New-York tribune., 1914-11-01

less optimism ptcNAllnE IN TINS country
on the matter Of Zeppelin raids and Of
invasion by sea is 70 be disturbed.
When I say in this country mean
among the people; not on the part Of
man ever doubted that the Navy is
doing its work with unsleeping Wig
ilance and WITH seamanship Of the high
est order Nor is il doubted that the
War Office is on the alert. Lord Hal
danes mischievous tampering with its
efficiency while he was War Minister
left the army reduced in strength and
starved IN respect Of supplies What
would not now be the value of the 40,-
600 soldiers he dismissed or Of the
batteries he abolished?
Lord Kitchener has done all that a
great soldier and a great War Minis
ter may do 20 repair the adaptations
Of his predecessor. But two months Of
Kitchener cannot wholly make UP for
seven years CT HRldane. He cannot i'm
proviSe guns and rifles and munitions
of war generally, nor can depleted mil
itary stores Of all kinds be replaced in
few weeks. The Germans know oil
this as well as the English. and prob
ably better. They counted upon II as
reason why England would not or
could not 60 to war. Which is char
acteristic of the Germans. They are
unsurpassed as sccumulatorS of facts,
whether in science or in the practical
affairs of life. That is = matter of in
dustry. But the use they make Of
these facts is perverse, and the infer
ences they draw from them are decep-
tive.
English Unooncern.
Among civilians during the last two
months | have almost never heard raid
or invasion discussed seriously. II you
ask q question they turn II aside; II
the Zeppelins are any good why haven't
they begun their bomb-dropping before
now?" Or, you don't imagine Jellicoe
can't take care Of the German fleet"
And then they would turn to the opera
rions in Northern France. With those
operations the English papers, and
therefore the English mind, were filled.
London seemed 10 them remote from
the war. England was still the invlolate
isle. Not till the last day or two has
there been a change; and the sudden
interest in Zeppelins and in the posi-
bility Of invasion is, like the lethargy
which went before, due 10 the news
papers.
The disaster to Antwerp, the evacua-
tion Of Ostend, the German menace TO
the French coast line from Dunkirk %
Boulogne gave a FLIP 10 the rather
sluggish Imagination Of this English
people And so begins discussion
which leads them TO think Of their
coast line and of London as promis-
inc field for aerial attack. As to IN
vasion. the first incident of war which
presented il 10 the English mind as a
possibility was the sinking OF the three
Cressys by a German submarine. II
people do not now wait for the actual
appearance Of Zeppelin over London
II is perhaps because Paris has sup
piled them with an object lesson. Inc
excursions of German Taube over
Paris the murder of women and emil
dren by bombs, the narrow escape o.
the American Ambassador, the narrow
escape of Notre Dame itself last Sun.
davIthese events fix the attention OF
the most Indifferent spectator.
What the Experts Say.
Now therefore the English papers
are beginning 70 reckon up the NUMBER
of available ZeppeIins and other air
craft possessed by Germany Only
nine or ten Zeppelins, says one au-
thority. At least fifty or sixty ar
craft in all, says another; all capable
in favorable conditions of making the
VOYAGE TO London, with from three 10
+en TONS of explosive each. So then
tbev begin TO consider how and when
this air fleet, or some part OF II, IS
most likely TO come and What sort OF
damage il is most capable OF doing
Then comes the question OF deience'
There is a certain number OF pompons
or anti-air craft guns at certain points
the location Of each known TO an men
vital questions the most exact ana
corplete intelligence has been sent
f~om here By German spies, ana Is
etil sent daily, is doubted by NOBODY
but Mr.. McKenna, than whose nina
there are few which travel In narrow
or orooves There are also a certain
number Of aeroplanes capable OF deal
ing with Zeppelins If they happen 10
see them, more nimble IN movement u
deadly in execution II II comes 70
actual conflict; probably on the Whoie
the best assurance OF sale'y, j" VIZ
or in part, on which London cdh at
preeert RELY. There is also rhe. hre.
if rifles and rifemen happen 10 % al
hand. On what might be the val ol
the guns which English firms long since
besought the English government 10
commission them 10 make no OPINION
IS now expressed. But Of the fact that
English firms were alive 10 the need
Of these new implements Of war, and
that the War Office under Lord Hal-
dane would have none, there Is, l De-
lieve, no doubt.
Nor is the Zeppelin attack any longer
spoken of as a mere contingency. says
one expert to-day, after remarkng that
not only Zeppelins but other types
"will" be employed:
'T use the future tense deliberately,
for IL is fairly certain that unless
something very unexpected happens an
attempt will be made whatever the re
eult may be after it has started"
OF such immunity as may come from
the darkening of London lights I have
written before. II is all very well, but
its only effect can be 10 make the Ger
man aim uncertain, unless directed By
German spies. Their longing to de-
strov ST. Paul's Cathedral or West
minister Abbey may not be gratlfied
but they will be consoled by the
thought that there are other tne
churches; that there are women and
children everywhere. and that they may
thus be able 20 pursue, IN LONDON as
elsewhere. their favorite pastime OF
turning war into assassination. Al
means 10 them are good toward attain
ing their end; toward their declared
official policy Of frightening a great
nation into paralysis.
Mr. Thomas Atkins.
But the English, If l may use q
highly expressive phrase of the Ameri'
can language, do not frighten worth
cent Perhaps their best representa-