The Washington herald., 1914-09-21
RUMORS TO
AID PATRIOTISM
London Paper Has Wild Story
About Great German Army
Being in England.
USES UNSIGNED MISSTVE
Writer Says Teuton Who Hated Ger
man Political Intrigue Told Him
of This Condition.
USES UNSIGNED MTSSTVE

| London, Sept. 20-In these days when
Great Britain is at war and the censor
! ship OF the press bureau allows the Eng
lIsh to know little of what is really go
ing on, the air is filed with scores of
wild rumors. for which there is no
ground. Women and children through
out the country are being needlessly
frightened by brainless scare-monEers
A typical war scare. the alleged pres
ence Of a hugh secret German army In
England, is contained in the following
Anonymous letter published today in a
London newspaper:
After reading the many letters in
your columns on this subject, and even
with the probability OF raising a laugh
at my own expense among many OF my
lincredulous and easy-going countrymen,
should the whole or any portion Of this
letter appear in your columns, l can no
longer refrain from laying before you
certain information that has come TO my
knowledge. and which bears upon the
question.
Some years ago became acquainted
with German. One day, in course OF
conversation. he told me he never in
tended to go back TO Germany, that he
loathed the name and everything con-
nected with the country: its tyrannical
and brutal systoms. the underhand way
in which he knew she was dealing with
France and England both Of which
countries II was her aim and ambition
TO crush at favorable moments.
For these reasons, principally the first,
he intended to become an American Citi-
zen. In America he would be a free
man.
Il had lost sight OF him for four or
five yeara when again l met him. about
the beginning Of last month. We lunched
together. over cigar and coffee. he
suddenly said: France is in for trouble
shortly. your country also. in the not dis
tant future Germany is about to realize
her dream Of crushing France, after
which 1t Is to be your turn"
Il laughed and told him that she might
have 4 chance Of crushing France, which
l doubted. but that she had not a ghost
OF chance against our navy. therefore.
could never bring an army to these
shores.
He replied very seriously and as well
as I can remember to this effect:
Don't be too sure OF that l have
a brother in Germany. holding a high
military post. II is from him I got my
information: he has been boasting a lot
Of late OF what is going to be done. I
am telling you this. knowing that II
may be to his disadvantage. but there is
no love lost between US, neither have I
any cause to be grateful TO Germany. I
have many English friends. I like Eng
land and EnGlishmen But your people
do irrItate me sometimes: they are so
inrredulOus and SO very self-confdent. !
but they make up for these in their !
II it were not for their !
incrsdulity. l would go myself to your
foreign office and tell them all I know. /
but I should only he laughed at and |
promptly shown the door. am. there !
fore. telling you in order that you may |
go. and coming from an EnGlishman II !
should have some weight. I hope II will |
and that your ministers will profit by !
il. They can have no idea Of the tre-
mondoUs preparations being made nor
or tho millions OF men being got ready"
II told him I could not take him !
seriously. that II I went TO the foreign .
Office with such story they would not
believe it; that they had warnings Of
this sort Of thing so often that they
attached no importance to them. All
feel very confident that Ger
many had more TO lose in a war than
England had. and also that the Kaiser
could never land an army here
This rema * brought this startling
reply:
"Oh. what :; lot Of inno~ents' Why.
there Is ALREADY here in London an army
y at least 10000 trained soldiers and
At least 10000 in other parts Of England
with arms and ammunition hidden awav
n convenient places. All are picked
nPn. sworn TO obey a given signal That
signal would he given when transports
bearing German soldiers were anywhere
near our shores. so that being attacked ,
back and front and taken unawarcs they
rad every hope Of success That the I
nen comprising this army were en-
1lOyed in banks. brokers' offices foreign
md English hotels. restaurants, bakers
md harbors. and servants in private
antilles. etc: that there was a large
number Of spies. some in high places. Of
9th sexes. some acting as tutors and
and who were constantly
unninC backwards and forwards. carry
ng valuable information, documents and
,lans: also many carrier pigeons and |
wireless tcleEraphy wsr being used: that
his had Neen going on for fifteen years
" naturalized and unnaturalized Ger
mans: that most OF those who had
become naturalized had done so to make
heir task easier; that the Kaiser's visits
we're simply to gain knowledge and to
Hay suspicion that he had taken a
here in order that he might be
n touch with the heads OF the con-
piracy living here, many OF whom
moved in the best society. and would
therefore,. be above suspicion: that II
vas a big problem we had in front Of
ls but that we should solve II II the
were taken In time.
II listened patiently until he had
lnIshed. and then again told him that
would he useless to try to get such
tory believed: that I should only be
:assed as another alarmist with a Gar
nan inva sion on the brain"