I may almost say that we have no anxiety concerning their capacity for mischief." "Those are the views of your department ?" Norgate asked.
"So far as I may be said to represent it, they are," Mr.Tyritt assented.
"I will venture to say that there are many thousands of letters a year which leave this country, addressed to Germany, purporting to contain information of the most important nature, which might just as well be published in the newspapers.

We ought to know, because at different times we have opened a good many of them." "Forgive me if I press this point," Norgate begged.

"Do you consider that because a vast amount of useless information is naturally sent, that fact lessens the danger as a whole?
If only one letter in a thousand contains vital information, isn't that sufficient to raise the subject to a more serious level ?" Mr.Tyritt crossed his legs.

His tone still indicated the slight tolerance of the man convinced beforehand of the soundness of his position.
"For the last twelve years," he announced,--"ever since I came into office, in fact,--this bogey of German spies has been costing the nation something like fifty thousand a year.

It is only lately that we have come to take that broader view of the situation which I am endeavouring to--to--may I say enunciate?
Germans over in this country, especially those in comparatively menial positions, such as barbers and waiters, are necessary to us industrially.