The Washington herald., 1914-04-26
By JAMES MORGAN

Notwithstandins the stupendous OBJ
surdity of the project. John Bull who
mas an abnormal dread of invasion.
whether by cookie shells, tunnels or air
ships, was so alarmed that the season
OF panic has passed into English history
as the Great Terror" Had not this
ism Meets over 80 miles Of the Mediter-
Tanean? Had he not leaped the Alps?
Who could set bounds to his audacity?
While the credulous peasantry SILVER
ed as they listened to stories Of Napo-
Icons having already landed and Sc
GREETED himself like wild man in the
neighboring woods. only awaiting his
good time TO pounce upon them, the King
IN daily expectation that Bonaparte will
attempt ms threatened invasion" as
George III wrote. made provision for
the flight Of the royal family beyond Tho
Severn. For himself His Majesty an
nounced his readiness to take his place
al the head Of the army of defense whose
NUMBER We're quickly swollen to 30OO1I
and 10000 by jealous volunteers Indeed
the enrolment Outran the supply of mus
kets and thousands of the island defend
ers were armed only with pixies and like
Forts sprang up about London, and
the traveller may still see the rounding
6riGk walls Of some Of the seventy-fve
erected on the coast Huge piles of COM
nusables were made ready to be turned
into bonfires as signal OF the ogre's
approach at night while beside them
stacks Of straw were heaped and only
needed TO be wetted ana fired TO send
Trucking the Enemy Mt Sea.
Some historians. rejecting The mad
lodging through the British Channel fleet
insist that his entire campaign of in
Nasion was but mere rUSe to enabls
him to marshal and equip his forces not
ior descent upon England at ALL but
for sudden thrust at other enemies
from whom no sea separated him-Rus-
STA and austria This, however. is rea-
sonIng after the fact. for in the end the
camp of Boulogne really became only the
AusterlitZ.
Nevertheless. it seems far more proba-
Die that he really planned grand nayaI
and military combination against Eng
land and that all his buster about at
tempting an invasion without the help Of
hghting ships was made merely to conceal
his true purpose to assemble supporting
fleet. The British admiralty were not de-
! ceived for a moment by his pretense Of
relying on Gains and fogs. but kept q
close watch on his navy throughout the
TWO years and more Of this extraordinary
movement.
He contrived. however. to bewilder the
sea dogs with a most elaborate deception
and they never could be certain where he
was aiming his blow. whether at India
or Ireland. Egypt or England He did not
issued orders that confused them as well
as the enemy.
Leave 1t 10 me-" ne confidently said
on his return from his Italian coronation.
rely on my activities. will surprise the
world by the grandeur and the rapidity
Admiral Nelson. who was again on
guard in the Mediterranean as az the
time OF Napoleon's dash to and from
he saw French troops marching by the
thousands toward the shore OF Italy and
that coast being heavily fortified. Nelson
became convinced that Napoleon was
Planning anew the conquest Of the East
But while he raced OF to Alexandria in
pursuit of the fleet under Admiral Vile
neuve. which had broken out Of TouIon,
Eilleneuye was left free to pass through
the Straits Of Gibraltar unopposed. unite
Indies.
The Real Plan of Campaign.
,Napoleons plan was to have other tivi-
West Indian waters. where they were to
combine for descent in full force upon
convoy for his fiotilla Of transports. SUD-
denly assembling seventy or eighty
French and Spanish vessels Of war in the
Channel. he hoped to hold il for tive,
months while the British were collecting
their fleets. which his various fents had
caused them to scatter over the seas
them the Emperor rejoiced as he saw
his naval maneuvers open so fortunately
with the sailing away Of viIleneuve "Tf
we have the power of crossing for but
twelve hours. England will be no more
As he paced the sand cliffs of Boulogne
watching for the appearance OF his sails
ii'A IL MS SpNsldSS
swept the opposite shore. and he saw
the roofs of the English. and the island
ers busting about in their preparations
to beat him off. 7 only await a favor
able wind" he said enigmaticaIIy 10 his
suite. who were in ignorance of his sea
campaign. Ito plant the imperial eagles
on the Tower Of London
The Watch Dogs of the Sea.
He waited in vain. At every harbo-
mouth Of France twinkled the lights 81
English shirs. which when blown away
ny the gales. quickly raced hack to their
posts Admiral Collingwood wrote His
WE from his station of ROChefOrt that
ne had mot seen green leaf in a tree
for fourteen months. and Nelson said
that for two years and ten days he never
had his foot of the Victory.
Nelson only returned from his boot
less VOYAGE TO Egypt TO chase Eillenauve
across the Atlantic. where in West In
and Spanish feet by 100 miles and was
sent on on another FOOLS eTrend 10 the
| too. had his disappointment The French
| feet in the harbor Of Rrest where Napo-
/ leon had noisily ass6 mbled 70. no soldiers
as If for on expedition to ireland. had
/ failed to run the British blockade and
| Unique.
| Coast Of Spain. where in due time Mel.
son was to catch his ships and smash
| them off the streak of sand whose mama
has been immOrtalized by the Battle Of
| Trafa gar. But that not yet. and
Gay after dav Napoleon's eye remained
| fastened on the western horizon in tn
hope that one of his fleets would dare
| the venture alone. To the Brest COM
| mander he appealed, start. start at
once. In Your hands are the destinIes
| Of the world
| Let us he the masters Of the Channel
| for six hours" he pleaded with his naval
| advisers. and we shall he masters Of the
| world. But they only eNasperated him
| by discoursinG about Gains and currents
| and forever urging, Sire, that cannot be.
| Sire. the winds do not admit OF it, He
stormed at them: How is il possible TO
| maintain a discussion with men whose
| language do not comprehend He
| had no patience with their objections and
doubts. My admrals see double" he
| exclaimed The English will become
very small when France shall have two
| or three admirals willing to die"
The Unconquered Element.
It would not be easy to measure the
bitterness that filled his breast as he saw
his mperious will baffied by the course
of a campaign an element to which
he was a stranger. Had not some official
arbitrarily changed his destiny when he
was preparing for the navy at Briennc.
he might have been his own admiral and
met Nelson face to face. When Difficult
ties and impossibilitics confronted his
army he dCfied and surmounted them.
He was certain that il he commanded
ships he could overcome naval obstacles
with the same ease.
With gloom and anger clouding his