THE GERMAN MENACE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 137, 8 July 1909, Page 4

THE GERMAN MENACE

An ox-New Zealander, who claims to | express the views iie has gathered from experts in the Old Country, writes to the Christcliwcli l'rcss dealing very clearly with the German menace. He says that in August last year he met a major in one of the best eavalry regiments at Home, two of the officers of which, had recently returned from Germany, where they had been attending some of the German army manoeuvres in October, and he discussed the position with the major at some length Tliti colonial also had the opportunity of hearing the views of the colonel of one of the Scottish regiments—a man who has Been a great deal of service, especially in India and South Africa—as also the various opinions formed by the colonel in charge of one of the east coast divisions. These men, as far as he could judge, were all shrewd, keen soldiers, thoroughly capable, and of proved courage and experience. He saw them at considerable intervals of time and at places far apart, and yet all three held the same views, which they stated in a quiet and matter-of-fact' maimer. They held that no one of reasonable intelligence could doubt that, as Germany fifty years ago began {o prepare for her war with Austria, which when she was ready she carried to a triumphant conclusion in a few weeks, and as forty years ago she forced France into the disastrous war of 187071, as soon as she herself was ready for the conflict, so she is now preparing to deliver a crushing blow on the British Empire. These military men state that .for the past two or three years, whenever any of the British officers go across to Germany, they find that the principal topic in the German army is the manner in which the campaign against Great Britain is to be conducted when it is' undertaken. The whole of England, especially the cast. and northeastern counties, is carefully mapped j out, and every detail of roads, bridges, smithies, etc., marked and illustrated. The plans for rushing a great number of German soldiers on board ship and landing them at a given point on the eastern coasts are all worked out to the minutest details. The Germans calculate that the steaming distance from Hamburg to Hull is less than from Hamburg to Portsmouth by about six hours, and they reckon that by holding their summer manoeuvres' in the northcm part of Germany they could easilv land 70,000 Germans oil the eastern coast of England in thirty-six hours, but they admit that for the moment such a proceeding would be futile, as the British fleet is sufficiently powerful to prevent them from maintaining communication with their own country. They discussed the matter very openly and frankly before one of the colonel's to whom the ex-New Zealander refers. When he was their guest at mess they apologised to him for mentioning it before him, simply explaining that" it was one of those things which lie, of course, recognised was bound to take place in the early, future. The writer asked the colonel in command of'one of the eastern posts what he could do in the event oi a descent being made upon the coast, and he was much struck by his reply. The officer Said: "Of course, we couid in a few hours gather together a number of men from Aldershol, but with nothing in a stale of preparedness it would take us some considerable time to get together an armv of 100.000 men. with artillery and ammunition ami all necessary supplies to attack any force that might be landed." In fact.'all the officers referred to definitely expressed the opinion that, in the event of the Germans making a descent upon tire eastern coast of Britain, their only difficulty would be to maintain the ni.'n 'f'er they were landed, and, therefore. 'nt the only thing Britain had to relv -mil was the superiority of the British Meet. Once a force of 00.000 or 70.000 men was landed, provided communication could be kept open, there would be no difficulty in Germany increasimr the number to a million men in a week or two, and a force of that nature could in no way be dealt with by the British oriuy resources. This being s". and Sir Edward 'Grey bavin? definitely stated in (he House of Commons that by 1!)I(I the German lleet will be ei|iial to,'if not in excess of. the British, the writer is confident that (he position is even more serious than Mr. Asipiilh adniitled in what ho culled his "panic" speech in Ilic House of Commons.