The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1901-12-08
TEUTONS AND BRiT0NS
German Army Officer Talks Of
Conflict With England.
VIEWS OF BARON Won EDELsHE1M

Claims One Hundred thousand Men
Could he Landed ON the English
Coast In About Thirty rIours-Quicis
Naval Action Might Gnin Tempo
rary success-As 10 War with
Americans.
Considerable attention is attracted In
Berlin by n pamphlet Just published
by Baron Won Edelsheim. an officer in
the chief general staGf 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 matter of absolute certainty, and
IL is considered somewhat curious that
he is permitted by his government to
publish It, says the New York Sun. He
also discusses the possibility of landing
troops In Russia and France and pro-
ceeds TO contemplate the hypothesis of
a war between Germany and the Unit
ed States.
He starts from the assumption that
Germany must one day be involved In
conflict because the growth OF her
traffic and commerce is a source OF
danger TO England. He holds the opin-
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-
fenslve tactics, In which success could
not be reckoned upon. His paper pro
ceeds.
"England's weakness Is our strength.
! The land forces OF the English army
correspond neither In strength nor In
! quality with her position as great
! power. England Is convinced that ey-
cry hostile invasion can be prevented
! by her feet, but this conviction Is not
by any means well founded. Even If
| England after n tipe could set In mo-
! ton great naval forces, those which
would be ready at the beginning are
not so overwhelming that an opponent
| essentially weaker at sea who has ev-
! erythng ready may not have chance
of scoring a temporary success. Ger
many must throw part of her land
forces on the English coast and thus
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 IL !asion, as
the others would take n considerable
time TO mobilize. He observes:
"NVe 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 army corps
about two divisions of the Second and
combined division of the Third, to
gether with three cavalry brigades
The strength of an English division or
war footing Is only 10000 men, while
q similar German division numbers
about 10000 men. Germany can trans
port six infantry divisions or one cav
airy brigade and Eve infantry divisions
to England In very short time. How
the operation could be carried out mus
not, of course. be explained here, bu
this can be said. that 1t can be don'
within little more than thirty hours II
favorable weather from German har
bors In the North sea. Large tracts o
the English coast furnish good landing
places for troops. and the country itsel
has so many resources that an invad
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. II Is unlikely that such
, war would last very long. and consic
. erable re-enforcements would, there
fore, not be needed"