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.