In many chapters full of vivid detail Mr. Price Jones gives extraordinary particulars of conspiracies and plots against persons and property. In scathing terms he condemns Captain Franz von Papen, von Igel and Koenig, Captain Karl Boy-Ed, Captain Franz von Rintelen, Dr. Heinrich F. Albert and Ambassador Dumba as spies, conspirators, or traitors; men without conscience, whom no action, however despicable, would stop. CHAPTER XIX MINISTERIAL, DIPLOMATIC, AND CONSULAR FAILINGS AMBASSADORS SELECTED BY INFLUENCE, NOT MERIT--GERMAN EMBASSIES HEADQUARTERS OF ESPIONAGE--HOW ENGLISH EMBASSIES HAMPERED SECRET SERVICE WORK--BERNHARDI ON THE BLOCKADE--ENGLAND'S OPEN DOORS--A MINISTER'S FAILINGS--BRITISH VICE-CONSUL'S SCANDALOUS REMUNERATION--ALIEN CONSULS--HOW ITALY WAS BROUGHT INTO THE WAR--HOW THE SYMPATHIES OF TURKEY AND GREECE WERE LOST--THE FAILURE OF SIR EDWARD GREY--ASQUITH'S PROCRASTINATION. The Press, it will be remembered, was during the first few years of the war periodically almost unanimous in its outcry against the Government, particularly the Foreign Office. Having regard to the facts quoted, well might it be so. But the Foreign Office is somewhat in the hands of its Ambassadors and Ministers abroad, who unfortunately sometimes appear to put their personal dignity before patriotism, and threaten to resign unless some ridiculous, possibly childish, whim is not forthwith complied with. It seems hard to believe such things can be in war-time; yet it was so. If our Ambassadors and Ministers were selected by merit, and not by influence, a vast improvement would at once become apparent, and such things as were complained of would not be likely to occur or be repeated. One Press writer pointed out that "Great Britain lacked a watchful policeman in Scandinavia." Perhaps he will be surprised to learn that about the most active non-sleeping watchmen that could be found were there soon after war started. But these watch-dogs smelt out much too much, and most of them were caught and muzzled, or driven away, or chained up at the instigation of the Embassies. The heaviest chains, however, get broken, whilst the truth will ever out. Naturally one Embassy would keep in constant touch with another, and with regard to this question of supplying the enemy all three Scandinavian Embassies knew, or should have known to a nicety, precisely what was doing in each country.