New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-24
PALMER PICTURES
WAR PERIL HERE
The Correspondent Shows
How Invaders Could
Occupy Big Cities.
SALONICA, HE SAYS,
IS GOAL OF AUSTRIA
Greece Hesitating Because She
Is Unable to Pick the
Winner.

By comparisons and pictures Freder-
/ lex Palmer, war correspondent, in his
I lecture at Carnegie Hall last night led
/ the minds of his audience to dwell on
/ the predicament of the United States
/ in case of a sudden attack. The com
parsons would doubtless have been
odlous TO the pacifsts, but judging
from the response he received there
were none Of those present-at least,
they kept very quiet If they were pres
emf.
/ "If the United States is ever invaded
/ the cities that will suffer the most will
/ be New York, Chicago and st. Louis"
said Mr.: Palmer, land the region that
will suffer most from the war outside
Of the districts actually occupied BY
! the enemy will be the Middle West.
"The cities in France and in Russia
which are feeling the war most are
those we'll to the rear. The Middle
Western states will have to send their
men and resources 10 help the Pacific
Coast or the Atlantic Coast in the
! struggle against the invader. They have
/ no munition factories, the business
/ that prospers most in time of war.
"lf an enemy reached the Hudson.
, landing in New Eng land. then Syracuse,
Schenectady end that region would be
doing a thriving business. SO would
B Spokane, if the enemy crossed and oc
cupied large section of the State OF
Washington. For the troops are quar-
tered Immediately in the rear of the
army and spend their pay there. One
of the most prosperous towns in France
at this time is the town occupied by
I British Headquarters. All the stores
are doing a thriving business. And so
are the stores in other towns that are
even under occasional shell fire and oc-
cupied by troops. In fact. this is one of
the reasons that makes the civilian
population so insistent upon remain
I ing, whether peasant or storekeeper.
| The peasants have good market for
all their market produce and the stores
| for their goods.
But sixty or seventy miles in the
rear, in the heart of France, conditions
are absolutely reversed. There the
towns are dead and business poor. As
a matter of practical selfshness. the
West should be more interested in home
defence than any other part of the
country, except the immediate coast
line, which may know the hardship and
destruction which follow in the trail OF
conquest. Again, the West will be shut
of from its foreign markets, and war
would undoubtedly mean 60-cent wheat
British Navy In Expert Hands.
"If it takes the British navy and
twenty-five hundred euxiliaries TO hold
the line from Iceland to the British
Channel, how large a navy will it take
us 70 defend the Monroe Doctrine and
the whole American continent. includ-
ing the Philippines? If our navy is
not as good ship for ship as the
British the fault is not with our off,
GERS and men. In England they have
left the work of experts to experts:
The amateurs have kept their hands OIL
the navy. II seems impossible that
feet could be more efficient than the
British.
From the destroyers I was on board
70 the dreadnoughts every ofiicer and
man seems letter perfect. There is no
waste effort, no confusion, and the
officers posses the confidence Of the
men and are masters of their pro
fession. The British navy was made
before the war by ten hours hard
work a day year in and out when sir
John Jellcoe wants anything the army
must wait. II he thought that he
needed St. Paul's Cathedral the Brtish
public would try 70 send 1t 70 MN.
D
the dark secrets of the British front.
/ There are none now. There wac one
/ wear ago-a very dark one-and 1t stu
| existed even six months ago. BUY IL
could not be told, for that was telling
/ the Germans how short Of shells the
/ British were.
at was that the Germans could at
snv time concentrate five shells to the
[ British one British gunners were Inn
I tied TO the number of shells they might
! fire day. British soldiers stuck to
I their trenches under hellieh German
she'll FIRE, fighting with their rifles
alone and a limited number Of machine
guns. This was one Of the reasons
/ which prevented the British from hold
ing a longer line.
l.. S. Shells Help Allies.
"The United States has furnished
about 3 per cent of the munitions useo
by the Allies Neither Lloyd Georges
new munition factories nor those IN
| the United States will be turning out
their maximum capacity until early
spring. Then for the first time the
/ British army, and, in fact, the whole
Allied front, will have sufficient shells.
Instead Of seventy-two hours Of prefa-
tory bombardment, az in the Cham
payne offensive, they will be able to
make il three weeks, il need be. The
casualties expended in any attack are
in ratio TO the amount of shells ex-
! pended. as a rule, and probably Eng
/ land has paid 100, 900 casualties for not
having had sufficient guns and shells
at the start of the war, when the Brit
ish did not contemplate ever sending
more than 10000 men to the Con-
t.nent.
"The Austrian goal is Salonica, and
when Greece comes in the Central Pow
ers must maintain big forces in sup
port of Bulgaria, and they will find
/ their resources and men still further
strained. Bulgaria thought she was
picking the winner, but she made her
choice early. Greece is taking her
time. because she wants to be sure
which is the winner before she joins in.
/ II she fought the Germans and then
the Germans took Salonica, il was lost
20 her. Ii the campaign turn against
/ the Germans she will nave TO join in
/ with the Allies to make sure that they
allow her TO retain Salonica. II is
wrong to call the Dardanelles cam
paign a complete failure. The British
] are holding big Turkish force in
4 Callipoli which it is difficult TO sup
ply"