Spies of the Kaiser: Plotting the Downfall of EnglandLe Queux, William
History
Spies of the Kaiser: Plotting the Downfall of England
Le Queux, William
Espionage, German -- Fiction; Great Britain -- History -- Invasions -- Fiction; Intelligence service -- Fiction; Spy stories
He had been adopted as candidate for West Rutland at the next election,
and his party predicted of him great things. But the long-wished-for
General Election was still afar off, therefore, with commendable
patriotism, he had taken up the burning question of German spies in
England, which had been so lightly pooh-poohed by both the Prime
Minister and the Minister for War. His intention was, if possible, to
checkmate their activity, and at the same time reveal to the public the
fool's paradise in which we are living now that "the Day"--as they call
it in Germany--is fast approaching--the day of the invasion of Great
Britain.
-- Miles N.E. of Dockyard. Half-closed redoubt for
infantry--Platforms for machine-guns at angles--Wrought-iron
palisading at bottom of ditch.
G (in plan.) "Ferry Hills" Fort--Earth and concrete--Very deep
ditches, flanked by counterscarp galleries and a stone
caponier--Casemated--Probable armament--Two 9.2-inch guns, six
7.5-inch guns--Wrought-iron fraise below counterscarp.
H (in plan). Evidently intended for use against torpedo-boats
and destroyers--To mount ten 4-inch quick-firing
guns--Wrought-iron palisading in ditch well covered from
seaward--Gorge closed by stone wall (two tiers of loopholes for
musketry), flanked by caponiers with machine-guns.
I. A large and formidable work armed with--
Portion of translation of the German spy's report upon the new
naval base at Rosyth.
After Sir Archibald had put the questions in the House, the purport of
which most readers will remember, he had been the recipient of many
letters pointing out the presence of spies--letters which, if published,
would have no doubt created a great sensation. Many of these statements
Ray and I had, during the past two months, closely investigated on the
spot, and what we had discovered held us both amazed and alarmed.
Indeed, we had secured evidence that although spies were openly at work
in certain of our eastern counties collecting all sorts of information
which would be of incalculable importance to an invader, yet the chief
constables of those counties had actually been instructed from
head-quarters to close their eyes to the movements of inquisitive
foreigners!
In the investigations upon which Ray Raymond had embarked with such
enthusiasm, and which I am now permitted to chronicle in these pages, he
had taken only two persons into his confidence--myself and Vera, the
pretty, fair-haired daughter of Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Vallance, the
Admiral-Superintendent of Portsmouth Dockyard, to whom he was engaged.
Indeed, from the first I suspected that it had been her influence that
had roused him to action; she who had promised him her assistance, and
who had pointed out how, by watching and unmasking the spies, he might
render his King and country signal service.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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