Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1914-12-17
AMERICANS TAKE
LESSON FROM SEA
RAID ON ENGLAND
Naval Experts Discuss Coast
Bombardment With Applica-
ton to Situation Here.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1.-THE raid
of German warships on the northeast
5oast of England continued today to
% a topic of much discussion in
oficial and diplomatic circles No
formal comment was made by gov
srnment officials, but the lombard
'nent was discussed among them, as
veil as in congressional circles, with
particular application to hypothetical
situations in which American de-
fenses might be involved.
Among naval experts 1t was gen.
srally believed that, while the raid
vas for moral effect, and did not
screen a general invasion of England
oy Zeppelins and submarines, the
ynlnerability of Great Britain to such
attacks was to some extent empha-
sized by 1t. On the contrary, they
oelieve that any sustained attack on
England's coast would necessitate a
cry much larger number of ships
han were engaged yesterday, and by
he time an attempt was made to
and an expeditionary force the
english fleet could be brought into
action. The fact that, except for the
protection afforded by her fleet, the
sast coast of England probably is
tnlnerable at a number of points, s
disclosed in information obtained
rom official sources.
Between Aberdeen, on the north
tnd the mouth of the Thames. on the
'outh, there are considerable stretches
= east coast territory without de-
ense. On the east coast of Scotland
aberdeen is fortified, and there is a
aaVai base at Dundee, guarding the
snlrance to the Firth of Tay with a
submarine and torpedo station.
Where Forts Are.
The entrance to the wide Firth of
Forth, on which Edinburgh is
situated, has Notifications at Kirk
caldy and Rosyth, and also a naval
base and a wireless station in that
section. Passing south over the Eng
hsh border, a fort guards Newcastle
On the Tyne. Sunderland, Hartlepooi
and Middlesborough, a little farther
south, have some Notifications. Be-
tween Middlesborough and the mouth
OF the Humber, where the important
manufacturing city of Hull lies, no
forts are known to be located. At
Huli and at Grimsby on the opposite
side of the Humber, also at another
point near the mouth of the river,
there are forts and a naval base.
Except several wireless plants along
the coast, no forts are known to
exist between the mouth of the Hum
Der and Harwich, which is only a
snort distance north of the mouth of
the Thames. At Harwich there is a
fortified naval base.
AS France had long been looked
Upon as the source Of danger of at
lack from the continent, the artificial
defenses of England largely have been
shaped southwark. The attention of
he National Defense Association of
Great Britain had been called several
years ago, it was said, to the fact
that the east coast, from a geographic
cal point of view, would be harder
10 defend than the south. 1t was
pointed out then that along the north
coast of England, in Northumberland
and Durham counties, there are a
series of ports flush with the coast,
the Hartlepools, Seaham Harbor,
Sunderland, Shields and f3lyth, none
Of which places lie UP Intricate chan
nels, between which ,here are sandy
beaches.
EngIand's Weak spots.
In other words, it was said all the
appliances of these ports would be
quickly available to the first landing
parties and could be seized with
relative ease. The series of harbors,
the British Defense Society was told,
in case a landing could be effected,
would become a flying base for such
portion Of the German fiotilla as got
through. These very harbors and
their defenses would be utilized
against English vessels coming to
the rescue. The civil population, it
was added, would be helpless under
the control of a relatively small
number of the invading military force.
The railways which converge upon
that district, it was said, are few,
and there are relatively few lines
available for bringing up reserves
from other parts of the country. A
very few miles across country, the
National Defense Association was
tod. is Carlisle, the point at VIII ch
all the west coast railways converge,
and IL there were any hesitation
these lines might be cut, even Car
Isle itself seized. and in this case 1t
would isolate two territorial divi-
sions In Scotland while the North
umbrian territorial division would be
paraly3ed and the two Lancashire
and the West Riding terri o~ial vi.
sions hurrying to the rescue might
be checked and II forced into bat
tie 1t might require the full strength
of the regular troops and probably
half of the territorial army from the
South.
This possibility in case of invasion
at a point or points along the coast
of the north counties of England
proper, where nine-tenths of the
population of more than two million
people live in narrow belt along the
coast not more than twenty miles
wide at it's broadest point, had been
pointed out.
While military opinion here seemed
TO doubt whether any s"ch extensive
invasion as that indicated above
would take place. they admitted that
If 1t did come about 1t might follow
the lines to which the attention of
the National Defense Association was
directed.