New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-07
A GERMAN STUDY OF INVASION
Professor William Gardner Hale of the University
Chicago, Summarizes German Book Which
Concerns the United States.

interests and carry our will into et-
feet by force. Our first element or
power in this instance Is our navy:
There is every prospect that it would
successfully oppose the naval forces or
the United States. scattered as they
are over two oceans. This was writ
ten before the cutting of the Panama
Canal) But the extent Of the coun-
try is so large and it's resources so
great that the defeat of its navy would
not force ii to accept terms of peace.
Our land and naval forces must there
fore cooperate" The conquest Of the
interior is out of the question. but
there is every probability that sue
cessful operations on the Atlantic coast
and the cutting of the principal ar
teries of importation and expectation
will create a situation of such pressure
throughout the whole country that the
government will readily consent to &C
ceptable terms in order to obtain
peace"
The expeditionary force could land
on American soil in about a month.
The United States could not within
that time oppose troops Of equal
strength. OF the regular army of Co.
900 men not more than 10000 would be
available against us. I'm addition
there are about 100000 militia, the
larger part of which, however, did not
answer the call to arms in the recent
war against SPAIN. Besides this, the
militia is poorly armed, in part with
muzzle-loaders, and its training is even
poorer.
"The occupation of one or two states
by the army of invasion will not com
pei the Americans to accept terms OF
PEACE, but this will be accomplished by
heavy material losses inflicted on the
entire country by the successive seiz-
ures of several of the great Atlantic
seaport cities, in which the threads OF
the combined prosperity of the states
run together. The business before US
then, consists in a series of land oper-
atoms in close connection with the
fleet. Through these it lies in our
power TO take possession, in a short
time. of a number of these rich and
important cities, and by cutting of
their ways of business communication
by destroying all buildings devoted to
government, trade and defence (durct
Zerst0rung aller dem Staatswesen, dem
Handel und der Vertheidigung dienen-
zen DduLeUl, Dy StlLlHk al mater sa'
of war and transportation, and, finally
by imposing heavy tributes, to make
these cities suffer.
at is worth while TO note that Ger
many is the only one of the great pow
ers in a position to attack the United
States unaided. England could. it Is
true, successfully prosecute an attack
by sea. But she could not defend Eer
province Of Canada. with which the
Americans could compensate them
selves for all defeats suffered upon the
ocean. No other great power could, by
itself alone, command the necessary
transport feet"
II will be said by some readers that
this study is purely an academic affair
without meaning for anybody but the
author; that the military and naval
men OF all nations practise themselves
in working out, on paper. campaigns
against other nations. But certainly
as far as England is concerned, the sit
uation to-day bears a real resemblance
to that which the author discusses.
The threat OF invasion, at any rate
is in all mems minds. And as for the
rart which deals with an invasion o.
the United States. this question. az
least. may be asked: Where in the
world, outside of Germany. would any
officer of the army or navy, even II
not. like our author. detailed for duty
with the General staff. dream OF pub
fishing a discussion Of plans for an
invasion of the United States by his
c0Rntryl