LONDON: HUTCHINSON & CO.
PATERNOSTER ROW
THIS BOOK
IS DEDICATED TO
VISCOUNT NORTHCLIFFE
WHO
DURING THE THROES OF OUR NATIONAL
CRISIS PROVED HIMSELF THE GREATEST
OF ALL LIVING ENGLISHMEN
CONTENTS
| CHAPTER I | |
|---|---|
| WAR AND THE INTRODUCING OF JIM | |
| PAGE | |
| The Prosperity of 1914—An Ominous Calm—Multitude of GermanSpies—How England was Undermined—Shortsightednessof our Liberal Government—Secret Knowledge of ProminentMen—Sir Edward Goschen's Historical Despatch—Rushto the Colours—Our Unpreparedness—IntroducingJim—Patriots from Afar—F. C. Selous' Roughriders—Initiationinto the Foreign Secret Service—AdvisoryTestamentary Dispositions | [27] |
| CHAPTER II | |
| SECRET SERVICE ORGANISATIONS, COMPARISONS AND INCIDENTALS | |
| Espionage in Past Ages—Modern British Secret Service Founded,1910—Possible Improvements—Comparisons—Jealousies ofBig Departments—Examples of Reckless Extravagance—BusinessMen Wanted—Economies in the Secret Service—BunglingIncompetence—Impassiveness of the ForeignOffice—German War Methods—French and Dutch SecretService—Military Intelligence, B.C.—Rise and Developmentof German Secret Service—The Efficiency of ScotlandYard—Details of German Foreign Propaganda and Expenditure—BritishSecret Service: Its Cost and Frugalities—MajorHenri le Caron—Nathan Hale—Similitude of theLife of a Secret Service Agent | [44] |
| CHAPTER III | |
| INITIATION TO ACTIVE WORK | |
| Crossing the North Sea—A Memorable Meeting—Instructions—Ona Cargo Boat—Snow-storms—False Alarm—DanishProfiteers—English Consul Profiteering in Food to Germany—Horse-smuggling—Meeting my C.O.—Blooded | [74] |
| CHAPTER IV | |
| INTER-COMMUNICATING WITH TEMPORARY CODES AND INCIDENTS | |
| Grammatical Code—A Tête-à-Tête—Confidences—MisconstruedMessage leads to Domestic Tragedy—Local Codes—AnAltered Message—An Important Mission—Shadowed—AttemptedThefts of Papers—A Contretemps—Leakage ofNews from England—Watching a Suspect—False MessageDiscloses an Open Code—Geometrical Codes—The KnotCode—A Fascinating Actress, a Confiding Attaché, and aMysterious Chess Problem—Cleverness of French Secret Service | [82] |
| CHAPTER V | |
| LOCATING GERMAN MINE-LAYERS | |
| Coast-hunting—A Find—Spies of Many Nations—ObliteratingTrails—Tracking Down the "Berlin"—Marvellous Navigationby Germans—Interned—German Arson—An ImpudentInvitation—A Russian Sugar-Queen's Yacht—Queer Company—SappingHun Intelligence—Playing on Weaknesses—Success—Lossof H.M.S. "Audacious"—Soliloquising | [97] |
| CHAPTER VI | |
| DEPOSING A RIVAL | |
| Retreat and Would-be Rest—Wintry Weather in the NorthSea—The Secret Message—Rival's Removal CommandedForthwith—Seemingly Impossible Proposition—Seeking One'sColleagues—Solving the Riddle—Preparing the Trap—TheLonely Sentry and the Mysterious Boatman—Capture,Arrest, Search and Find—The Incriminating Document—InstantDeportation—Exultation—Next, Please | [107] |
| CHAPTER VII | |
| FIGHTING GERMAN AGENTS WITH FAKED WEAPONS | |
| Danger Warning—Disguised Teutons—Hair-Tests—Observationfrom Without—Clever Female Guard—Deported Hun Agents—TooMany Wrecks—Boot Change Trick—Flight—PatienceUnrewarded—Night Work at the Docks—A Sudden Attack—Oddsof Three to One—Pipe-faking for Make-believe Revolver—AStern Chase—American Ruse Baffles Pursuers—TheSanctuary of Conviviality | [118] |
| CHAPTER VIII | |
| ESCAPING FROM THE CLUTCHES OF A VERY CLEVER LADY | |
| Disguises—Importance of Hands—Service on a Baltic Trader—"Idle,Dirty, Good-for-nothing Scamp"—A Tender-heartedLady—A Fashionable Gathering—The English Dude—TheirSecond Meeting—Suspected—Clever Fencing—Whaleswith Iron Skins—Alliance Offered—A WomanScorned—Meditation—Flight | [128] |
| CHAPTER IX | |
| WILD-FOWLING EXTRAORDINARY AND TRAWLING FOR SUBMARINES IN NEUTRAL WATERS | |
| Germany's Western Coast—Shooting Wild-fowl and Being Shotat—An Intrepid Sportsman—Collapsed Zeppelin—EscapingWar Prisoners—Careless Landsturmers—A Supposed-to-beNorwegian Skipper—Native Curiosity—Dare-Devil Christian—AMysterious Ship—Goose-stalking over a Land Mine—TooNear Death to be Pleasant—The Nocturnal SubmarineRaider—Night Trawling for Strange Fish—Enemy'sSecret Reconnoitring Exposed and Thwarted | [137] |
| CHAPTER X | |
| THE MYSTERIOUS HARBOUR | |
| Frontier Prowling—Startling Rumours—Terrible Weather—EvadingSentries—Mapping the Works—Refuge withSmuggler—Confidences on Super-Submarines and Zeppelins—ACountry Inn—Preparing Despatches—Forcible Intrusion—Arrestedfor a German Spy—Search and Interrogation—SummaryTrial—Tricking the Searchers—Committed forTrial—Escape | [148] |
