blic alarm and
possibly giving warning to the spies by public speeches or letters to
the press. In cases in which the Director of Public Prosecutions has
appealed to the authors of such letters and speeches to supply him with
the evidence upon which their statements were founded in order that he
might consider the question of prosecuting the offender, no evidence of
any value has as yet been forthcoming.

Among other measures which have been taken has been the registration, by
order of the Secretary of State made under the Defense of the Realm act,
of all persons keeping carrier or homing pigeons. The importation and
the conveyance by rail of these birds have been prohibited, and, with
the valuable assistance of the National Homing Union, a system of
registration has been extended to the whole of the United Kingdom, and
measures have been taken which, it is believed, will be effective to
prevent the possibility of any birds being kept in this country which
would fly to the Continent.

Another matter which has engaged the closest attention of the police has
been the possibility of conspiracies to commit outrage. No trace
whatever has been discovered of any such conspiracy, and no outrage of
any sort has yet been committed by any alien--not even telegraph wires
having been maliciously cut since the beginning of the war. Nevertheless
it has been necessary to bear in mind the possibility that such a secret
conspiracy might exist or might be formed among alien enemies resident
in this country. Accordingly, immediately after the commencement of
hostilities, rigorous search was made by the police in the houses of
Germans and Austrians, in their clubs, and in all places where they were
likely to resort. In a few cases individuals were found who were in
possession of a gun or pistol which they had not declared, and in one or
two cases there were small collections of ancient firearms, and in such
cases the offenders have been prosecuted and punished; but no store of
effective arms--still less any bombs or instruments of destruction--have
so far been discovered. From the beginning any Germans or Austrians who
were deemed by the police to be likely to be dangerous were apprehended,
handed over to the military authorities, and detained as prisoners of
war; and, as soon as the military authorities desired it, general action
was taken to arrest and hand over to military custody Germans of
military age, subject to exceptions which hav