The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-12-29
COULD GERMANY CONQUER AMER
ICA.
Lieutenant Won EdcIshcim Formu-
Iatcs n Plan.

Lieutenant Won EdcIshcim Formu-
Iates Plan.
The London Daily Express of Dec.
10 published a map showing "a Ger
man plan to conquer America" to-
gether with comparison of the Ger
man and American navies and the
available troops of the two nations.
1t says:
Coud Germany conquer the United
States? Lieut. Won Edelsheim, Second
Regiment of Uhlans of the German
Imperial Guard, thinks she could if
she followed the plan which he has
| formulated.
War against the United States would
| be carried on under conditions neces-
sarily different from those of a German
campaign against this country
In recent years, says Lieut.. Edel-
| sheim, Germany has had~several occa-
sions of political difficulties with the
| United States, for the most part aris-
! ing out of commercial questions. Tn,
! til the present time these difficulties
have been smoothed over on the part
of the Germans.
But since there is a limit to conces-
| sions we may ask what powerful
means Germany can make use of, if
needs arise, to check the action of the
! United States against her interests,
in other words, to impose her will on
them by force
Now, Germ9ry's fist element of
| power is her navy. 1t has every pros
pect of combating with success the
naval forces of the United States, dis
persed as they are over two oceans
But it is evident, IN view of the vast
extent of territory and the immense
resources the United States possess,
that naval defeat would not by any
means be decisive.
For the very reason of the great ex-
tent of the United States, an invasion
of the interior is not to be considered
seriously. But there would be chances
of success in striking blows upon the
seacoast and cutting the great arteries
of expectation and importation so as
to paralyze the industrial and COM
mercial life of the United States, which
would oblige that power to accept
| peace.
If the mobilization of the transport
| squadron and the corps of invasion be-
gan at the moment of departure of
Germanys fighting fleet for American
waters, it will be admitted that the
invading troops might come into ac-
ton on American soil at the end OF
| about four weeks.
The United States are not in a con-
dition to bring into opposition, within
an equal time an army equal in num-
bers to Germany's corps of invasion.
Actually the regular army of the
| United States is on a footing of 65, 900
men, but of this number there are not
more than 10000 available for the de-
Tense of the mother country. Besides
that. there must be deducted from that
number at least 10000 men, who cam
not be spared from surveillance of the
Indian territories and from the mari
time defenses.
There remain. then, only 10000 reg
ular troops for the actual campaign
True, there are besides about a hun>
dred thousand militia, but in the late
war the greater part did not answer
the call. Moreover, these militia are
armed. in great part, with muzzle load
ing muskets. and are badly drilled be-
sides.
Because of the length of the voyage
the transportation of the German
troops could not be done by surprise,
but still the landing could be accom-
plished suddenly at an unexpected
point of the coast.
When we consider, Lieut.. Edelsheim
points out, that the Americans have
40 plan of mobilization we'll worked
out in time of peace, and take into ac-
count also the inexperience and weak
ness of the regular army of the United
States, we may confidently hope that
a corps of invasion, operating with
suddenness, would have chances of
success.
Germans could not dream, of course,
of permanent occupation of any great
extent of American territory, which
would require an army of too high ef-
fectiVenesS; but 1t would be feasible
to occupy the principal maritime cities.
A series of coast landings, using
comparatively small forces, could be
applied to this purpose. 1t would be
difficult for the Americans to oppose
them with success.
Although their excellent system of
railways would enable the Americans
to concentrate in short time troops at
threatened points on the coast, the
invader, by feints of landing, now at
one point. now at another, could at last
attain his end with the cooperation
of the naval force.
The corps of invasion could even
take the offensive against the enc
my's forces while the latter were vet
imperfectly concentrated. or he could
avoid an attack on their part by re-
embarking and moving away to land at
still another point.
Such is the plan of this strateglst, and
he has just caused 1t to be circulated
in Berlin.
1t is as we'll to remark here that in
the lieutenant's opinion Germany is
the only great power in a position
single handed to attack the United
States. Britain, in case of war with
America, could only gain success on
the sea. She would be powerless to
defend Canada, where the Americans
could make good their maritime re-
verses.
Finally, save Britain, no other great
power but Germany has, of her own,
sufficient transport vessels to UNDER
take such an operation as has just been
described.
II say, is this here the novel you
advised me to read?" said the cabman
to the librarian. YES" replied the