ties, as to be likely to have a very serious influence upon the
conduct of the war.

The _Berliner Tageblatt_ openly stated that the British Admiralty was
offering the reward, and left its readers to draw their own
conclusions. "Victory," it concluded, "is not always won with
machine-guns and high-explosive. Fitness to win means something more
than well-trained battalions and valiant soldiers; it means a perfect
organisation in every department of the great game of war; violence,
bluff and intrigue. The country with the best-balanced machinery was
the country that would win, because it was _fit_ to win."

In Germany, where everybody does everything at the top of his voice,
italics are very popular. An excitable people think and live italics,
and a daily newspaper either reflects its public or ceases to be.

With great tact the Paris papers limited themselves to the "news"
element in John Dene's disappearance, reproducing his portrait, with
the details translated from the London dailies.

The neutral press was frankly puzzled. Those favourable to Germany saw
in this incident a presage of victory for the Fatherland; whilst the
pro-Allies journals hinted at the fact that someone had blundered in
giving such publicity to an event that should have been regarded as a
subject for the consideration of the War Cabinet rather than for the
daily press.

CHAPTER XV

MR. LLEWELLYN JOHN BECOMES ALARMED

I

Mr. Llewellyn John was obviously troubled. With the forefinger of his
right hand he tapped the table meditatively as he gazed straight in
front of him. The disappearance of John Dene was proving an even
greater source of embarrassment to the War Cabinet than the internment
of aliens. The member of parliament who translated his duty to his
constituents into asking as many awkward questions as possible of the
Government, found a rich source of inspiration in the affaire John Dene.

Mr. Llewellyn John disliked questions; but never had he shown so
whole-hearted an antipathy for interrogation as in the case of John
Dene. The fact of the Home Secretary being responsible for the answers
constituted an additional embarrassment, as Sir Roger Flynn was frankly
critical of his chief in regard to the disappearance of John Dene. He
had not been consulted in the matter of offering a reward, as he should
have been, and he was piqued.

His answers to the questions that seemed to rain down upon him from all
parts of t