Imperial Valley press., 1914-09-26

tul 10 Germany. | have many Eng
fish friends. / like England and Eng.
lishmen. But your people do irritate
me sometimes; they are so incerdu-
lous and so very self-confident, buv
they make up for these in their
straigt- dealing. If it were not for
their incerdulity, l would go myself
to your foreign office and tell them
all l know, but l should only be
laughed at and promptly shown the
door. I am, therefore, telling you in
order that you may go, and coming
from an Englishman it should have
some weight. l hope it will, and that
your ministers will profit by it. They
can have no idea of the tremendous
preparations being made nor of the
millions of men being got ready.
81 told him l could not take him
seriously; that if / went to the for
eign office with such a 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 Englishmen felt very con-
fidenr that Germany had more to lose
in war than England had, and also
that the Kaiser could never land an
army here.
"This remark brought this startling
reply:
":Oh, what a lot of innocents! Why,
there is already here in London an ar
my of at least 100000 trained SOL
diers, and at least 10000 in other
parts of England, with arms and am
hidden away in convenient
places. All are picked men, sworn
to obey given signal. That signal
would be given when transports bear
ing German soldiers were anywhere
near our shores, so that, being at
tackled back and front and taken un-
awares, they had every hope of sue
cess. That the men comprising this
army were employed in banks, brokers'
offices, foreign and English hotels,
bakers and BARRIERS, and
as servants in private families, etc.;
that there was a large number of
spies, some in high places, of both
sexes, some acting as tutors and gov
and who were constantly run
ming backwards and forwards, carry
ing valuable informations, documents
and plans; also many carrier pigeons
and wireless telegraphy were being
used; that this had been going on for
fifteen years by naturalized and un-
Germans; that most Of
hose who had become naturalized had
lone so to make their task easier;
hat the Kaiser's visits were simply
10 gain knowledge and to allay sus-
oicion; that he had taken a residence
here in order that he might be in
touch with the heads of the conspiracy
here, many of whom moved in the best
society, and would, therefore, be above
that it was big problem
we had in front of US, but that we
should solve it if the warning were
Iaken in time.
81 listened patiently until he had
finished and then again told him that
It would be useless to try to get such
l story believed; that l should only be
2lassed as another alarmist with q
German invasion on the brain.
"He finished up with the warning
hat if what he told me ever came
% pass, to get rid of all Germans or
% get them under control somehow
without loss of time; to search syste-
such quarters as Soho, the
East End, N. w. and S. E., of Lon /:
ion, to do the same in the provinces,
and not to be satisfied with super
icial search, but to sound walls and
,urrow underneath floors, and plenty
If arms and ammunition would be
'ound.
"Before we parted he told ME he
vas now an American citizen and had
hanged his name. He would not tell
ne what that was, in order that |
should not be able to give it if asked,
or giving me this information would /
,ost him his life if it were traced 10
lin. He was returning to America
r few days and might never come
o England again.
"Now, sir, all this was told to me
~ a man who had no axe to grind
f at the time it was given / attached |.
90 little Importance to it, it should
low be put to advantage. 1t is an
Jther very strong argument against
flowing these many thousands of al
ems, naturalized and unnaturalized, to
emain longer a terrible danger in our
midst. I enclose my card. I am, sir,
,ourS faithfulIv"