The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-10-11
ENGLAND BREADS
GERMAN ATTACK
Germany Has Already Ar
ranged Diplomatic Let
ter to Powers.
A WARNING is SOUNDED
DECLARED VICTORY OVER ENG
LIsH IN NORTH SEA Is OBJ
JEcTIvE OF GERMAN NAVAL
POLICY AT PRESENT.
Richard Abercorn.

Hfchafo ApefCorns
| London, Oct. 10.-War scares are
seldom at their most dangerous stage
| when they are most talked about.
| Real and imminent peril in England,
at any rate, produces silence. At
present the writer is very far from
saying that England and Germany
| are on the verge of conflict. He mere
| ly desires to record the facts that
| naval and military circles in this
country are in a state OF nervous
| dread of a sudden attack in the near
future by German arms.
1t is this fact that gives peculiar
significance to one of the most alarm
| ing warnings ever addressed to ma
| ton, which appears in the National
Review just published. his sentence
alone is sufficiently appealing:
1T Is known to those who have
their hands on national secrets that
German diplomatic circular to the
powers is already drafted, announcing
that Germany has delivered her at
tack upon England Unexpectedly and
| in time of peace, because a RESPONSE
| BILE officer at the British Admiralty
had intimated to all on innumerable
occasions that England would deliver
such an attack upon the German navy
| and supporting the statement by the
evidence of diplomatists and parties
whose word cannot be hastily reject
ed"
Condemns British Policy.
This statement, whether true or
false, is the most striking demonstra-
ton ever made of the ease with which
casuistry may, at any moment furnish
a plausible casus belli.
To justify the article, which bears
the signature .Ignotus" and which is
strongly Endorsed editorially, is
strong condemnation of the present.
British naval policy and an appeal
for instant action to avert, if possible
the supposed danger. Following is
the concluding portion of the article:
"Just as victory over the British
fleet in the North sea is the objec-
tive of German naval policy, so is the
| destruction of the understanding be-
| tween England and France the objec-
tive of German diplomacy. Germany
is determined to break down the en-
| tente cordiale and estrange England
and France as she estranged France
and Austria in the critical years be-
| tween 1865 and 1870.
"By keeping them apart she was
| able to defeat them in detail and to
obtain the hegemony of Europe.
IF any disloyalty were shown by
either power of the present under
standing, peace would not be worth
a days purchase. War would be in
slant and inevitable. Nor can it be
denied that some moral weakening of
| the entente has already followed the
| reduction in the British army and the
| failure of the British nation to re-
| form its military system.
"The problem is not to injure Ger
many, but to prevent her from using
her enormous strength to the ruin of
her weaker neighbors.
| Had the British government, in
1907, replied to the German navy bill
of 1906 increasing the German fleet,
by corresponding augmentations of the
British naval forces, a deathblow
might have been dealt to Germany's
naval projects for the present.
Had England replied in the present
year to the act of 1908 by voting mex
orably two keels to Germany's one, it
is as least possible that the German
nation would have abandoned it's eff
forts. But the two opportunities have
been lost, and now there lies before
England desperate, prolonged and
Unfortunately costly struggle to hold her
own at sea.
/ only the overwhelming preponder-
ance of British force can now main
tain peace. The very moment of at
tack cannot be predicted. 1t will come
when this nation leasts expects it.
THE watchword for the day must be
concentration of all the available force
\ in the North sea in one strong fleet,
and for the future the laying down of
two ships to the Germans one, and the
reform of the British army That is
the key to European peace, the only
chance of averting a terrible and san
culinary conflict"
1t may be said in general comment
on the situation that the growing alarm
in England has within the past few
weeks communicated itself even to the
present Liberal-Socialistic government.
| 1t may also be imagined from the fore
| going what nervous chills are shaking
the spines of British statesmen.