Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-11-07

| the road. The eastern counties simply
reek with men. No one-outSide of the
war office-knows the precise extent of
England's defenses. But it is quite
safe to say they are on greater scale
than has even been dreamed by her
own people.
Every cove and harbor in which the
Germans might possibly land troops.
for instance. Is covered by some sort of
fortification- In very, few instances are
these forts defended by guns powerful
enough to be of value against battle
ships. 1t is likely that there isn't a
single piece Of heavy ordnance in any
| one of them. But the defenses are not
against ships. but against the landing
of men. In strategic positions are
trenches ana barb wire entanglements
and machine guns. The English plan
| is to Civ. battle to the invader before
he gets shore.
Guarding the East Coast.
One can motor through these eastern
counties III peace for miles. Now and
then he may meet a body of brown ter
ritori;,ls ont on the hardening up proc
ess. or he srinned at by 4 good humor-
ed sentry who is slowly turning the
color of saddle leather But if he
leaves the main roads ard turns into
the lttir leat-walled lanes he may be
challenged at every hundred feet. For
miles every farmhouse may hold a com
paHE of soldiers. 1t is extremely dan
gerous to travel these roads at night ia
motor cay. because if the ,notorist
does ilct near the senirys challenge he
Will he fred upon. Her" are miles
perhaps hundreds of niles--in which
every light is eXtinguished shortly
after y clock
Most %: these men are TIE units ont of
which A!tcilaner's new army IS being
formed 81 lar rs the outsider may pen
citrate Va: office plans. little serious AZ
tentien has ever been paid the POSSIBLE
ity OF an Invasion If England. That it Is
possibility has been recognized. Hence
the creation of the tnrf forts and the
digging Of trenches and the constant pa-
troi " the waters by Items oi the home
. fleet. hut there has been n" army pre-
pared to guard ItnSlands shores. The
soldiers one sees are destined for foreign
service. They are being made seryiceable
by this watching along the eastern coast.
| AS -ase as a new army corps has been
whipped into form it is sent across into
France. where it is badly needed.
Aggression by Air" Feared.
| The one serious possibility of the home
situation is in aggression by air. Yep
pelins have been seen lowering over the
British fleet which Is vaguely located lin
the North sea" 1t would be at least
theoretically possible Tor a Zeppelin TO
reach and attack London That German
seaplane which was picked out of the
water of Harwich might. if conditions
had been ideal. have managed to reach
one of the popuious English cities. There
fore the airmen are being guarded
against.
There are many high-angle guns along
the coast The navy has been intrusted
| with the task of guarding the country
and especially the capital. Seaplanes are
continually patrolling the coast, and
tries are on post on the tallest buildings
in almost every east coast city. A re-
| serve Of aeroplanes is everywhere ready
to repel any hostile visitor. The late
| model battleships have all been provided
with shields against bombs dropped from
planes for it is taken for granted that
when the German and English fleets lock
horns-if they ever do-air craft will
play part on both sides.