The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1914-08-28
GERMANS
HOW. TO TAKE US.
GEN Won EDELsHEIM SAYS MA.
rIoN WOULD SURRENDER If
sEAPoRTs TAKEN.


reprinted, in part, from the London
Globe Of Aug. 70, as a translation of
an article written for the German pa
pers by Gen. Won Edelsheim of the
Prussian General staff:
Operations against the United
States of North America would have
to be conducted in a different manner
from those against England. During
the 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 way. AS this obligating atti-
tude has its limits, we have to ask our.
selves what force We can possibly
bring to bear in order to meet the at
tacks of the United States against
our interests and to impose our will
viii Defeat Navy First.
"Our fleet will probably be able to
defeat the naval forces of the United
States, which are distributed over two
oceans and over long distances. But
1t would be mistake to suppose that
the defeat Of their feet will force the
United States with its immense re-.
sources into concluding peace.
Considering the great extent of the
United States, the conquest of the
country by an army of invasion is not
possible. But there Is every reason
to believe that victorious enterprises
on the Atlantic coast, and the conquest
of the most important arteries through
which imports and exports pass. will
create such an unbearable state of af-
fairs In the whole country that the gov
eminent will readily offer acceptable
conditions in order to obtain peace.
IF Germany begins preparing a fleet
of transports and troops for landing
purposes at the moment when the bat
tie fleet steams out of our harbors we
may conclude that operations on Amer
lean soil can begin after about four
weeks, and it cannot be doubted that
the United States will not be able to
oppose to us within that time an army
equivalent to our own.
Says We Use MuzzIe Leaders.
"At present the regular army of the
United States amounts to $4,000 men.
OF whom about 10000 could be dis.
posed Of OF these at least 10000 are
required for watching the Indian fer.
rltories and for guarding the forti.
hcations on the sea coast. Therefore
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; 1t is partly armed with muz.
zle leaders and it's training is worse
sAA~AA ieo lldultuL,
1.-THE Americans will not feel inclin.
ed 10 conclude peace because one or
two provinces are occupied by an armv
OF invasion, but because of the enorm-
GUS material losses which the whole
country will suffer if the Atlantic har.
Dor towns, in which the threads or
the whole prosperity of the United
States are concentrated, are torn away
from them one after the other.
Therefore the task of the fleet
would be to undertake series of large
landing operations, through which we
are able to take several of these i'm.
portant and wealthy towns within a
brief space of time. By interrupting
their communications, by destroying
all buildings serving the state, com.
merce and the defense, by taking away
all material for war and transport
and, lastly, by levying heavy contribu-
lions, We should be able to inflict
damage on the United States"