British Secret Service During the Great War

nment-Secret Knowledge of Prominent Men-Sir Edward Goschen's Historical Despatch-Rush to the Colours-Our Unpreparedness-Introduci

erment. Money was plentiful and cheap. Labour was an active market with plenty of it. Good business seemed to be in the air. All around there appeared to be a general cheerfulness. Then came the lull before the storm. An ominous calm, a

d them. Buyers of properties suddenly stayed their hands. Speculators by natural impulse held aloof. Rumours began to circulate, stra

ometer of England's real feelings, showed an une

ir fond attentions until they had grown to mighty proportions. Working men of German blood or of strong Teutonic tendencies had agitated amongst the masses again and yet again, for "less time, more pay, and greater and more extended privileges." German Secret Service money had provided the sinews of an underground labour war. Countless thousands of honest, hard-working British labourers neither knew of, nor recognised, nor even suspected, the traitorous hand which so gently stroked them down the back whilst their ears were being tickled with persuasive suggestions and argumentative reasoning, prompting

ermitted much to transpire which no other nation in the world would have tolerated. Mr. W. M. Hughes, the Australian Prime Minister, speaking in the London Stock Exchange on March 20th, 1916, more eloquently describes us: "A people slow t

ings showing the violent public agitation in consequence; that the Government did not believe a great European war could be possible within the next fifty years; that the United Kingdom was on the verge of revolution over Ulster's dissent from Home Rule; that the Labour Unions had grown so vast, so all-embracing and so powerful that they could and would paralyse the Government's action if by any possible chance it did decide on intervening; that Egypt, India, and South Africa were ripe for revolt and only too anx

risy with the middle classes had become a byword; its disloyalty to the Empire with the upper classes had become revolting; its days had become numbered. The German War party saw this and realised the fact better than the English.

ed that the harvest of his sow

their Central Office at Berlin with an openness that might have seemed an insult to the intelligence of Scotland Yard and those who direct and

was actually happening over and beyond the horizon of our ken, maintained

and had known. He had never failed his countrymen. He pushed along all and every prepa

liament, since he returned from the South African War, imploring support, reformation, and more attention to the Army; pleading conscription amongst the youthful masses; working so unselfishly, so energetically and so dev

aralyse the nations of the earth for centuries to come might yet be averted. Noble man, working for a noble cause! History will record your efforts, but no pen can adequately record your meritorious deserts. Oh! the pity of it that you, a true genius in the arts of peace and of peaceful diplomacies, did not retire at the outbreak of war in favour of some more mar

not admitted to share the secrets of the Cabinet, he knew. His instinct told him what was looming behind the electrically

as himself, Lord Fisher, Lord Roberts and others did not suit the party system of our modern Democratic Government, also knew. But that man of action without words had to sit and look on, whilst the late friend of the

reon, he knew; perhaps first of all. His knowledge was but a materialisation of reports foreshadowing such an event which had floated to him in

e. A portentous omen had been uttered by a great Silesian nobleman, Count von Oppersdorff, only a few hours befo

n, if such a contingency could be possible. On being answered in the affir

n the now famous despatch of Sir Edward Goschen, the British Ambassador at Berlin

d so often been disregarded-just for a scrap of paper Great Britain was going to make war on a kindred nation. I said that, in the same way as he and Herr von Jagow (the German Secretary of State) wished me to understand that for strategical reasons it was a matter of life and death to Germ

e day it had thrown off allegiance to Rome. Without hesitation or delay every patriotic Britisher having no binding ties to hold him, in company with many tens of thousands who had, rushed to seek out recruiting off

m of men so eager to join the colours. Long before arrangements could be made to enrol the first batches of recruits, men from

posters and stimulating advertisements, appealing for volunteers, continued to be spread broadcast throughout the land, and, as the men rolled up in increasing numbers, confusio

good fellow the German Emperor really was, and how friendly he meant to be to England? Labour members of Parliament had been to Germany, where they also had been hoodwinked and deceived. Had not the Cabinet argued so strenuously th

y" had

as individually asking himself, in his heart of hearts or in public, how h

from their forebears as to the part or parts they respectively took in the greatest war the world ha

ory such have been very, ve

*

as the author, I must also figure prominently in these pages. I am a

n the old Scotch proverb, "Better a

tivate in every country I have been in, whilst as a travel

tricate myself from difficulties under which many other people might have capitulated as too overwhelmingly crushing to attempt to resist. My great trouble has been that my restless, rolling-stone disposition makes it intensely distasteful and difficult for me to anchor down for any length of time in any one particular place. Ever and anon there comes to me a call from the wild, a mysterious and irresistible whisper whic

