The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1909-06-02
DOWNFALL OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE

Nv u Ia &A0~ Vo
This article i . textual reproductions
Of . popular German pamphlet Mach
dem Hturm)-ons Of innumerabie efforts
70 inhame the German people against
Great Beitain-vhich helps to explain
the practical unanimity Of the German
Reichstag in indorsiug the imperial nav
a programme - vell - the extraordin-
ary popular enthusiasm in Germany Tor
airships. In form it purports to be .
lecture delivered q the International
university of Alexandria in 1911. BY
Arab Pasha]
On June IL English spies announ.
ced that the German navy was man
euvering in the North Sea. Immedi.
ately ten engineering officers yet out
for Kieb and Berlin under orders to
destroy the German airships with dy.
Mantle. il the night Of June 1918.
200 Englsh warships sailed to the
North Sea. twill ever remain mys-
terry how it Was possible that the plan
to take Germany unawares missed fire.
The hypothesis Of treachery is sup.
ported BY the fact that the engineering
officers, although they wore German
airship uniforms. and were masters of
the German language. we're seized be-
fore they could carry out their enter
prise, and rendered harmless. 1t is
further borne out by the action Of the
German feet, which retired to the
coast. With feverish excit@ent the
English war Office awaited the message
agreed upon announcing the success.
full destruction of the German airships;
but hours passed, and It was final
" decided to communicate with the
admiral in command by wireless tele-
graphy, and order him to postpone the
attack.
Whether this message reached the
English feet too late, or circumstances
rendered it impossible to carry out the
order, has never been established with
| certainty, as not q single being who
could have given information on the
subject ever saw home again. One
thing, however, is certain-the Ger
man naval stations were informed II
| TO the movements of the English fleet
On the morning of June IA it met it,
fate. The feet was at this time thirty
miles west of Heligoland, when its out
post ship sighted great German n
mored cruisers on the horizon. A
thick fog enveloped the sky in dens'
gray, obscuring the view. Tht
feet was just about to carry out Z
change of front, when suddenly ont
after the other fearful explosions &C
CURED on three ships. Before it had
been grasped what had occurred, fresh
detonations followed, and now begaI
an unbroken, murderous bombardmen1
by an unseen foe. The brave sailor
we're panic stricken. 1t was obvious
that they found themselves immediate
" beneath the German airAeet, which
favored by the weather, had escaped
the notice of the English balloon scouts
Now followed q scene of which thu
few survivors cannot speak without
shuddering. A gray mass plunged
with furious rapidity through the air
and midst an uproar as if the end o.
the world were at hand, the admirar'
ship was blown into atoms. Twenty
Or so ships in proximity were Likewise
blown up and sunk. What had hap
pened? English ballon scouts had st
damaged the chamber of German
airship with their fire that the com
mander, to prevent his ship capsizing
had no choice but to unchain the am
munition car. Thus many hundred
weights Of explosives had been hurled
from q height of 1000 yards and had
struck the unhappy admiral's ship
There was now a holding back, and il
wild flight such of the English fleet a
we're in action scattered in every direc
ten. The German squadron, which
had slowly approached in full strength
had been awaiting this moment. Thu
retreating foe was pursued. and in tn
cross fire from the Heligoland fortress
es, from the guns on German battle
ships and from the bombardment o
the airships. the pride Of England
sank in the food of the North sea. On
the morning of June 10 a German
army corps brought the news to Eng
land of the destruction of the Britisf
feet.
Of small avail to France and Eng
| land were now their mutual assurance