Secret service

Wednesday, March 5th., Yacht Club, London.

We came to London yesterday, then Marguerite went to Newcastle by train to stay with the Shufflebothams. I don't know what she will make of Newcastle. Just about the most backwards looking and provincial place I can think of. And of course I haven't said anything good about it in my books, so if she lets it be known who she is married to then there may be some fun. I wonder if they will ever have seen a Frenchwoman in Newcastle before?

A E W Mason

Swinnerton, Playfair and A.E.W. Mason dined with me at the Garrick. Mason told us some of his secret service adventures in Mexico. He was very good as a raconteur, and evidently had a great gift for secret service, though he says he began as an amateur. Needless to say I don't take all he says at face value, but he is certainly entertaining. In fact a lot like his books.

One of the things he told us was that practically all German spies and many of the Zeppelin men carried a packet of obscene photographs on their persons. Why, remains a mystery to me. Perhaps to entertain themselves during periods of secretive inactivity? I fully expected that he would laugh at the reputation of the German Secret Service for efficiency, and he did. I felt sure the German temperament is not a good secret service temperament. Too gullible and talkative. Mason said their secret service was merely expensive. Money chucked away idiotically. However, it must be admitted that he is one of those people who think that the British are best at everything, even in the face of evidence to the contrary.