Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1901-11-19

Eiaims One Hundred Thousand Men
Could BE Landed on the English
Coast In About Thirty Hours-auicl
Naval Action Might Gain Tempo
rary Success-As to War with
Americana
/ Considerable attention is attracted Ia
Berlin by a pamphlet just published
y Baron Won Edelsheim, an officer III
ne chief general staff of the German
srmy, in which he declares that Ger
aany could throw 100000 men on the
'ngiish coast within very short time.
he baron put forward his statement
s matter of absolute certainty, and
is considered somewhat curious that
e is permitted by his government to
pbiish it. says the New York Sun. He
SO discusses the possibility of landing
pops in Russia and France and pro
ceds to contemplate the hypothesis OF
awar between Germany and the Unit
d States.
Germany must one day be involved in
aconfiict because the growth of her
ufiic and commerce is a source of
dnger to England. He holds the opin-
ia that Germany might hope to secure
SINE success at sea shortly after hos
Titles began, as the German navy
would start mobilization first, but be-
fGe long England would be able to set
sch powerful naval forces in action
that Germany would be reduced to de-
fNsive tactics. in which success could
net be reckoned upon. His paper pro-
ceds:
@Englands weakness is our strength.
The land forces of the English army
correspond neither in strength nor in
power England is convinced that ev
cry hostile invasion can be prevented
by her fleet. but this conviction is not
by any means well founded. Even if
England after time could set in mo-
ton great naval forces, those which
would be ready at the beginning are
not so overwhelming that an opponent
weaker at sea who has ev-
ready may not have chance
of scoring a temporary success. Ger
many must throw part Of her land
bring the conflict to an issue on land.
where German troops are much supe-
rior to English"
After summing up the shortcomings
Of England's land forces the baron de-
clares that only her present standing
army and regular reserve can be count
ed on in case of sudden invasion, as
the others would take a considerable
time TO mobilize. He observes:
I'VE must also take account of their
slight fighting value compared with
well trained German troops. The only
troops ready in England for action are
three divisions of the First arms- corps.
about two divisions Of the Second and
a combined division of the Third, to-
gether with three cavalry brigades.
The strength Of an English division on
a war footing is only 10000 men. while
a similar German division numbers
about 5000 men. Germany can trans
port six infantry divisions or one cav
airy brigade and five infantry divisions
to England in a very short time. How
the operation could be carried out must
not. of course. be explained here. but
this can be said, that it can be done
within little more than thirty hours in
favorable weather from German har-
oors in the North sea. Large tracts of
the English coast furnish good landing
places for troops. and the country itself
has so many resources that an invad-
ing army could live on them for long
IN ha iSlo ;s.
not large enough to allow English
troops to destroy a once victorious hos
tile army. 1t is unlikely that such
war would last very long. and consid
erable re-enforcements would, there
fore, not be needed