The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-08-29
INVASION OF AMERICA
Kaiser's General has an Elaborate
Plan for the Conquest of this
Country

invading the United States. Selling
the principal cities, holding the great
railways until the country was starv-
ed out-this seems a flight of wild
imagination to Americans. Such is
just the plan outlined by General
Won Edelsheim in a recent book. He
is no hair-brained Pan-German eth
er, but member of the Prussian
general staff Here is his memoran-
dunn:
Operations against the United
States of America would have to be
conducted in different manner from
those against England. During last
years political friction with that
state, especially friction arising from
commercial causes, has not been
lacking and the difficulties that have
arisen have mostly been settled by
our giving away. As this obligtng
attitude has it's limits, we have to
ask ourselves what force we can pos
sibly bring to bear in order to meet
the attacks of the United States
against our interests and impose our
will. Our fleet will probably be able
to defeat the naval forces of the
United States, which are distributed
over two oceans and over long dis
tancs. But it would be mistake to
suppose that the defeat of their fleet
will force the United States with it's
imense resources into concluding
peace.
In view of the small number of
American merchantmen, in view of
the small value of the American
colonies, which are not even pacified,
in view of the excellent Notifications
with which the American seaports
are provided, and which cannot be
taken except with very heavy losses,
and in view of the large number of
American seaports, all of which we
cannot blockade at the same time.
our fleet has no means to force that
opponent thru successful maritime
operations to conclude on our terms.
The possibility must be taken in
to account that the fleet of the United
States will at first not venture into
battle, but that it will withdraw into
fortified harbors, in order to wait
for favorable opportunity of achiev-
ing minor success. Therefore 1t is
be decisive against the United States,
but that the combined action of the
navy and the army will be required
Consid ering the great extent of the
country by an army of invasion is
not possible. But there is every rea-
son to believe that victorious enter
prises on the Atlantic coast and the
conquest of the most important arter-
les thru which imports and exports
pass, will create an unbearable
state of affairs in the whole country
that the government will readily Of
obtain peace.
If Germany begins preparing a
fleet of transports and troops for
landing purposes at the moment
when the battle feet steams out of
our harbors we may conclude that
operations on American soil can be-
gin after about four weeks, and it
cannot he doubted that the United
States will not be able to oppose us
within that time an army equivalent
to our own.
At present the regular army of
the United States amounts to 65 900
men, of whom about 10000 could be
disposed of. OF these at least 10000
are required for watching the Indian
territories and for guarding the for
tffications on the sea coast There
fore only about 10000 men of the
regular army are ready for war.
Besides, about 100000 militia are
in existence, of whom the larger part
did not come up when they were
called out during the last war.
Lastly, the militia is not efficient, it
is partly armed with muzzleloaders,
and its training is even worse than
its armament
An operation by surprise against
America is impossible, on account of
the length of time during which the
transports are on the way, only the
landing can be effected by surprise.
| Nevertheless, stress must be laid on
the fact that the rapidity of the in
vasion will considerably facilitate
victory. owing to the absence of
methodical preparation for mobili-
cation, owing to the inexperience of
the personnel, and owing to the
weakness of the regular army.