Chapter I: Page

THE OUTBREAK OF WAR....................................... 1

Unfair disparagement of the War Office during the war --
Difficulties under which it suffered owing to pre-war misconduct
of the Government -- The army prepared, the Government and the
country unprepared -- My visit to German districts on the Belgian
and Luxemburg frontiers in June 1914 -- The German railway
preparations -- The plan of the Great General Staff indicated by
these -- The Aldershot Command at exercise -- I am summoned to
London by General H. Wilson -- Informed of contemplated
appointment to be D.M.O. -- The unsatisfactory organization of
the Military Operations Directorate -- An illustration of this
from pre-war days -- G.H.Q. rather a nuisance till they proceeded
to France -- The scare about a hostile maritime descent --
Conference at the Admiralty -- The depletion of my Directorate to
build up G.H.Q. -- Inconvenience of this in the case of the
section dealing with special Intelligence services -- An example
of the trouble that arose at the very start -- This points to a
misunderstanding of the relative importance of the War Office and
of G.H.Q. -- Sir J. French's responsibility for this, Sir C.
Douglas not really responsible -- Colonel Dallas enumerates the
great numerical resources of Germany -- Lord Kitchener's
immediate recognition of the realities of the situation -- Sir J.
French's suggestion that Lord Kitchener should be
commander-in-chief of the Expeditionary Force indicated
misconception of the position of affairs.