the victory is nigh.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>God bless our shells! and dum-dums! Kultur shall fight her way;</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>God, Emperor, and Fatherland in one Almighty sway."</i></span><br /> -</p> - -<div class="footnotes"><p class="ph3">FOOTNOTES:</p> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_3_3" id="Footnote_3_3"></a><a href="#FNanchor_3_3"><span class="label">[3]</span></a> <span class="smcap">Thirty Miles Inland: Military Orders to East Coast -Aliens.</span>—Notices to quit coastal towns adjoining the Tyneside -district were yesterday served by the police on behalf of the military -authorities upon persons regarded as undesirable residents. The -people affected include enemy aliens and naturalised aliens of both -sexes, also British-born descendants of aliens, including even the -second generation. Exceptions have been made in cases of advanced -age and extreme youthfulness. New addresses must be approved by the -military. Notices were also served on German residents in Sunderland -to leave the town and district and move into an area approved by the -military authorities. The order applies to men, women, and children, -whether naturalised or not, and must be obeyed within eight days. The -approved area will be some inland place about thirty miles from the -coast.—<i>Daily Mail</i>, December 30th, 1914.</p></div></div> - -<p class="center">THE END</p> - - -<p style="margin-top: 5em;" class="center"><small>Printed by W. Mate & Sons, Ltd., Bournemouth.</small></p> - - - - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's German Spies in England, by William Le Queux - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GERMAN SPIES IN ENGLAND *** - -***** This file should be named 61069-h.htm or 61069-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/1/0/6/61069/ - -Produced by Tim Lindell, Graeme Mackreth and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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