Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-10-15

viC6uidl ARMY are READY IOT WdT. Dc
sides, about 100000 militia are in ex
istence, 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 muzzle-loaders, and it's
training is worse than it's armament
AS an operation by surprise against
America is impossible, on account of
the length of time during which the
transports are in 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 vic
tory against the United States, owing
to the absence tof methodical prepare
ton for mobilization, owing to the in
experience of the personnel, and
owing to the weakness of the regular
army.
I'm order to occupy permanently a
considerable part of the United States
and to protect our lines of operation
so as to enable us to fight successfully
against all forces which that country
in the course of time can oppose to us,
considerable forces would be required.
Such an operation would be greatly
hampered by the fact that it would re-
quire second passage of the trans
port fleet in order to ship the neces.
sary troops that long distance. How.
ever, it seems questionable whether it
would be advantageous to occupy a
great stretch of country for con-
siderable time. The Americans will
not feel inclined to conclude peace be-
cause one or two provinces are oc-
cupied by an army of invasion, but be-
cause Of the enormous material losses
which the whole country will suffer if
the Atlantic harbor towns, in which
the threads of the whole prosperity of
the United States are concentrated,
are torn away from them one after the
other.
Seize Our Big Ports.
Therefore the task of the feet
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.
MERGE, and the defense, by taking
away all material for war and trans.
port, and lastly, by levying heavy con
tributions, we should be able to inf1ict
damage on the United States.
For such enterprises smaller mill
tary force will suffice. Nevertheless
the American defense will find it diff.
cult to undertake a successful enter
prise against that kind Of warfare
Though an extremely well developed
railway system enables them to con
centrate troops within short time on
the different points on the coast, the
concentration Of the troops and the
time which is lost until it is recog
nized which of the many threatened
points of landing will really be util
lied will, as a rule, make it possible
for the army of invasion to carry out
its operation with success under the
cooperation of the fleet at the point
chosen. The corps landed can either
take the offensive against gathering
hostile forces or withdraw to the trans
ports in order to land at another place.
'It should be pointed out that Ger
many is the only great power which is
able to tackle the United States single
handed. England could be victorious
on sea, but would not be able to pro-
tect Canada, where the Americans
could find consolation for their de-
feats on sea. Of the other great pow
ers none possesses feet of transports
required for such an operation