that matter. When a better and more meritorious chance of "scrapping" presented itself, I was one of the first to offer my services, which were promptly dec

nor that a Tasmanian,[2] with seventeen years' service in the Department of Agriculture in Tasmania, carrying the highest credentials and having obtained six months' leave in order to travel 13,000 miles to the M

elpers turned down ignominiously and left to kick their heels in

to him suggesting that a corps of Big Game Hunters should be mustered, to consist only of men who had had at least three years' experience of that exciting and dangerous sport; that each man should provide

erve. Sorrowful was the tone of the letter from Mr. Selous conveying this news to me, its very much disappointed recipient. He added in the P.S. that he had a friend in command of an infantry regiment who expected soon to be ordered to France, and he had extracted a promise from him to take him alo

e sporting world that my connection with Northern Europe and my varied experience at home and abroad might be acceptable to the Secret

y age had unfortunately precluded my eagerly proffered services from acceptance in other spheres; that I was keen and eager to be of service to my co

were accepted it might be only for enrolment in the "Forlorn Hope B

a shock from which it never properly recovered. With the fatuity of early youth I had placed a whole family upon an idealistic pedestal-including a mere child of thirteen years of age.

ollowed her to the grave. I was unmarried. My brother and my sisters had homes of their own, far away. What mattered it to anyone, least of all to myself,

thing worth the while. 'Twas a far, far

e service, whatsoever that service might be, and withers

of presumptuousness or of egotism if I say that I fully believed myself to b

nowledging my letter of the previous day's date and saying Sir Edward Grey appreciated my offer, although he regretted there were no such appointments

d top corner specified a certain room number. I subsequently ascertained that this gentleman (and a real gentleman in every sense of that embracive word I found him) was the "Acting Buffer" between the Secret Service departments for both the War Office and the Admiralty to anyone who might attempt to approach either of these departments. It w

n by a special journey to London, of

d the name of Captain P. W. Kenny, his room number, my name, address, and the nature of my business-private and confidential. It was a bit of a staggerer to hear from the attendant that he did not know Captain Kenny, nor of him, nor did he believe there was any officer of that name in the building. In

rs, whom he dropped at various floor lodges on the way. The system was for each boy-scout to conduct a whole bunch of followers, who carried their forms in their hands until the desired floors were reached, wh

ommissionaire in charge said he knew nothing of the officer named on my form. After arguing the matter discreetly with him I persuaded him to take m

he could not say. Anyway, as he expressed himself, he was a mysterious kind of person, and what he did, or what functions he performed, no one seemed to know. I must confess I was at a loss to understand the position. Suddenly, however, the thought struck me that it might be a possible stunt to test one's capabilities for a research or investigation; so I listened with interest to the conversations of the various commissionaires and gleaned that t

oor on my own account, as once inside the building with a form in one'

xplain my mission. I showed him the letter I had summoning me to the War Office, and told him the difficulties I had met with in attempting to locate the elusive "Go-Between." This officer received me very graciously; he smiled at the short description I gave him of my wanderings, and said: "I think I can put you on the right track straight away; please follow me," and getting up he took me to another room a

now, but when I showed him the room number given at the top of his letter he admitted the recent change and made apologetic amends for the

elf. Anyway, I held my peace

les and my linguistic capabilities. Then he suggested in the most charming and persuasive manner that

ligation to him personally for being permitted to relieve him of the smallest matter in hand-indeed, a valuable asset to the person possessing such skill. Within a week of my advent in London a letter came to me from Captain Kenny in which he wrote: "For the moment there are no vacanci

e to call at the war office next day, adding: "The delay arose through a temporary interruptio

avelling expenses; but if I exceeded this amount I must bear the extra payments myself. I was delighted beyond measure: I would gladly have accepted any offer, on almost any terms, I was so keen to "do my bit" to help my country in whatever capacity I could be thought of any use. I subsequently found, however, that these allowances by no means covered one's travelling expenses abroad at that time, which dai

any and the Baltic. Pointing with his finger to various parts of it he kept asking me whethe

clinched matters by saying "If you assure me it will in any way benefit my country, I a

a certain sporting nobleman who recommended you, I should receive if I pressed you on this. From what he said, and f

as the reply. I had come to Lond

place to be named, and enough money to enable you to reach a certain town. There you will meet a certain gen

ill consist-to whom I am to report, or how? I really don't quite fol

mit to memory, but not to paper. So far as your duties are concerned, you have the fullest discretion; remember to use discretion. You will work entirely on your own initiative. Henceforth you will be known

TNO

ll, January

February

us death in the service of his country. He wa

man by name except for the fact that his connection with the Secret