The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-06-23
PATROL
STILL GUARDS
ENGLISH COAST
Golden Opportunity for Ger
man Invasion is Pass
ed, However
DUTIES NOW ARE
MANY AND VARIED
Destroying of Mines by Gun
cotton Affords Pleas
ant Diversion

Headquarters of British Home De-
Tense Armies, England, June 70
Correspondence of Associated Press.)
Since the beginning of the war the
coasts of the United Kingdom have
been guarded by the British bicycle
militia or "Cyclist Patrol, and today
the cyclists still are on guard against
German invasion. But the golden OPP
portunity for a German assault in
force upon Britain's shores has now
passed. No longer do a few cyclists
stand guard alone over important
landing places, as they did for many
days after war was declared.
"The danger of invasion appeared
very great to us in those days, said
the commander of one of the Cyclists
battalions the other day. We had to
put forth the most colossal efforts to
get our defense organization up to
adequate pitch.
IF the German regarded an invas-
ion of England as q fearsome task
then, he must regard it as a hopeless
impossibility now. Where we former
ly had only a small detachment OF
cyclist troops to guard a possible land
ing place, there are now thousands of
trained soldiers living in huts or bill
lets close to hand, with guns, trenches
and dugouts all along the sand dunes,
and plenty of support also from aero
planes, observation balloons, submar-
ines and coast defense vessels. In 1914
the German invader would have been
opposed largely by half trained troops
straight from workshops and offices,
while today he would have to meet
men, the equal in physique and fight
ing ability of anything the world has
ever seem.
Now Largely Coast Patrol.
The actual work of protecting land
ing places has long since been taken
out Of the hands of the Cyclist battal-
ions, who have become more purely a
coast patrol. Their duties nowadays
occasionally are varied by the cap
ture of various objects of interest
washed up by the tide, such as mines,
bodies, wreckage, and lifebuoys. The
mines are destroyed by guncotton, at
fording a few moments of pleasant
excitement for the patrol
Hundreds of sailors from torpedoed
ships have received their first well
come to land from cyclist patrols
along lonely coasts. Company head
OF such encounters, always in the stiff
official language in which the British
army and navy always clothes its
deeds of heroism. Here Is such q re-
port from a cyclist patrol culled at
random from a file at headquarters:
sighted small open boat drifting
towards shore. This about dawn dur
ing binding snowstorm. Occupants
too exhausted to use oars. Big sea
running. Boat reached breakers and
overturned. Patrol with assistance
from nearest huts summoned by rock
cts, succeeded saving all but three
who too numbed from exposure to
make any effort. One of our motor
transports arrived promptly took sur
vivors farmhouse. Bodies three
drowned later taken headquarters"
Must Take Precautions.
On dark nights. the patrols fire.
quently encounter small ships which
have gone on sand bars owing to the
lack OF guiding land lights. A patrol
must take every precaution against
some enemy ruae in such case. AS
soon as word is received that a ship
Is approaching the shore, a force of
reserves is summoned and takes up
defensive position with machine guns
Then q. boarding party is sent aboard
the vessel to examine her and make a
report. Even IL there is nothing Rus-
picious about the vessel a guard Is
left aboard to prevent anyone coming
ashore or possibly communicating
with hostile agents on shore.