The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1901-03-08
AvENGE
FASH0DA
Plans Are Accepted by
French Navy.
GLARING Deficiencies
Admitted by the British--Attack
to Come Like a Thunder
clap In the
Niqht,
Special to News-Democrat.

special 10 NeWS-DemOcraC.
London, March 5.-The presistency
with which the idea of an invasion of
England by France is kept to the front
is causing far more uneasiness here
than the phlegmatic Briton will gen.
orally admit.
1t has caused more activity at the
admiralty and Whitehall than any
thing in the past ten years.
Although the French government os-
tensibly ignored the suggestions OF
General Mercier for plan of invasion
of the territory of Frances hereditary
enemy, the navy department has ap-
proved tactics since proposed by Lieu
tenant Olivier. This young naval Of
ficer is considered man of extraordin-
ary promise, and his plan has been
warmly endorsed by Vive Admiral
Commandant DOWN, professor of naval
tactics at the Ecole Superieure De
Guerre.
The scheme of this young officer is
daring enough to set the hearts of
French Anglo phobes throbbing with
delight. The only chance that it might
succeed, Englishmen say, would be the
possibility of panic taking place in
London, and some bungling on the part
of the admiralty.
Conservative experts think that the
attempt would end in fiasco similar
to that which resulted in the declara-
tion of war against Germany by France
in 1870.
Ollivier's scheme Is for the French
government to seize a favorable oppor-
tunity for a sudden declaration of war,
to be made during the afternoon and
followed by fierce naval assault on the
same night.
Torpedo Boats.
Previous to making the declaration
France Is to concentrate large number
of torpedo boats, submarine boats and
torpedo destroyers at a point where
they could at once start Tor the British
coast and make an irresistible attack
on the unprepared foe.
Following this attack would come a
feet of swift cruisers, massed quietly
sometime ahead in the harbor of Cher
bourg, which would at once proceed to
safety of French ports. The North
Squadron from Brest next comes into
action, and, with the harbor Brest as
base of operations and haven of re-
fuge in case of necessity of retreat,
could keep England's Channel Squadron
and any other vessels with which she
might retaliate, at bay. This would al
low time for the Mediterranean fleet
to have crippled the enemy and prevent
ed blockade of Algeria and Toulon.
"Of course" said one of the heads of
the admiralty to me, "the French
scheme might work, provided we were
to throw our hands up at the firing of
the first gun. Weak as our navy Is in
many essential particulars 1t is yet
much too far ahead of the French navy
to allow us to think we could not give
her sound thrashing If she ever came
after it. Our greatest lack at the pres
ent time Is sufficient number of swift
cruisers, of which we ought to have at
least double the number that we possess,
and which should be built with the least
possible delay.
Swift Cruisers Lacking.
"Our vessels at the home station
would be quickly joined by those from
other places from which they could
judiciously be spared, and the merchant
marine at home and arriving would
speedily supply us with the one thing
which we know to be lacking, which is
swift cruisers.
"But the French plan lacks not only
definiteness but comprehensivenes Her
Mediterranean feet would certainly not
be allowed to pass Gibraltar without ex-
PLANTATION. Between the British Med
iterranean feet and the fortress there
would be quite enough for the French
fleet to take care of without leaving
its own territory. Earseilles, Algiers
and Toulon world have 70 - protsoted.