September 5, 1914 LAND AND WATER 
Now it is clearly evident in the present campaign that this astonishing and admirable rapidity 
auhievod by the advancing body of German forces in the north is an expenditure of capital. It is ii 
rapidity acquired at an expense M'liich limits it strictly to a cei-tain not very prolonged period, and 
condemns it as certainly to exhaustion, unless a decision is reached within quite the first weeks of 
the war. 
Of many proofs of this, one is sufficient. The rapid extension westward and southward of the 
German adA-ance has been effected by the bringing along westward perpetually of fresh men and 
bringing them up behind the front that has last been lighting. Tlie thing has resembled a wave 
wliich breaks in bias upon a sandy beach. "When its efl'oi-t is spent, when there is no more fresh 
niaterial wherewith to extend the line, the advance is checked. I do not mean by this that the 
swaying backward and forward of the line of contact, which has gone on for now six days since the 
llrst check given to this rapid Geiman advance, is a situation in favour of the Allies and against the 
Gemians : whether it is for us or against us can only be determined by the result, and by the 
discovery, at the close of the struggle, that our line is pierced or theirs. All I mean is that, so far as 
ihe mere element of rapidity is concerned, this halt to which the Gemians were constrained between 
theh' lii-st rapid advance (August 23 — 26) and theii- second (August 30 — September 1) proves at what 
an expense the ru.sh is eifectod. 
4. THE PERFECTION OF THE INTELLIGENCE DEPARTMENT. 
Finall}' v.e have, subject to less qualification than any other of the German successes, the success 
of the German intelligence system, or, to use an old-fashioned word, the succcess of the Gemian spy. 
Very few people in this country have the lea.st idea either of the perfection of the spy system 
that has been organised tliroughout Europe from Berlin, or of its almost incredible extent. The 
French themselves, though they had ample cause for suspicion and a national memory that should 
have left them in little doubt upon the matter, were divided (before the war) in tlieir judgment of this 
cs.sential to a German success ; and I have heard and have half-believed the ridicule that was poured 
upon those who talked of the " avant-guerre." 
As for England, the Gonnan spy system therein has been almost entirely neglected by the 
Government and by the people, and to this day I doubt if one educated man in a thousand has even 
3'ct suspected its extent and its exact organisation. Conversely, the German Government and 
military authorities have been able to keep from their enemies all knowledge of such affairs domestic 
to their forces as they desired to keep secret. 
I say that in this capital point avc have the success of a Gemian theory — or, rather, the triumph 
of a German claim — which we can qualify less than any other, and which is the most perfect of all. 
But even tliis one is subject to some modification, a modification parallel to those which we have been 
able to apply to every other fomi of German success we have examined. It is this : that the element 
of time is against it. A perfected intt'lligenco system, the use of a great horde of spies spread 
throughout Europe and admirably co-orduiated, is of supreme iniportance at the beginning of a war, 
as is the converse achievement of keeping from one's enemies knowledge of one's own movements and 
material. But it is, on the face of it, an advantage which suffers rapid attrition in the progress of a 
campaign. Eighting has not long proceeded before the enemy upon whom you have spied knows 
what you have found out, and has also begun to discover and to destroy your mtelligence sjsteni 
within his lines. Fighting has not long proceeded before the enemy from whom you ha\o kept 
knowledge of cei-tain points of your material jmd organisation discovers them by your very successes. 
It would be folly to depend upon this consideration for the belittling of a good intelligence 
pj'stcm. A good intelligence system gives immense initial advantages, and initial advantages often 
dcter;iiiiie a campaign. But my point is that the advantage /* essentially an initial advantage alone. 
L 
A DIARY OF THE WAR. 
SYNOPSIS. Accr.T 2.SD. . . 
Germany « ultimatum to Belgium. 
Jrr,\ 23rd. 
Aubtro-Hungai'ian ultimatum to Servia. Avi.:;.st 3ed. 
Sir Edward Grey stated British policy and revealed Germany's 
Jvi-i 25th. amazing offer, in the event of our neglecting our obligations 
King Pct«r of Servia's appeal to Russia. to France. MobiIi.<iation of the Army. Ultimatum to Oer.niany 
TrtT 97TIT *''*' Belgian appeal to England. German aud French 
7.. ,. , , r> iTi/-r i»,r.v Ambassadors left Paris and Berlio. 
Sir tdward Grey proposed a Lfindon Conlettnce between Fienc-h, 
German, Italian, aud Great Britain's Ambassador!. Arcvsr 4xh 
Jrtx 28tr. Germany rejected ultimatum. English Government took over 
Austria- Hungary declared war on Senia. control of railwaj-6. War declared between England and 
" ' Germany. 
Jri.v 2SrH. Vice-Admiral Sir John Jellicoe appointed to command of the 
A partial Hufisian mobilisation, confined to the Army Corps on Homo Fleets, with the acting rank of admiral, 
the borders of Austria-Hungary, was signed on receipt of 
the news of the bombardment of Belgrade. English Stock Arcrsr 5th. 
Exchange closed. English Bank Rate, b per cent. I«rd Kitchener appointed Secretary of State for War. II. M.S. 
Jiiijihion M,nick a mine and fouuderc-d. 5Iany Gennan 
Arcriir 1st. _ fcliips seized. 
Gencr.-.l Hussian mobilisation ordered. Germ.nn mobilisation 
m-dpied by Emperor. Germany declared war on Russia and Acoist 6th. 
•»5 followed up this declaration by immediately invading the House of Commons, in five minutes, passed a vote of credit for 
(Jraiid Duchy of Luxemburg, the neutral fctata between Irance £100,000,000, and sanctioned an increase of the Army by 
and Germany. King George made a final effort for peace, 500,000 men. .State control of food prices. The German battle 
dispatching a direct personal tel"gram to the Tsar, offering cruiser Cuchrn and her e.s*oit driven into Messina by two 
iiiidiation. Before it could reach St. Petersburg Germany Briti^L cruisers. A fieico battle still continued bciort Liege. 
dvc!ared war. Italy declared her neutrality. 
11* 
