Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1901-12-07
TEUT0NS AND BRIT0NS
German Army Officer Talks Of
Conflict With England.
VIEWS OF BARON Won EDELsHElM

Claims One Hundred Thousand sicn
Could BE Landed ON the EnG1ish
Coast In About Thirty HOurs-Quiok
Naval Action Might Gain Tempo
rary Success-As to War with
Americans.
Considerable attention Is attracted In
Berlin by a pamphlet just published
by Baron Won Edelsheim, an officer IN
the chief general staff Of the German
army. In which he declares that Ger
many could throw 100000 men on the
English coast within very short time.
The baron put forward his statement
as a matter Of absolute certainty, and
II is considered somewhat curious that
he Is permitted by his government TO
publish it, says the New York Sun. lie
also discusses the possibility OF landing
troops In Russia and France and pro-
ceeds to contemplate the hypothesis OF
war between Germany and the Unit
ell States.
He starts from the assumption that
Germany must one day be involved IN
a conflict because the growth of her
traffic and commerce Is source OF
danger to England. He holds the opln'
ion that Germany might hope to secure
some success at sea shortly after hos
tilities began, as the German navy
would start mobilization first but be-
fore long England would be able to set
| such powerful naval forces in action
that Germany would be reduced to de-
| fensive tactics, in which success could
not be reckoned upon. His paper pro
| ceeds:
"England's weakness is our sire ngth
The land forces Of the English army
correspond neither In strength nor III
quality with her position as great
power England Is convinced that ev
cry hostile invasion can be prevented
by her feet, but this conviction Is moi
by any means well founded. Even II
England after a time could set in mo
ton great naval forces, those which
would be ready at the beginning are
not SO verwhelming that an opponent
essentially weaker at sea who has ev
prything ready may not have chance
Of scoring a temporary success. Ger
many must throw part Of her lane
forces on the English coast and thu'
bring the conflict to an issue on land
where German troops are much supe
rior TO English"
After summing up the shortcominG
of EngIandS 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, a.
the others would take considerable,
time to mobilize. lie observes:
I'VE must also take account Of the:
slight fighting value compared witt
we'll trained German troops. The onl.
troops ready in England for action ar
three divisions of the First army corps
about two divisions of the Second ant
a combined division of the Third, to
gether with three cavalry brigades
The strength of an English division o.
war footing is only 10000 men, Will
a similar German division number
about 10000 men. Germany can trans
port six infantry divisions or one cav
airy brigade and five infantry division
to England in very short time. HOY
the operation could be carried out mus
not. of course, be explained here, bu
this can be said, that it can be don
within little more than thirty hours I
favorable weather from German hai
bors In the North sea. Large tracts G
the English coast furnish good landin
places FOR troops and the country itsel
has so many resources that an inyat
i ing army could live on them for lon
time. On the other hand, the island
not large enough to allow Englis
troops to destroy once victorious hos
tile army. 1t Is unlikely that such
war would last very long, and conslt
cradle re-enforcements would, there
fore, not be needed"