The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-03-03
WAR wa! Of FUTURE:
Struggle Between Germany and
England Skstched n
Intsrestingly by . German
High Naval Officer.

a Berlin despatch to the London
Standard gives the following descrip-
ton of new German book describing
an imaginary war between England
and Germany. The author is a high
naval officer, who conceals his identity
under the pseudonym "Beowulf." He
| traces the beginning of the Anglo-G
man war in a general rebellion of the
natives in British South Africa.
During the campaign between the
British troops and the rebel blacks,
Bechuana and Matabele chieftains take
flight across the frontier into German
Southwest Africa. whereupon the Brit
ish Government demands that the Ger
mans shall extradite them for punish
ment. The English Government claims
that the chieftains shall be regarded
as criminals guilty of high treason
Germany persists in regarding them
as combatants, and refuses extradi-
ton. England regards this action as
casus belli, and begins operations
without a formal declaration of war,
which follows two days after the Brit
ish Fleet has initiated the campaign
Meanwhile this Fleet attempts two
bold strokes against Germany. A
squadron of cruisers makes q dash
for Helisoland, lands bluejackets and
marines under cover of darkness, and
attempts to take possession Of the ISL
and. The plan is frustrated by the
vigilance of the garrison, which re-
pulses the British invaders with heavy
loss. During the same night British
merchant steamship, loaded with ce-
ment and manned by officers and sea-
men Of the Navy, steams towards the
western mouth of the Kaiser Wilhelm
Canal. which connects the North Sea
with the Baltic. The Births plan is to
sink steamship at the mouth of the
canal thereby blocking the passage,
This move likewise fails, owing to
the vigilance Of the garrisons of the
forts erected TO defend the canal The
failure of these two preliminary
strokes proves disastrous to Great
Britain. Heligoland proves to be
most valuable basis for the German
fleet, and the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal
is extremely useful for the speedy
passage OF the German warships from
the North See to the Baltic and vice
versa. according to the necessities
of naval warfare.
After formal declaration of war.
Great Britain begins a blockade of the
German North Sea coast with aeet
consisting of twenty battleships and
I. corresponding number of cruisers
and smaller craft. The Germans care
fully avoid open engagements with the
bl"ckading fleet and confine them
selves to marrying the British Fleet
with torpedo boats In this work sub
| suffering the loss of numerous torpedo
boats. the Germans succeed one night,
in sinking one British battleship and
damaging three others SO severely
that they are compelled to return home
for repairs.
The British admiral thereupon with
draws his battieships to a considerable
distance from the coast, and contin-
ues the blockade with his cruisers
which are. however. unable to perform
the service required Of them. The
Germans now begin to harry the
blockadcrS with more success. Theil
torpedo-boats dash farther out to sea
and intlict more losses OH the British
fleet. Finally the latter rctires so fa
from the coast that the blockade
ceases to be effective, and is aban
doned as a hopeless enterprise. Tn
English fleet returns home. Battle
SHIPS play "a small part in the actua
warfare.
During the remainder OF the cam
paign the British fleet remains on tn
east coast of England awaiting til
movements OF the German fleet. TIL
latter likewise remains under cover Q
it's own coast. awaiting renewal q
offensive tactics by the English. Mean
while the cruisers on both sides wag
destructive warfare on the respectiv
mercantile marines. The Germa
cruisers lay hundreds of submarir
mines at the mouths of the Thame
: Humber. and Firth of Forth and nj
- merous British merchant ships al
captured. blown up, or sent as priz'
to Germany.
=, On the other hand, the German me-
camille marine absolutely disappea
:, from the high seas. Ruin overtak
Hamburg and Bremen, all German II
- dustries depending on the export ira
are likewise ruined, and hundreds
thousands Of unemployed WORKING
- suffer great distress. The disturban
;. of international trade affects Engla
:, similarly, 80 that grave financial a
:. Industrial crisis produces disastro
~. effect on England's prosperity.
III Great Britain seizes all the Germ
colonies except Kiau-chau. but s
derives few advantages from the
:. since the conditions Of war Prev
dayoIornonf of fht