The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-02-08
THE CONQUEST OF ENGLAND.
An Allsgorical Object Lesson Teaching
the short.Sishteduess Of the Nation
Which Neglects TO Provide Adequately
for Ito Own de feuse

the Short.Sishteduess Of the Nation
Which Neglects TO Provide Adcquatcl,
for Its Own Defense.
We mentioned editorially the other
day the reprint. by a Chicago firm
Way & Williams. Of a tract called THE
Battle OF DOrking," In which vivid
object lesson was presented In the form
of an allegory showing how easily q
country like our own, without coast
defences, regular soldiers or much OF
navy, might suddenly be overrun
and conquered by hostile foreign
power TO the Chicago Times Herald
we are indebted for the excellent syn
opsis Of that tract which follows:
In May, 1871, an article appeared in
Blackwood's Magazine which attract
ed instant attention and really deeply
moved the English people to "a sense OF
their weakness. 1t was attributed q
Colonel George Chesney, an officer In
her majesty's service: certainly 1t must
have been written by man of expert
ence in military affairs.
The narrator is an old man depicting
fifty years after, the inspiring events
of 1875. II need hardly tell you" he
says. "how the crash came about.
First, the rising in India drew away a
difficulty with America which had been
threatening for years. We sent off
10000 men to defend Canada-a handful
which did not 60 far to strengthen the
real defenses of that country. but
formed an irresistible temptat tiOn to
the Americans to try and take them
prisoners. especially as the contingent
included three battallons of the guards.
Thus the regular army at home was
smaller than usual and nearly half of
1t was in Ireland to check the talked
of Fenian invasion fitting out In the
west. Worse still the fleet was scat
tered abroad; some ships to guard the
West Indies, others to check priva-
teering in the China seas. and q large
party to try and protect our colonies
on the Northern Pacific shore Of Amer
lea, where with incredible folly, we
continued to retain possessions which
we could not possibly defend =
1t was while We were in this state. with
our ships all over the world, and our
little army cut up into deetachments
that the Secret Treaty was published
and Holland and Denmark were an
nexed. People say now that we might
have escaped the trouble which came
on us If we had at any rate kent quiet
till our other difficulties were settled
but the English were always an impuI-
sive lot: the whole country was boiling
over with Indignation. and the govern
ment, egsed on by the press. and going
with the stream. declared war"
The Inspiration Of Prophecv.
There Is something like the inspira-
tion OF prophecy In these words. Eng
lands fleet is widely scattered today.
she is In difficulties with America: and
her present quarrel with Germany GEN.
ters around the emperor's affection for
the Dutch. AS to the cause of this
imaginary war; 1t Is not long since Eng
land became furious over the rumor
that Germany designed to annex Hol-
land. and in the last of Mr. Labou-
chere's papers to come to hand we find
the fear expressed by that astute OBJ
server of foreign affairs: "The emper-
or-apart from direct German inter-
ests in South Africa-cannot be sorry
to show that Dutch Beers may count
on his support, and by his telegram he
was playing very possibly for the
peaceful incorporation of Holland into
his empire. with. perhaps. some idea
in his mind, If France were to assent
to this, to restore to her the provinces
lost by the Franco-German war"
But to return to 1.-The Battle of Dork-
ing" When the correspondents of the
London papers broke the marrier Of
mystery erected around Germany's
operations by the emperor. they learned
that every port from the Baltic to
Ostend" had been placed under en-
barge; the fleets OF Germany had moved
out and troops were hurrying on board
ships detained at various ports. An in
vasion was intended.
1t might have been intercepted II the
fleet had been ready. But then the
best part of the fleet had been decoyed
down to the Dardanelles." (TO over
awe the sultanD 1t was ten days be-
fore the vessels in the home ports were
prepared for sea. The queen dismissed
them with her blessing. And the news
papers declared that England awaits
with calm confidence the issue of the
impending action"-slngularly enough.
almost the very words used by the
Standard less than a month ago In COM
menting on continental hostility to
England. The narrator goes on to telf
Of the naval battle:
It was about 10 o'clock that the first