Grand Forks daily herald., 1914-12-16
100000 BRT0NS k.0YED TO COAST
IN ONE NIGHT TO REPEl INVASION
Lord Kitchener Gives Another Demonstration Like the
Shipment of Troops to France of His Ability to Han
die Them Without Publicity-Fas 100000 Ready for
the Germans.
force over again.

peditionary force over again. Not a
cog slipped and not man told.
Germany might be willing TO sac-
-ifcc $500" or 100000 men in futile
INVASION OF England is the view held
! in the higher circles, IF by 50 doing
sae could keep England from rein
forcing her line in France Just now"
That means that another desperate
and perhaps final effor, is 10 be made
by Germany 10 batter her way through
10 'he French coast. T.ha, Germany
! Is mass:ng ner troops against some
such coup IS generally admitted.
There are concealed activities in such
ports as Ham burg and such cities as
Antwerp. Eew troops, in some cases
al least reported to be half-trained
boys. are being pushed forward TO the
front She can we'll afford to make
,demonstrasion against the English
coast, in order 10 prevent England
from sssfening the allies line.
Sut at the worst i, would be only
demonstration in force said a man
who has been in close touch with GER
tain phases Of these defensive prep
araiions. The greater part O; the
eastern coast is SO shelving that II
would De Impossible for ships TO ap-
proach within a practicable distance
OF land: Every part of the, coast
where landing is possible is we'll de-
Tended. An attempt to land troops
would amount to murder on a grand
scale
1t has been reported that the Ger
mans have prepared barzes for the
! voyage across the North Sea. These
| arc TO be SO shallow as to permit land
| ing on shelving beach, and also to
slip unharmed over the mine field.
The danger of mines may be indicated
| py the TACT that narrow pathway
| hardly wide enough for a hanson
| cabs followed BY the ships plying
/ between the French and Dutch coasts
and England nowadays. 1t rarely
| happens that trip across is made
that the pilot does not eight some
hoating mine. In the majority of
adrift by the Germans. All English
mines are anchored. and either ex-
plode or become harmless the mo-
ment they go free.
Invasion by Barges Impossible.
That barge idea is just bugaboo,"
said the man quoted. One barge or
dozen might make the trip across
lo0 miles of sea safely. But even IL
the British fleet were not to be reck-
oned with. it would be foolhardy
undertaking to float barges enough
across for 100000 men,"
How many men would he needed
land?"
AZ least 100000 men. merely to
obtain foothold. Not less than
100000 to make good their position
long enough to hold on for reinforce
ments. 1t would not be possible for
Germany 4. "a to get too many men over"
II IS conceded in high quarters that
the German leaders would invade
England-if they could. They have
been pecking away at the English
Meet through their submarines. They
insist that the "unterseeboots," as
they call the subs, have been COM
pletely around the island. There is no
dangerous neighborhood to English
ports; The Audacious may have
struck mine-or she may have been
punctured-off the, Irish coast. The
Niger was killed off Dover. The Bull
wark went down in the mouth Of the
Medway. Whether decomposition of
her powder or an enemy's craft was
far as possible they have prepared the
way.
But the fighting strength OF the
British navy has been little impaired,
except by the loss Of lives. Destroyers
alone-and England has 115 or more
operating in the North Sea-could ac-
count for an invading notilla of fiat
boats laden with men. An invasion
conveyed. by the German navy pre-
supposes naval victory by the Ger
mama presupposition which would
hardly form a solid base for action.
An invasion in transports-one hears
that every German steamship in the
Hamburg harbor is lying with steam
UP, ready for the word---equally de-
mands German victory on the sea
as condition precedent 4 tin-wall-
ed tramp steamship could be sunk by
six-incf shell. Perhaps 5000 men
would go to the bottom with her.
Meanwhile, this phlegmatic English
people has not been in the least alarm
ed. Lord Kitchener reported to par
lament the other day that 10000 re-
cruits are Joining the colors each
week, and that he was quite satisfied