THE GREAT WAR HOAX.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 48, 26 June 1915, Page 3

THE GREAT WAR HOAX.

HOW RUSSIANS SAVED PARIS. KITCHENER’S CUTE TRICK. (By Albert Dorrington), London, April 2-1. The true history of the Groat Hoax will be delivered to the British puh-j lie when Peace is declared. To appreciate the Hoax in all its hearing-, one hits to go hack to August hist, when the German Deluge threatened to sweep the British and French Armies into the Bay ot Bi-cay. it was just here that the Hoax saved Pan's, Europe, and probably yon and me. j Schools of arm-chair strategists have sought to account for the sudden delirium of panic that seized von Kluck at the very moment his light wing was beating at the gales ol Paris. Some people assert that the German “debacle” was caused by that mystery of mysteries, General .Manourney. During the retreat from Moos, when our little army was as chaff before the gale, Mauourney is said to have appeared on von Kluck’s centre, like a thunderbolt from the blue. The German text-books knew nothing of Manourney or Ids army. He is credited with stopping the German’s terrific onslaught. He absorbed the shocks of ton army corps while Jbll'ro got bis lighting wind. \on Kluek’s battering-ram was shattered before bis defence. The Germans turned ; Manourney Hew at them like a tiger. They ran. We have believed all this until today. And now something lias transpired to throw fresh light on the German panic at the Marne. It was not the fear of our little army, 01 Ma non nicy’s unexpected appearance, that turned von Kluck’s right wing. It was owing to a trick of Kitchener; and the facts are just leaking out. The complete document will read something like this;— In August last, when our Army was disputing every foot of ground with the Germans at Mons, a statement was Hashed abroad that half a million Russian troops wore being entrained in the north of Scotland, hurried by rail to various' ports of embarkation on the south coast of England, and thence sent per transports to Belgium. We had the testimony of thousands of reputable citizens, who proved beyond doubt that trainloads of Slav soldiers wen 1 passing nightlv through the principal English towns We had the joke of the snow in the trains to prove that they were Hu sians.

The writer saw one of these trains, with blinds down, moving into Southampton. Here and there an open window revealed groups of bearded, rongli-eoated • figures, armed and equipped after the style ol the typical Russian soldier. All this was noted by crowds of iuqnisitve people. And each day brought fresh news oi other Russian regiments hurrying to the ""ports of embarkation. .M inisters and public men had spoken to them and had been answered in Russian : and still our Press maintained a discreet silence. Not a single reference to the movement of the foreign troops in England was* made in any British paper.

And to (Town all, Alio Premier, Mr Asquith, in response to a question put hy an Irish member in the Commons, ' stated emphatically that no Russian troops passed through -this country. So the story was classed with the one about last year’s sea serpent, and the writer was laughed at by every pressman to whom he had confided his Southampton experiences.

Rut one notes that the Premier did not contradict the rumour of entrained Russians until every German spy in Kngland had sent the report to Merlin, The people of this country believed it; the German Stall' swallowed it; von Kluck heard it at the moment Paris was in his grip. He had not counted on the sudden appearance of half a million troops on his Belgian flank. It was this that sent him pelting back in his tracks. It was a great hoax! We know now that Kitchener had rigged up several regiments of Tommies in Russian unilorms, and sent them travelling through the land for the benefu ot the Gorman, .spies. We also know that after the Marne these spies were dealt with by Scotland Yard,

But these spies and several tons of false beards saved Paris!