soldiers. The sidewalks outside the building are barricaded. Without
a pass no one can enter. Foreign correspondents in Berlin, when they
had telegrams to send to their newspapers, frequently took them from
the Foreign Office to the Chief Telegraph Office personally in order to
speed them on their way to the outside world. The censored despatches
were sealed in a Foreign Office envelope. With this credential
correspondents were permitted to enter the building and the room where
all telegrams are passed by the military authorities.

During my two years' stay in Berlin I went to the telegraph office
several times every week. Often I had to wait while the military
censor read my despatches. On a large bulletin board in this room, I
saw, and often read, documents posted for the information of the
telegraph officials. During one of my first waiting periods I read an
original document relating to the events at the beginning of the war.
This was a typewritten letter signed by the Director of the Post and
Telegraph. Because I was always watched by a soldier escort, I could
never copy it. But after reading it scores of times I soon memorised
everything, including the periods.

This document was as follows:


Office of the Imperial Post & Telegraph
August 2nd, 1914.

Announcement No. 3.

To the Chief Telegraph Office: