TO INVADE ENGLAND.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 April 1916, Page 3

TO INVADE ENGLAND.

GERMANY'S WILD HOPE. . An Independent Cable Association mes-1 sage from Vancouver states:— A message from London says that an article in the Star by its well-informed | political correspondent lias created much I discussion. The writer says that there are many signs on the east coast of England that the military authorities the view that the Germans will attempt to land an expeditionary force to occupy London. But, the correspondent add;, it is sufficient to consider the actions ot the | enemy : n torpedoing the Ttibantin and Palembang, which followed similar outrages on Swedish and Danish ships, This action has formed a new and highly significant chapter in sea. affairs. German controversialists have always pretended that their system of submarine warfare was established to cut off food supplies and munitions from Britain and her Allies. It was recently reported that Herr Ballin, the well-known Berlin shipping magnate, told the Dutch shipping companies that Germany was determined to use every, means to prevent neutral steamers reaching Britain. It was quite impossible for Germany to take this step with all the dangerous chances of arousing the enmity of neutral nations against her merely in order to prevent quaiitities of margarine foodstuffs reaching Britain from Holland. That it was a mere pretence was finally proved by the fact that the Tubantia was bound to Bray.il and the Palembang to Java, so that the Germans by torpedoing those vessels did no damage to England. The real object they have in view is to clear the North Sea of all merchantmen. The Dutch Government had considered the idea, evidently advanced bv Germany, that Dutch steamers westbound should go to the north of Scotland. The inevitable conclusion is that Germany wants to provide for a gathering of submarines, transports, and Zeppelins on the German coast to be carried out unobserved. Here, if anywhere, the army of invasion would be collected. The longer the operation can be concealed the greater the ohope that the surprise which animates its organisers will be accomplished. The great day which Germany dreads is that on which there is to be a simultaneous rdvance on all fronts by the Allies. In order to disorganise that attack, which she knows' is coming, she delivered furious thrusts at Verdun at a cost of 2110,(100 men., and failed to achieve her object. Tt is only too probable that she will try to once more overthrow the Allies' combination on the west front, and may launch an invading force on our shores in the hope of preventing lis sending assistance to I'rance.