New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-10-02
The German Plan
To Conquer England, Seize Canada
and Invade the United States

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Cir. Convinced az am that much OF our
freouently discussed lassitude with regar'
~ tho war ia due 20 the public not having
been sufficiently impressed with the causes
Of our entering into the war reI".'"s sP'
cifcaly to American interests ano AIne'ica"
dangers. / am frequently complimehrhs ms
Tribune on the prominence u gives ~
formation and specific data relating directly
TO the real dangers 20 the Cniteo o1"''
that lie in the German menace we ""''
feen fed too much on tho idea that thl@ -
q uar for the furtherance OF world democ-
,acv (true though that may be- and TOO
little on the fact that America IS hgn''hg
for her national preservation, whlch
equally true.
am moved 70 write this after noting the
prominence given by The Tribune 70 'He
Washington dispatch presenting the para
graph from Admiral Dewey's record showing
German designs on the United States as far
back as fifteen years ago. But according
TO much information that has come 70 me
in spoken and written form, ! am lncIlhei
70 think that the German scheme ala not
embrace any plan 70 let us OFF so easily as
the German admiral outlined 70 the nero
Of Manila Bay. The plan, as ! am inclined
TO believe it stood, was 10 crush France ana
then 10 attack England. This latter step
would have included selling Canada-and
from Canada the United States would have
been invaded and. according to the German
dream, made part Of the German "oru
empire.
In substantiation Of this reported plan let
me recall statement Of Professor william
Romano Newbold. Of the University Of Penn
svlvania Professor Newbold told OF meet
ing several Teutonic army officers on =
transatlantic liner and Of being informed By
them Of German designs on America. He
said, in part:
"The military plans for the realization OF
tbi, scheme of conquest had, Lieutenant
assured me, long been drawn up, and
he professed to be familiar with them. This
much he was willing 70 tell: The conquest
of the United States and Canada was sched-
uled for the near future. He thought that
I myself. then about forty-six years OF age,
would live TO see the conquest completed
and the English language stamped out IN
North America. Lieutenant --- claimed
TO have personal knowledge Of these facts,
alleging that his trip 10 the United States
had been made with the object Of visiting
some Of the leaders in this plot and ascer-
tanning the measure OF success which had
attended their efforts
Professor Newbold said he felt more
amusement than alarm" over these state
nents. But some weeks later, at Munich, ne
met a German diplomat whom he told OF what
the army officers had stated. Said this
diplomat TO him: ~ see nothing eXtrayagart
in all that. Nothing counts nowadays ex-
cept brains We Germans have them and
the rest of you haven't. | don't say we
shall conquer the entire earth, but do say
that We shall conquer as much Of II we
please, and you cannot prevent it. Try TO
if you dare!"
This was several years before the out
break of the European war. There Is
abundant reason to accept the German diplo-
mats statements actually representing
tie military scheme Of the German Empire.
FELIA ORMAN.
Dixville Notch, NJ H.. Sept. 26, 1917.