The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-01
The EVE OF AN INVASION
HOW ENGLAND MADE READY TO
MEET THE GREAT NAPOLEON.
Light on an Epoch OF Tremendous Inn
pOrtance, Which Stirred Britain
TO the Highest Activity.

NAV not nave Il DUAlllNdl anu MILITARY Slb-
nidcance, that within the past two years
the French general staff has been devOting
great attention to the study of the problem
of invading England.
The first fruits of that study were seen
in the famous article published in the Re
vue de Deux Mondes' in March, 1899, show
ing how delightfully."- easy it would be TO
land a French army on our coast. But a
more permanent and useful consequence
has been the issue by the French general
staff of a number of volumes, giving in
great detail the history of past attempts
at invasion.
In the third volume OF his Projects ct
Tentatives de Debarquement aux lies
Britanniques,' which has just been pub
lished under these auspices in Paris, Capt.
Desbriere gives the story, from the bes-
and most trustworthy sources, of the most
famous of all these attempts-that which
engrossed the attention of Napoleon in 1903
and 1904. on the eve of Trafalgar. He has
examined the French and British archives,
and has not been content to take his facts
at second hand. He has thus been able TO
throw light on many points which have
heretofore been regarded as obscure, and
to give the world a military treatise of the
highest value. Yet ii is not by any means
creditable TO British research that we
should have TO 90 TO q foreigner for the
history of an epoch of such tremendous
importance in the life of the nation.
To the English reader the interest OF this
latest volume lies largely in its revelation
of extraordinary energy and forethought
in the British government. In those days,
when wars were inevitable the men in
power were not afraid to prepare for them.
The captain shows that England stole a
march upon even Napoleon, who was of all
men the most difficult to surprise, by be-
ginning its ornaments we'll before the dec
laration Of war. This makes certain the
answer to a question which has been much
Observation-Disclosures Napoleon, in 1903, wished
Cor war. He would make no sacrifice TO
avoid it, but it does not appear clearly that
he was not responsible for the actual rup-
ture. His fleet is proved, from the French
records, TO have been in a miserable way,
and its lnferiorlty can be pictured from
the fact that whereas France could not
muster in the year 1906 more than twenty
three ships of the line, England had over
one hundred in service before the winter OF
that year opened.
THE BRITISH PLAN.
Notwithstanding this immense naval pre-
ponderancc, which does not exist in our
day, the British government strained every
nerve to collect and drill a vast force for
home defense. On the eve of the war there
were 100000 regulars. militia and yeomen
available, while corps of volunteers were in
process of organization. When war broke
out and it was realized that all that Eng
land loved was at stake, offers OF all kinds
poured in upon the authorities. Even wom-
Ell rendered their services in the crisis.
and lady birmingham proposed TO raise a
corps of Amazons, who, however, were
not to take a place in the fighting line, but
were to drive off the cattle from the coast
when the invaders were signaled.
The general plan adopted for use in case
of invasion was an exact f~orerunner of that
which the Russians adopted in 1872. If the
troops were not able to face the invader
they were to fall back, removing the in
habltants, to deal with whom, in the event
of their being reluctant to withdraw not
impossible contingency, especially il the en-
envy landed in lreland-a special act was
passed, giving the King and his servants
all necessary authority. Then the country
was 10 be devastated. RemOnstrances,
however, proceeding from the Duke Of
Richmond, led to the decision to abandon
the scheme SO far as 1t involved destruc-
ton of permanent property. 1t was finally
decided that all cattle, horses and carts
should be driven off, and that everything
eatable should be removed.
y circular issued by the Duke of York,
then commander-in-chief, as TO the meth
DDS to be adopted by the volunteers and
irregulars anticipates strikingly the tao
tics of the Beers. THE moment a landing
has been effected" IT runs, 1.-The one object
of the i~rregulars should be TO harass,
alarm and weary the enemy. No course
can better contribute to this result than the
operations Of small bodies of men perfectly
familiar with the country. They are to APP
proach the outposts of the invaders army
and fire upon them, without permitting
themselves to be drawn into a serious en-
gagement or running the risk of being cut
off. Clearly, If they take these precautions
they will run no risk, having the whole
country open behind them. and in front an
enemy who does not know the roads. and
who cannot bring with him any but a
very weak force Of cavalry. If the enemy
/ advances inland. these corps must attack
his TANKS and rear and cut off all small
attachments which separate from his main
body"
COMPULSORY SERVICE.
These corps of irregulars, however, Diff
fered in one most important respect from
the Boers-they wore uniform. AS for the
militia, their fighting quality was consid-
| cred to be low both in England and France,
so to disguise their identity it was decided
to dress them in the same way as the regu-
lars. Thus the French would never be able
to know whom they were fighting. and
would be handicapped, for liberties which
could safely be taken with undisciplineG
troops would be very dangerous against
such men as those who were, only a few
years later, TO reap evergreen laurels on
the bloody fields of the peninsula.
To get the troops required the govern
ment did not shrink from the stimulus of
compulsion. Men for the army of reserve
were drawn by ballot, but, If they liked,
they were permitted TO pay for substitutes.
As a last resource, and behind the formid-
able total of regulars, militia, yeomen and
volunteers was TO come a levy en- masse Of
| all males from seventeen to hfty-hve. As
the year 1908 drew to its close, there were
nearly half a million volunteers under
arms, besides 250,0O regulars and militia.
Yet it was still said that our ornaments
were insufficient, and Of this vast host,
drawn from a population not much more
than q third of that which our islands num-
Der to-day, n great number were without
firearms. and a still greater number with
out the most rudimentary training.
French spies speak of these levies with
contempt. The Dragons of ST. James,"
says one, ARE composed of the richest
youths in England; but there could not be
a more comical force. Each horseman has
five or six servants mounted like himself.
One carries port wine, another liqueur, an
other mutt, that when NJ. lie Dragon is
tired of work in the ranks, he may change
his uniform and become a mere private in
dividual." There is no mention, however,
of cooking ranges and pianos in this ma
liciOus report.
Extracts given from the daily press show
that. despite all precautions. there was un-
digni6ed panic. on Oct. Is il is reported
that the people Of Dover and the neighbor-
hood were leaving their houses and retir-
ing TO London and Canterbury. More than
once the beacOns signaled that the invaders
had actually come. but the alarms were al
ways false. Yet for two long years it may
truthfully be said that Englishmen did not
wonder. when from Dover on clear nights
could be seen in the sky the dull glow of
the French watch-fires. and when even the
great admirals spoke in doubtful tones of
the power Of the navy 10 keep the invader
from our shores. Not till Trafalgar had
been fought and won did the sense OF i'm
minent catastrophe pass away.
The New Vogue of Postal Cards.