| CHAPTER XI | |
| MAD GAMBLING AND A BIG BRIBE | |
| Kaleidoscope Changes in Secret Service Agent's Life—Calledto Norwegian Capital for Orders—Enforced Idleness—AWar Gambler—Huge Credits—Twisting the Tail of theBritish Lion—Averting Possible War—Frenzied Finance—AColossal Bribe—Top-heavy Argument—Newspaper Influence—AGood Bargain for England—Millionaire inThree Days | [161] |
| CHAPTER XII | |
| SHADOWED BY POLICE | |
| Posing as a Journalist—Credentials—Subtle Suggestions—Suspicions—AFallen Star—Sold to the Police—InstinctiveWarnings—Temptation—Intercepted Adulations—A SeriousBlow—Tests—Danger Signals—Flight—Herr Schmidt—DoubleTracking—Arrest Warrant Postponed | [170] |
| CHAPTER XIII | |
| DODGING FRONTIER GUARDS AND SEARCHING FOR ONE'S SELF | |
| Frontier Guards—Smugglers—Rigorous Searches—UnearthingValuable German Secrets Regarding Super-Zeppelins,Submarines and the Paris Big Cannon—A Loquacious Waiter—Head-moneyfor My Capture—25,000 Marks, Dead or Alive—Lookingfor Oneself—A Capture—Crossing the SchleswigFrontier—A Friend in Need—Dangerous Enterprise—KielHarbour—Safe Return | [180] |
| CHAPTER XIV | |
| AVOIDING COLD MURDER | |
| Swarms of Bagmen—Jesuitical Methods—Mysterious Disappearances—UnaccountableAccidents—Avoiding a Duel—Fascinatedby a Hungarian—A Ludicrous Traveller—Fracasat a Theatre—Insult, Assault and Challenge—ChoosingWeapons—Difficulties Overcome—Fixing Details—EarlyTravelling—Dénouement—"Am Tag" | [190] |
| CHAPTER XV | |
| ESCAPING FROM A SUBMARINE | |
| A Ship of Ill-Omen—Attacked—Hell Let Loose—Panic—Fightfor the Boats—Cowardly Conduct—Powerless to Act—Shrapnelat Sea—Surrender—Taking Charge of Ship andCarrying on—Value of Smoke Boxes—Terrible Anticipations—Landat Last—Reminiscences Untold | [200] |
| CHAPTER XVI | |
| THE CASEMENT AFFAIR | |
| Grave Imputations—Norwegian Characteristics—Casement'sLetter to Sir Edward Grey—Irish Interests—SurreptitiousVisits to the Embassy—Envoyé Extraordinaire—£10,000for Casement's Servant—Casement's Explanations, Comments,Kidnapping and Murder Allegations—Sir F. E.Smith on Casement's Life and Actions—A Bad Mistake | [211] |
| CHAPTER XVII | |
| PERTAINING TO MYSTERY SHIPS | |
| "You British will Always be Fools and we Germans shall neverbe Gentlemen"—Silhouette Lifeboat for Gun-covering—ASecret of the War Explained and Illustrated—More Ideasfor Mystery Ships Described—Secret Thanks—SuccessfulResults from Camouflage at Sea—The Gratitude of theAdmiralty | [225] |
| CHAPTER XVIII | |
| THE SINKING OF THE "LUSITANIA" BY GERMAN TREACHERY | |
| How the Dastardly Deed was Planned—Commemoration MedalPrematurely Dated—Sinking Announced in Berlin beforethe Vessel was Attacked—German Joy at the Outrage—BritishSecret Code Stolen—Violations of American Neutrality—FalseMessages—Authority for the Facts | [235] |
| CHAPTER XIX | |
| MINISTERIAL, DIPLOMATIC, AND CONSULAR FAILINGS | |
| Ministers Selected by Influence, not Merit—German EmbassiesHeadquarters of Espionage—How English EmbassiesHampered Secret Service Work—Bernhardi on the Blockade—England'sOpen Doors—A Minister's Failings—BritishVice-Consul's Scandalous Remuneration—Alien Consuls—HowItaly was Brought into the War—How the Sympathiesof Turkey and Greece were Lost—The Failure of SirEdward Grey—Asquith's Procrastination | [239] |
| CHAPTER XX | |
| THE SHAM BLOCKADE | |
| Secret Service Protest against the Open Door to Germany—Activityof our Naval Arm Nullified—Lord Northcliffe'sPatriotism—Blockade Bunkum—Position of Denmark—HugeConsignments for Germany—The Declaration Fiasco—BritishMinister's Gullibility in Copenhagen—GermanBank Guaranteeing the British against Goods going toGermany—British Navy Paralysed by Diplomatic andPolitical Folly—Statistics Extraordinary—Flouting theDeclaration of London—Sir Edward Grey's Dilatorinessand Puerile Apologia—Lord Haldane Pushed out—LordFisher's Efficiency Unrecognised—Lord Devonport's AmazingFigures on German Imports—Further Startling Statistics—Britishthe Greatest Muddlers on Earth—Noble Serviceby Australian Premier, W. H. Hughes—Hollow Sham ofthe Danish Agreement and the Netherlands Overseas Trust—BlockadeMinister, Lord Robert Cecil, and His Feeble,Futile Efforts—More Statistics—The Triumvirate—Asquiththe unready, Sir Edward Grey the Irresolute,and Lord Haldane the Friend of the Kaiser—David LloydGeorge the Saviour of the Situation—How He Proved Himselfa Man—A Neglected Opportunity | [264] |
| L'ENVOI | [317] |