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.